Too Much or Not Enough: How Much Wedding Jewelry Should I Wear?

Marriage ceremonies can be stressful enough as it is. Now you’ve tackled the concern of “Am I wearing too much wedding jewelry?” or “Am I not wearing enough jewelry?” If you’re thinking, “Should I wear my puka shells from the 90s?” — well, we can’t really answer that one. You’ll have to be the judge of that one there, friend. 

What we can offer are some solid guidelines for how much jewelry you should have on when you head to the altar. Below are some considerations to keep in mind when deciding what wedding jewelry to wear. 

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Neckline

Neckline and hairstyle are two pragmatic baselines to follow. While they aren’t the be-all and end-all, they’ll definitely get you started.

As a general rule, you want your wedding necklace to follow your dress’s neckline. For example, sweetheart necklines go well with mid-length pendants and necklaces but not as well with chokers or anything really close to the neck. However, if you’re going for a strapless dress with more skin exposed, something like a choker will look much more balanced than a long necklace. 

Hairstyle

Your earrings are going to be dependent on your hairstyle. If your hair is up, then you can go a bit more over the top and make a statement with your earrings. Go simple and classic if you’re going for a hair-down look. Stud earrings work really well there. If you’re going for a half up half down thing, you’ve probably broken the Matrix and we can only advise you so far. Use your best discretion there. For what it’s worth, drop earrings are often recommended in that scenario.

Push the Boundaries

Now that we’ve gone over general style, let’s talk about where the boundaries are for “too much jewelry.” Most people are going to be leaning on the side of not enough rather than too much, so don’t be afraid to wear a bit more than you think you need. You want to make a statement, so push the envelope a bit. Earrings and a necklace are great, but what about bold shoes or bracelets? You don’t have to pull out the red bottoms (though if you’ve got them, flaunt them), but you can definitely afford a bit of flash here.

Now, we still want to remember where the line is. Not so much in terms of too much jewelry, but too much jewelry for you to feel confident in. You know your style, so take that and make it bolder. Don’t reinvent the wheel — that’s asking to end up in the “too much” category. Take what you already wear and love and turn the heat up on it. Elevate your daily driver jewelry for a wedding jewelry look that’s bold but not too far out of your comfort zone.

Bring in Sentimentality

You’ve heard the phrase about the big four. Something old, something new, something rented, something hastily purchased the morning of. Not quite? Well, close enough. The point is, you want to build your jewelry around your sentimental pieces and accessorize from there. 

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If you start with the most important pieces and bring in accessories to complement them, you’ll have a hard time going overboard. You’ll likely find the perfect amount of jewelry going this route. 

For the Guys

You haven’t been forgotten about. Brides tend to get all the attention here, but dudes still need some pointers. Luckily, you’ve got it quite simple.

Your basics are your watch and ring. You’re more than welcome to wear a necklace or earring if you like, but your chain likely won’t show. If you’re going the earrings route, go simple. A minimalist pair of earrings will look great, but you can go overboard quickly beyond that. 

If you want to up your look just a bit, consider a tie bar (unless you’re going the bow tie route) and some solid cufflinks. Will you wear the cufflinks beyond your wedding day? Maybe, maybe not. If you don’t want to spend the money on cufflinks, that’s entirely fair. A simple metal tie bar is a great stylistic detail, though!

Also, before your uncles get on you about not perfectly matching your metals, tell them to (politely) shove it. You don’t need your accessories to match perfectly; just complement each other. Your metals don’t have to be the exact same color to a T. 

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That’s it, really. Go simple and classic with your watch, bracelet, and any other accessories, and you’ll always look good. Wasn’t so hard, was it?

Remember that your wedding look is a work in progress. If you’re not sure, it’s never a bad idea to have a trusted (and stylish) friend look over your outfit. You don’t want a “too many cooks” situation for your wedding day look, though, so choose wisely.