Wedding Wednesdays: Wedding Bling

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When I was looking at wedding dresses, I was adamant about one thing: I did not want bling or beading.  They can be very glamorous and, when done right, elegant, but that aesthetic is simply not me.  I tried on a few dresses that had pearl beading, which I liked marginally more than those with clear or sequin-y beading, but even when I could admit they were pretty they just didn't feel like they fit my style.

Happily, though, my mother and my seamstress convinced me that my (still-being-made) wedding dress will be simple enough that it really begs for something extra, so back in April I started thinking about possibilities.  I knew I still didn't want gratuitous sparkle; if I was going to include bling, it had to be classic and restrained.  (It's all relative, I guess, but...)  When Mom and I went for our first consultation with my seamstress we decided that my gown would have a sash at the narrowest part of my waist, and when we were at the wedding fair in London we had a look at jeweled ribbon belts.  They were lovely - in fact, there were so many pretty styles that I couldn't decide between all the options!  Thank goodness my mother stepped in with a "something old, something borrowed" suggestion:

She has four pieces of a jeweled set that belonged to her paternal grandmother, two that hook together to form a belt buckle and two that have clips on the back.  They're absolutely gorgeous and we've decided that we'll use the buckle as the centerpiece of a very simple sash, which won't tie in the back but will just serve to accentuate my waist, and the two clips will sit at the top of my shoulders, clasping the thinnest part of the straps of my dress.  (I know you can all imagine the sash and have those images at top to help you, but jeweled shoulder clips are so vintage that I can't find any pictures of them in action on a gown!)  Unfortunately I will have to give them all back after the wedding, but I love that using these pieces incorporates a piece of my family's history and adds some bling.

The third bit of bling won't match perfectly, but I'm working with a wonderful woman who is making my veil - more on her and that later - and she's excited about sourcing a vintage jeweled hair clip that will fit into my half-up/half-down and complements the heirlooms.  I can't wait to see what she finds!  But what do you think, dear readers - too much bling or just enough?  Or should I find ways to subtly slip in some more...

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linking up with little bit of class, little bit of sass today