Bridal Beauty Extras with Bridal Accessories

No bride is complete without the appropriate accessories.  These complete her, highlight her radiance, secure her position as the focus of all attention and impress her spectators. 

The bride’s accessories are many and varied – in terms of their uses as well as their need to be used at all.  For the brides who wish for a little extra something for their wedding, some accessories to seriously consider are:

Gloves – flesh-colored or white, sheer, lace or see-through, they cover unsightly veins, scars and less-than-perfect fingers.  It is recommended that no rings with stones be worn with gloves as they may hinder the wearing of the gloves and in some desperate instances, possibly even tear them.  Mainly worn at the modern, western wedding.  Some traditional weddings require the tattooing of henna on the hands and feet as they are a symbol of beauty and exquisite craftsmanship. 

Veil – thick or thin, veils come in all shades and colors, depending on the ceremony taking place.  Modern weddings put to use a sheer, white or off-white veil matching the wedding gown while some eastern weddings have bridal veils that literally block out the light in bright colors.  No matter what the color or material, veils are symbolically used to “surprise” the groom with the bride’s beauty on the all-important day.  Veils are also traditionally a symbol of the bride’s purity and sanctity towards her new husband and their new life together. 

Flower bouquet – choice of flowers are usually at the discretion of the bride and her florist.  The bouquet the bride carries usually, although not necessarily, match the flowers at the whole ceremony.  And while pastel colors look good, many a time red roses and carnations have been used to create a stronger visual impact for the bride.  Roses and carnations also look good flying through the air at the end of the festivities when the bride does the toss to “mark” the next bride and give a little bit of luck for the next wedding. 

Garter belt – worn under the wedding dress and usually in white but also worn in bright red, black and even purple, this is an accessory for the western wedding.  With no specific use (supposedly to hold up stockings under the outfit but with the invention of the pantyhose, even this is only a supposition), the bridal garter is removed by the groom at the end of the wedding festivities to toss at the bachelors for the same reason the bride tosses her bouquet. 

Tiara or headpiece – to wear or not to wear is strictly a bride’s choice.  Usually recommended by stylists to be worn to enrich the whole bridal look, the tiara or headpiece is not a common sight in warmer climates as many brides prefer to just do up their hair and leave it bare on a warm summers day.  When worn, the headpiece partners the veil to help hold it in place. 

Bridal purse – a more uncommon choice for many brides as the prospect of carrying any bag at her own wedding is unthought of.  However, should there be a need to carry one, the bridal purse is the perfect transport for the very necessary extras.  Beautifully decorated in white, off-white, silver or ivory, the bridal purse is small enough to be nondescript yet spacious enough to accommodate her lipstick, press powder, tissue paper, maybe even her cell phone, and for convenience, hang from the wrist or shoulder. 

Wedding shoes – silver heeled sandals are the preferred choice for brides, as they complement most feet and are more aesthetic to the eyes.  However, heeled court shoes in white, off-white and ivory have also traditionally been the choice for many.  In both cases, cushion-fitted insoles are a must to relieve tension off the bride’s very tired feet by the end of the day. 

Emergency kit – as the name implies, this should be packed and stays close enough to the bride to serve its purpose.  The kit should include hand lotion, facial spray, facial cotton and plasters, and a strip of painkillers, and any other pills as the bride needs. 

There are other wedding accessories which may or may not be considered a necessity to the bride.  Additional like the bridal handkerchief, shawl and jewelry are extras which may be considered. 

In any case, it is important to remember that whatever accessories are chosen for the occasion, budget, personality, lifestyle and suitability to climatic conditions be considered before any decision is made.