Wedding Pearls - How to Select Pearls for Brides & Bridesmaids?

Pearls are soft and lustrous, with a gentle glow and perhaps the faintest blush of color. No wonder they are a favored choice of brides everywhere! They are elegant and timeless for a church wedding, and appropriate enough for a garden or beach ceremony as well.

A cathedral style wedding dress will hardly pass muster without a pearl encrusted bodice, and larger pearls scattered on the train and veil can lend to the magical effect. For dresses with the sleeve fabric tapering to a point on the back of the hand, a strategically spaced pearl can hide the loop holding it over the middle finger.

For a wedding not requiring a veil, consider pearl barrettes or combs, or even a small pearl tiara atop elaborate curls. You can braid strands of pearls into the hair and knot them for a medieval effect, or loop them below a bun in cascading rows.

If pearls are not appropriate for the style of gown, consider using them as an accent for the bride and her bridesmaids. A gorgeous pearl necklace, perhaps with a teardrop pendant, and earrings to match can make a wedding memory last a lifetime.

Matching pearl earrings for the bridesmaids can be a lovely gift, and don’t forget little bracelets or pearl rings for the flower girls. Consider a few pearls sewn into the groomsmen’s corsages as well, and worked in the corner of a silk handkerchief for the best man.

The mother-of-the-bride should have a gift as well! Perhaps a heavier plain strand of pearls, large pearl stud earrings or a twisted strand pearl bracelet. You can choose muted colored pearls to match the dresses of the bridal party; white, cream, ivory, blush pink and lilac are only a few choices!

Inexpensive freshwater or Southsea shell pearls can also be used to decorate the bouquets, the centerpieces and even the cake itself. Let the younger girls collect them and string them as a memento of a wonderful, happy time!

The meaning of pearls at a wedding is a symbol of wholeness, unity and completion. Purity and grace are two other aspects that make pearls such a wonderful accent to any nuptial procession. Consider using pearls at your next family wedding to lend that special touch!