Pearls, Rhinestones, and Crystals, Oh My!

To start off, I would not call myself a jewelry "lover." Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my engagement ring and wear it almost non-stop! But other than that, I really don't wear much jewelry. I have a few favorite pieces, almost all of which where given to me and have sentimental value more than anything. With the exception of my late Great Grandmothers black and gold enameled flower pin, those favorite pieces are pretty much all small and simple. But when it came to wedding jewelry, I wanted something bold, something unique, and something that had heirloom potential. I knew I couldn't afford diamonds or precious gems, but I was determined to find something special.


First I headed to my ever-growing stack of beloved bridal magazines for inspiration. Designers such as Tejani and Regina B had beatiful peices, but they were still far out of my price range...

(Sources: 1, 2)

Then, in a copy of Brides, I came across a picture of a beautiful beaded necklace by the designer Nakamol. After browsing through her website, I was in love with several of her pieces! They were unique, bold, and much more affordable.

(Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4)

I hemmed and hawed over which piece to order. Then my future-mother-in-law asked me if I was going to wear a hair piece. I guess I hadn't really thought about it at that point, because all that came to mind was tiaras. And I'm definately not a tiara-type girl! (No offense to anyone who is - just not my style.) I searched both the internet and my good ol' magazines for hair jewelry designers. It seemed that all the pieces that were in my price range looked alike. Most of them were some sort of wired pearl or rhinestone comb. Don't get me wrong, they were beautiful, but just not enough of a statement for me. However, I liked the idea of having a hairpiece, earrings, and bracelet, with no necklace. Nakamol had a couple hair pieces (you have to email them to get pictures since they aren't on their website), but they just didn't quite do it for me.

As I continued my search, I discovered Etsy, oh wonderful Etsy! With their entire section devoted to Weddings, I found so many talented artists that I could hardly make up my mind. That was, until I found Lulusplendor. I immediately fell in love with her Eliana hair comb, with it's vintage feel and shining silver leaves. I contacted her to see if she would be willing to make me a matching bracelet and earrings. I was thrilled when she said yes! Here is a picture of my lovely items, which are now finished and on their way to America! Did I mention, she's from Australia!

I can hardly wait to recieve them!





Anyone else find a great place to buy jewelry?