Top Tips For Choosing Bridal Hairpieces

Once the gown is chosen, the shoes picked and the hair and make up all painstakingly prepared, what is left for the bride to think about but saying "I do"? A hairpiece! Topping off that beautiful hair style with the perfect headpiece will make any bride feel extra special.

So what options are there and how do you go about picking the right one?

There is a wide range of wedding tiaras, combs, headpieces, hairpins and combs, all offering different looks and all suiting different types of people.

They come in a choice of materials too. For the very lavish there are silver, pearl and diamond and for those on a slightly smaller budget, lace, feather and crystal. Not to mention the combinations thereof!

The first thing that will determine what hair accessory you choose is the hairstyle you intend to wear on your wedding day. If you plan to wear your hair up then a beautiful comb, pin or barrette will work nicely. If you want to wear your hair down then a wedding tiara would be nice. To keep your hair away from your face you might want to choose a headband, while wearing a ponytail allows you to choose a nicely designed ponytail holder.

The choice of material for your tiara, comb or other headpiece should, of course, match or compliment the material and design of the dress and possibly even the shoes. The dress could also determine which particular headpiece you decide to go for. As an example, if your dress features diamonds or some equivalent, you'll likely want a headpiece that features the same, in which case a tiara would be the first choice, a headband also an option.

If the dress is particularly flowing or floral, as some wedding dresses are, then a hairpin featuring feathers could be a very good choice to compliment it.

Also think about the timing of your wedding. A late afternoon or early evening wedding would really show off a tiara or headband with a lot of 'bling' and sparkle, while an earlier wedding might suit the pearl or feather option best.

One less obvious thing that every bride should consider - and usually doesn't! - when choosing her hairpiece is the shape of her face. Some hairpieces suit certain facial shapes. Here's a quick guide to what works best.

Brides with long or oval facial shapes should opt for a headband rather than a tiara so as to enhance their look rather than accentuate it. Conversely, round-faced brides should opt for the wedding tiara, but a 'V' angled one to make the face appear longer.

Those beautiful brides with oval faces should avoid angular hairpieces, opting instead for a tiara on the forehead, a hairband or pin or comb that holds the hair at the back of the head - though this will depend on the chosen hair style of course.

A great idea is to browse the internet, looking at wedding sites for ideas and to see what works best with what. Bridal magazines will give you similar ideas as well.

Also, remember you might want to wear the headpiece you choose after the wedding itself, in which case go for something subtle rather than 'outrageous'. That way it could be matched with a variety of outfits you may wear during your married life and when you do, it will remind you of your special day with your new husband.