Jennifer Behr On How To Choose The Perfect Bridal Accessories

Weddingbells had the chance to catch up with pro bridal accessories designer Jennifer Behr when she was recently in Canada at White Toronto to meet brides and have them try pieces from her Spring 2019 collection. For any bride, picking the right accessories to complement the gown is an important part of creating a cohesive and beautiful bridal look. But how exactly do you pick the right accessories? We asked Behr to share her best tips for choosing the pieces that are right for you.

WB: How should a bride who's wearing more of a modern dress accessorize her look? JB: Having a headpiece or an elevated accessory is the best way to complement your dress. It will help you look like you're the bride and that it's your special day.

WB: We especially love how you play with incorporating traditional elements such as pearl into your pieces. JB: Pearl is something I've wanted to do for awhile. It can look so fussy on some accessories, but we love making it look more modern ad elegant, rather than princess-y. You can even add more with pearl hairpins. We love how brides are more willing to try new things.

WB: What's it like designing pieces for big events such as the MET Gala? JB: The MET is really for people who love fashion, and they're much more willing to do fun things. The best thing about those red carpet moments is seeing not just the over-the-top outfits, but when every day pieces just look super elevated. For example, for Eva Chen, her hairstylist Chris used the simple headbands I created and made them elegant and elevated by layering them and strategically placing them. They're just two simple ribbon headbands. A bow or velvet headpieces are accessories you can incorporate into your daily style, and it doesn't have to be costly.

WB: Are there any accessories that brides often overlook, but that you wish they'd consider? JB: I think for the headpiece, we get people who don't consider it until the last minute. I want brides to consider their accessories as a way of personalizing their dresses, and think about the whole look from the beginning. What is on your head, like really, from the waist up like a portrait, is what people really see. Make your jewellery and your headpiece as part of the process when you're looking for your dress, rather than waiting til the end and feeling like you need to add something. Consider how it all works together. Your headpiece and earrings are what people are going to see, so consider it early on and work it in. I think it's wonderful that people are considering a wider range of things to wear in their hair than they're used to.

WB: What are your favourite pieces to design? JB: It's so hard to choose! I'm really in love with jewellery at the moment because it's new and it's fun. I keep going back to the flower and being inspired by nature. There's all this beautiful floral stuff that's kind of experimental and I love incorporating some of those elements into what we do.

WB: What advice do you have for brides when choosing wedding day accessories? JB: I say to people that even outside of the wedding, you have a wardrobe of clothes and a wardrobe of shoes, and a wardrobe of jewellery and it helps you transform. There are days when I want to wear a romantic flower dress and there are other times when I wear linen overalls I might want a chunky gold piece on that day versus a really delicate accessory. I think it's fun, that fashion doesn't have to be serious, and it can be more transformative. I would like people to take more risks! People say to us sometimes like, "Oh, I could never wear that." And it's like, well, why not? When people wear the crazier things, it makes people around them happy!

WB: What would you say to brides who are torn between a classic look and a more modern one? JB: Sometimes brides say, "I want to look totally classic, and I don't want to look out of date in 20 years." But brides, you might as well wear something fun! Whatever you're thinking is classic now is not going to be classic in 20 years. So you might as well embrace something you really love, rather than worrying about what it might look like in the future.