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| Tiara Tips: How To Select a Wedding Tiara |
We have been matching up tiaras with brides in our full-service bridal shop here in Cincinnati for more than 18 years. Never buy a tiara because of how it looks on a model, unless your face and hairstyle matches the model. Buying several tiaras to try on and returning all but one is a very expensive and time-consuming way to find the right tiara. Instead, read this information carefully, especially the box in the middle of the page. When selecting a tiara, your face shape and hairstyle is far more important than the style and color of your gown!
Please note: All photos were taken in our shop and are the exclusive copyrighted property of Princess Bride Tiaras. |
Princess Bride Headpiece Glossary:
Tiara: Known as the "princess of headpieces," tiaras offer the most impressive effect.
They are a fantastic accent to any gown, from a simple sheath style to a ball gown style.
Tiaras can be worn with or without a veil and are usually accented with a pearls, rhinestones, crystals, etc.
They compliment upswept hairstyles as well as shorter hairstyles.
 Headband: Headbands are a very functional option. For brides who want to wear their hair down,
a headband can be used to keep her hair away from her face. It also can be worn to accent upswept hairstyles as well, by wrapping it around a bun.
 Double Headband: Double Headbands are the most versatile of all. They can be worn flat on the head as a headband, tilted forward in tiara style, or wrapped around a bun.
 Bun Ring: A bun ring is a complete circle of crystals that is worn around an updo. A very classical style.
 Backpiece: When you want to accent your ensemble but don't want all attention drawn to the accessory,
a backpiece is essential. Backpieces can be worn with either simple or complex hairstyles. It is flattering to wear with either a low bun or French twist. A veil can be worn with this style.
 Comb: A comb is a simple piece that can be worn with almost any hairstyle. Depending on the style,
it can sometimes provide for a less formal look.
 V-band: A retro look that is only suited for a few people. It was designed for drawing attention to the
front of the face and can be used to add balance to a longer face shape.
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Choose a tiara according to your face shape. A tiara (and veil) should draw attention to your face by framing it,
not draw attention away from it. The wrong shape tiara can make your face look too long and thin or too short and full.
Here is a guide:
- Round face: To make your face appear longer, choose a tiara with some height or one that has a peak.
- Long face: We recommend headbands or tiaras with little or no height that extend over your head from one
side to the other at an even height.
- Oval face: Avoid pieces with a peak at the top, which will make your face appear longer.
Wearing a headband, forehead piece, or a back piece will make your face appear less oval.
- Full face: To create the illusion of a longer face, wear a tiara that peaks into a "V" at the top.
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Tips on choosing a headpiece.
- The best advice may seem the most obvious but is worth repeating: first choose your gown, then choose
your accessories to compliment it.
- Having a good idea of a hairstyle will usually help in deciding on the hairpiece. Many of our tiaras are
versatile enough to work with different hairstyles. The tiara description will usually indicate this. Your hairdresser
will love working with any of them!
- The tiara should be matched to the proportions of your face (see table above). The style and color of your gown
is secondary to your face shape.
- Match the type of sparkle in your gown with the sparkle in your accessories. Use crystals with crystals,
pearls with pearls, etc. If you have a floral details in your gown, look for a headpiece with
similar detailing. For example: your dress may have a rose pattern so it might be well
matched to a headpiece that has porcelain roses, which will highlight the pattern. Some of the tiaras have more
geometric features and others have curving, floral features. If you gown has embroidered floral detail, look for
a tiara with floral detail. A modern, straight, plain white gown might look best with a tiara that echoes that shape,
a tiara with straight, geometric lines. A tiara with only Austrian crystals and no pearls or other ornaments will go with any
gown, but a tiara with pearls should match either the gown or the necklace and earrings. Pearl tiaras also go well with
off-white or ivory gowns, since the particular luster of pearls is enhanced by this color in a gown.
- Remember that it is the design details of the tiara and veil that transform a beautiful dress into a
glorious bridal gown, and a beautiful woman into a bride. The overall balance of your outfit should be such
that no one piece overwhelms another. When you walk down the aisle, you don't want to look like a bride with a tiara on,
you want to look like a princess recently escaped from a fairytale to wed her prince charming. Or maybe you just want
to look like Audry Hepburn. It's more than just a look, it sends a message to your friends and both families about the
style of your event--elegant, tasteful, and timeless.
 - Rebecca reluctantly agreed to pose without
a tiara and veil. Even though she is wearing a beautiful gown, she just doesn't look like a bride. When you go to your reception
you will remove your veil so you can dance. Also, it will get pulled off when everyone hugs you. However, if you are still wearing your tiara, you will be easy to spot in all the photographs where you are surrounded
by other people. Everyone will know, looking at the photographs, just who is the bride. A sparkly tiara also helps to accent your
hairstyle, complement your jewelry, and bring an observer's attention back up from a spectacular gown to your face.
- Gold-tone or ivory pearl-accented tiaras are a good compliment to ivory gowns, while silver-tone, rhinestone,
and white pearl tiaras best compliment the tones of a white gown. Diamond white gowns (diamond white is in between white and off-white,
that is, jusat barely off-white) are a good match for either gold or silver.
- Platinum blonde hair looks spectacular with white, crystal, and silver accents as do darker shades of hair. Meanwhile, shades
of red and lighter brown look well accented with ivory pearls and gold-tone accessories.
- Keep in mind that tiaras are not just for the bride; they are perfect for bridesmaids as well. To give the wedding party a
coordinated look, the attendants can compliment the bride's ensemble by wearing a smaller or simpler version of the bride's tiara.
- Look at the style of your gown. A more stylish dress requires a more modern tiara but an antique style gown should be worn with
a more antique style headpiece.
- If you have short hair you will want to decide on a lighter, more delicate tiara that won't require lots of pinning to hold it
in place. Brides with shorter hair look best in headband styles or tiaras with a small shape.
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All information and photos on this page ©Copyright Princess Bride Tiaras LLC.
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