When Should You Order Veils and Accessories?

We're heading into the busy season for wedding businesses--all those recent engagements over the holidays, all those upcoming summer weddings!  Planning a wedding can be overwhelming at times, especially if you (like most brides) have never planned a large-scale event before.  So many details to keep track of and consider!

The timeline for wedding planning is pretty flexible, really, but there are some things you should do before you start considering a veil and other accessories.  Before you come to Tradewind Tiaras looking for the perfect accessories, you should first:

• Have the venue picked out--or at least be sure you know what kind of venue you want.  A beautiful field and a tent?  A gorgeous cathedral and grand ballroom?  The venue can really set the tone for the whole wedding, including what you wear.  This isn't an absolute, obviously, but it's a very good place to start.
• Have the dress picked out.  You might have always thought that you'd wear a white dress on your wedding day...until you went dress shopping, and discovered that pale ivory really suits your complexion much better.  Don't even think of ordering a veil until your dress is chosen and ordered.  It's a good idea not to buy your other accessories until the dress is chosen, as well.  You might think you'll wear silver jewelry...until you find the perfect dress with gold embroidery.  Or you might end up wanting a custom tiara design based on your dress detailing.  The sparkly stuff is fun, but the dress needs to come first.

One those two elements are in place, it's the perfect time to talk accessories.  Our standard turnaround time is approximately two weeks, but sometimes we need to special order a component, or are overwhelmed by last-minute rush orders.  We always do our best to accommodate rush orders at no additional cost, but it's much, much better to order well ahead of your wedding.   Several months ahead, preferably.  Place your order as soon as possible, and check that item off your list.  Worried about storing your veil?  It's easy--just check out these tips and all will be well.

Happy wedding planning!

Quick Tip Regarding Care of Real Pearls

Do your wedding accessories include real pearls?  That wedding tiara, grandma's strand of classic pearls for your "something borrowed," perhaps?  Real pearls need slightly different care than the artificial pearls found on most wedding accessories.

We use only real pearls in our tiaras.

Genuine pearls are a natural material, and are vulnerable to chemicals, skin oils, and other elements in the world around us every day.  For the most part, this is inevitable.  When you're wearing a pearl necklace, the pearls will obviously come into contact with skin oils.  In fact, that's part of what makes pearls turn a deeper ivory color as they age, and why new pearls won't match a set handed down through the generations.  But it is a good idea to protect the pearls whenever possible, so they'll keep their gorgeous luster and nacre for many, many years.

As a general rule, don't spray chemicals around your pearls.  Put your perfume on before your necklace.  Add your tiara after your stylist has given you that final spray down of hairspray.  Use common sense, and your tiara and accessories made with real pearls will be an heirloom that can be passed down for generations.