A wreath for the princess bride

The phrase “to feel like a queen for a day”, which expresses how a bride feels on her wedding night, comes through in her jewelry too – in a bridal wreath, a crown, headbands and back headbands. Hairpins, elaborate headpieces, hair chains, combs and more.

This may be the only time in her life that a bride will place a crown on her head – or, if you like, a wreath, in more festive language – and feel like a princess or a queen with all eyes on her.

Already in the sixties you could see brides with a wreath on their heads. Even then they wanted to feel like a queen for a day, and if not on their wedding day, then when?

That said, the choice of a wreath has to be matched to the dress, to the bride’s face shape and also to the hairstyle she is going to have. All of these matter when choosing the wreath.

Adorning the bride

The wreath, of course, originates in royal courts. Every woman who carried a noble title went about with a wreath – and not just any wreath, but one made of real diamonds, gold and the like, passed down in the family from generation to generation.
The wreath was also an ornament in aristocratic circles, at the balls of counts and princes. As early as the Renaissance women crowned their heads with a wreath without being brides. It was part of the everyday jewelry of noblewomen. They would gather their hair and adorn it with a wreath set with precious stones, or with a lace-patterned headpiece with stone settings and more.

Another custom was to “wrap” the hair with a chain that wound around the whole head, back and forth, forming a more natural kind of ornament.

Chains and headpieces – the 1920s

In the twenties we see the look of hair ornaments in a rather different form. The look of flowing dresses with beads and fringes, and the ornament worn across the forehead. Or a deliberately exaggerated headpiece, or a chain “cutting” across the bob haircut of those years. Unlike the royal wreath, the hair ornament, together with the loose dresses with their low waistline, was a kind of provocation. These were bohemian, modern American women who consumed art, dressed dramatically and gave up the corset that had been the lot of the women in the generations before them.

A bridal wreath in those years might be made of metal set with stones, including feathers. Or a headpiece with the kind of veil netting that both hides and does not hide the femme fatale beneath it.

It is in fact from the hair accessories of the 1920s that all the headpieces brides love today grew.

Boho chic and a wedding in nature

A great many brides choose the boho-chic look, and it goes together with a simple dress, not too fitted, and a wedding in nature. A hair ornament for a bride in this style might be a chain across the forehead, a wreath of flowers in the hair, or a floral wreath – and it goes simply beautifully with bridal earrings for a perfect, enchanting wedding day.

As a rule, along with the fashion for crowns on brides’ heads, the change happens in hairstyles too, of course. A natural bride with a boho-chic look does not go for the princess look, but she can absolutely be a princess of nature.

Brides who choose a bridal wreath often consult their hair stylist about the type and size of the wreath. The hairstyles of these brides usually suit a wreath, whether it is a natural look of hair loosely gathered or hair worn down.
The natural look has rather taken over among brides. They want to look their best, and even like princesses, but without trying too hard. They love the look that connects most to their own nature – a little tousled, offhand and very romantic.

Brides who choose the beach-waves look for their hair want a bridal wreath too. If the look is already a little “messy”, then let it be that of a true princess, with a delicate wreath with stunning elements on her head.