Picking a Bridal Hair Tiara

Choosing just one bridal hair tiara was kind of hard!  On the one hand, I didn't want to spend a lot on it (there's just SO many other elements that go into paying for this wedding, I didn't want accessories to eat up a huge proportion of my wedding budget).  On the other hand, it's closer to my face than say, my shoes, so it's going to be in all the photographs; it had better be a good looking cheap bridal tiara.
 
I decided that a "bridal headband tiara style" would be preferable to a comb.  Since I'm probably going to have my hair down and curled, I need something that's going to stay in well without having a bun to stick out of.  Plus I'm definitely going for the formal, "princess" look, so I wanted something that's reminiscent of a crown.  I wanted it to wrap around more fully than a comb.

That didn't narrow my options too much!

So next I looked at different bridal hair tiaras that would mimic the lines of the beading on the bodice of my wedding dress.  It would need to be a beaded, rhinestone, or crystal bridal tiara.  This was definitely the most fun part!  

If I was going to get a peaked tiara, I’d have gotten this one.  The lines have pretty scrolls; it's tight enough to look nice and detailed without being too cluttered to notice from far away.  And the center forms almost a heart shape.  If I had a rounder face and could pull off a tall peak like that I would have gotten this classic looking rhinestone bridal tiara.    

I like this one because it’s so classic looking. It has nice detail that matches the beading in my dress probably better than any of the above examples. I just think the peak is a little too high for me. If only it didn't have that fleur de lis at the top I probably could have pulled it off. 

The only problem was, I wasn't sure what they would look like on me.

I went back to a photo taken of me when I tried on my wedding dress.  I loved the dress, and the way it fit my body type, but something wasn't exactly right. I assumed it was my short haircut at the time.  But I wondered if the tall, pointy bridal hair tiara wasn't helping.  So I looked online for advice on how to choose a tiara to suit my face shape.  And to sum up, a "taller" tiara will elongate your face.  A "shorter" one will have the opposite effect.  Since I believe I have an oval face that is longer than it is wide, I think I'm better off with a squattier one.  So I had to rule out the above tiaras. 

But that's okay!  There's plenty of gorgeous tiaras that don't have a tall point.

This one has the best of both worlds: a little peak in the very center, but it’s not angled up too high. In fact, the rounded lines along the top make it look a lot like a crown, would would make me look like a princess, I'm sure.  This rhinestone bridal tiara was a real contender.   


I like this tiara because it doesn’t come to a peak. And the fact that it archs out a little makes it unique.  The lines of the scroll work are very pretty, and I like how close it looks to a crown without being over the top. Really elegant for a cheap wedding tiara!




I really like the shape of this tiara a lot. There’s no peak, and it’s very rounded. It also said it had beading, like my dress, as opposed to all the other rhinestone bridal tiaras I'd seen so far. If they had taken the plastic off so I could get a better look at it I probably would have picked it!  




I like this one a lot because it doesn’t have a peak. It’s pretty unique, and has nice detail.  The lines are very ornate for a tiara at this price point.


I like this one because it’s streamlined and gently tapers away from the center.  The center forms a heart, which is sweet.  And it's a good value.




I like the shape of this one a lot, because it has a gentle peak. But there’s no way to enlarge the picture so I can’t see the detail well enough to make a decision.
 

The headband style is understated, so I do like it. This style is really hot this year.  It would look great if I wasn't wearing a veil and was going with a more casual spring or summer outdoor wedding dress style. Or even if I was planning on an up-do.  But I'm not going for either of those looks, so I didn’t go with it.



This has a nice compact design, and it has a peak.  I feel like this design wouldn't be too distracting.  It's simple and elegant.

But the winner was...

This!  I like the way it gently tapers away from the center.  I think it strikes a nice balance, not being too streamlined but not being too ornate.  I think that the detail of the design won't be lost in photographs. And I like the line of the design; how it looks a lot like hearts without being too literal.  I think the lines mirror the beading in my wedding dress's bodice pretty well.  And finally I think it's the best value I've seen.  

It was a lot of fun looking at all those cheap wedding tiaras.  I found my perfect bridal hair tiara and didn't spent too much on it.  I can't wait to see how it looks.