Hi there!
My name is Sarah, and I live with my husband Grant in Dallas. In addition to our day jobs, we have a custom jewelry business called Sarabella. I design and create the pieces and Grant is the CEEO (Chief-Everything-Else-Officer). When Lauren asked me to write a guest post for the Benfield Blog, I was completely blown away! We had such a wonderful experience working with her, Jessica, Dale, and Meredith, that I was thrilled for the chance to give something back.
Since it is my most passionate passion, I thought it would be fun to write about jewelry and some tips
on how to style it for your wedding. First, though, a little history. Whether it was fifteen Mardi Gras
bead necklaces with my church dress (yep, I was that little girl), making flower necklaces at my brothers’ baseball games, or giving hand-woven friendship bracelets to all my best friends – for as long as I can remember, I have been making and styling jewelry. During college, I even started a business and sold pieces in shops all around Texas and Arkansas. After I graduated though, I became very engrossed in my oh-my-gosh-this-is-real-life job, and my little flame for jewelry making went out for a bit (don’t worry, it came back!).
When it was time to plan our wedding, my husband and I wanted to look back at our beautiful Benfield album and see a reflection our everyday selves. This was especially true when it came to the jewelry I was going to wear. I told Grant that I did not want to see pictures of my bride-self later and ask “Who is that girl?” or say “I want to be her!” To be true to me meant adding a little (OK…A LOT!) of jewelry. On my wedding day, I remember my grandmother pulling me aside for a pep talk saying, “OK, Sarah, let’s not overdo it on the bracelets today.”
The following were the style guidelines I used for my wedding jewelry:
1. Incorporate Pieces That Have Sentimental Value
I wore a ring that my grandmother had made for my mom when she graduated high school. I also
wore two bracelets: one from my mom and one from my stepmother. The ring was on loan from
my mom’s collection (covet!), but the bracelets were items that I wear often.
2. Find Some Pretty Things That Match Your Wedding Style
Our wedding style was art-deco/art-nouveau with some old world touches. I thought these earrings
from Stella and Dot and this J Crew bracelet fit right in!
3. Work In One Special Tiny Detail Piece That Only You Know About
Years ago my Grandmother gave me a ladybug pin that was my great-grandmother’s. She wore it on
her cuff as a style accessory. I have always had it as a treasure in my jewelry box, so I pinned it into
my bouquet as a fun little detail that only I (and the hyper -observant) would notice.
4. You Can’t Beat Custom
While I did not design or create any pieces for our wedding, it was not without a custom touch. My
aunt is a jewelry designer who lives in Chicago. Her gift to me was to create custom pieces for all my
bridesmaids. She asked the girls questions about their personal style and inspiration and based on
their responses, she was able to create pieces that were a perfect fit for each of my ladies while still
holding true to a consistent collection theme and our wedding style. It just doesn’t get any better
than that.
My best advice to all you brides-to-be: choose wisely when it comes to accessories. Try to incorporate some of your everyday jewelry, family heirlooms, as well as new pieces that represent your personal style so that when you stare in amazement at the beautiful details captured by the Benfield team, you can reflect on that day fully satisfied that you were true to yourself.
As Grant and I were looking back through our gorgeous photo album (which Lauren so perfectly put
together) and reflecting on all the creative projects we had worked on together for our wedding, I felt
a spark of inspiration that I hadn’t felt in several years. I had so much fun styling jewelry, and I was so impressed with the custom pieces that my aunt created that I knew it was time to start up my jewelry business again (yay!). Through our wedding, I discovered the style foundation that was perfect for the re-launch of Sarabella: a perfect combination of antique or vintage elements with modern design. Our focus is to work to get to know our clients and then design and/or style pieces that best represent who they are. We would be thrilled to work with you or with your whole wedding party to design an affordable collection that will add yet another personal touch to your big day. Here’s a quick look at some of the pieces we have created!
I want to take one more chance to thank Lauren, Jessica, Dale, and Meredith for everything they were
able to do for us. We put our memories in their skilled hands, and they exceeded every expectation!
xo,
Sarah
Thanks for stopping by! I've updated the blog every single day since 2008 (over 4 years), so be sure to come back tomorrow! Here are some fun and helpful links!
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