History of Bridal Tiaras
Bridal tiaras have come and gone in popularity over the years. Once reserved for royalty, the tiara is now an accessory that brides from all backgrounds, cultures, and economic standing choose to wear on their very special day. There’s just something magical, elegant, and sophisticated about placing a crown of sparkling jewels on your head on your wedding day. It is the symbol of beauty and refinement and makes every girl who ever dreamed of the perfect wedding day feel like a fairytale princess. While many brides choose to forego wearing bridal tiaras, their rich history and air of sophistication always comes back into style every few years.
Tiaras date back to ancient Egyptian times when kings and queens were thought to be the earthly manifestations of the Gods. The tiaras or crowns that were placed on their heads were meant to show and remind everyone who looked at them that they were not men and women, but Gods to be worshiped. These original crowns or tiaras were usually made of feathers, but soon they were crafted out of solid gold circles that would sparkle in the sun. The word 'tiara' comes from the ancient Persians who would place elaborately designed tiaras on the heads of their kings. These were tall headdresses that were fashioned together with gold and precious gems and only the king could wear a tiara of great height upon the head.
The ancient Greeks wore golden tiaras decorated with jewels during the reign of Alexander the Great. Even the common people would wear golden tiaras in their hair as a regular part of their daily attire. These tiaras, or diadems, would have a tie on the back and could be tightened so that they wouldn’t fall off of the head. On the other hand, the ancient Romans rejected the idea of wearing ostentatious crowns of gold and jewels. Even Julius Caesar himself would not wear a golden tiara, instead donning the laurel wreath that was fashionable in Roman society at the time.
Throughout Europe, kings and queens would commonly wear tiaras or crowns as a symbol of their power and royalty. While made of gold circlets and decorated with gems, these tiaras were simpler in nature. It wasn’t until Napoleon came into power that large, exquisitely decorated, and elaborately bejeweled crowns became commonplace for leaders to wear. These developed into the large crowns you might find on the heads of the kings and queens of England.
Soon tiaras became a common accessory among the common people and women began wearing them on their wedding days as a sign of celebration and symbol of high fashion. By the 1950s, bridal tiaras were commonplace and have been going in and out of fashion ever since. The modern bridal tiara is usually not a complete circle, but instead a half moon shape that can be placed towards the front of the head or pushed more towards the back. These modern tiaras are not generally worth a great deal of money, but they are lavishly decorated with crystals, semi-precious stones, or pearls. While gold is the favored color of royal crowns, silver is a more common color choice for most bridal tiaras.
Today, bridal tiaras come in wide variety of shapes, styles, and designs. Flowers, lace, swirls, loops, butterflies, and royal crests are some of the most common bridal tiara styles available. Some are very thin and barely even noticeable when placed upon the head and others are wide bands that are meant to frame the hair or face. You can also get tall, elaborately designed bridal tiaras that are more reminiscent of a royal crown than a simple hairpiece.
Bridal tiaras can be worn alone or with a bridal veil. Most modern bridal tiaras have combs or clips that will grab onto the back of the hair to keep them in place. If you are going to incorporate a bridal tiara into your wedding day hairdo, make sure to take it with you to your hairdresser when you’re deciding on what style to wear. This way they can create the best hairstyle for your face and determine the most attractive placement of the tiara itself.
