Monday, August 16, 2010

Love Is In The Air - Custom Handcrafted Bridal Hair Pins by Gahooletree Toronto



Fresh from my bench, these custom bridal hair pin designs incorporate beautiful freshwater cultured pearls, keishi petal pearls, pink aquamarine and various swarovski crystal elements.   The lacy metal is sterling silver wire, but I create similar offerings using non tarnish argentium wire too.  Press the arrow in the above embedded video to play it.

Custom Bridal Hair Pins by Gahooletree Toronto

This one of a kind bridal hairpin collection features a prominent and edgy 5 inch wide focal bridal chignon hair pin which includes gorgeous keishi petal pearl accents ($69).  In the above embedded video you'll see two medium sized complementary pins ($39 each).  These new bridal hairpin designs will soon be available for purchase at http://www.gahooletree.etsy.com/ and http://www.annalee.artfire.com/.   And to round out this chignon pin ensemble I've made a set of matching tiny accent pins for spot placement.

To recap this project thus far, the commission is a wedding chignon updo adornment.  For the bride in question, I recommend flanking the chignon (one on either side) with the large hairpin and one medium pin.  Using identical pins will give a slightly more dated/pageant look.  This suggested hair pin assymetry will also work well if an off-center chignon placement is eventually decided upon.

Genuine gemstone bridal hair accessories also available upon request


To shape my large pin, the hair stylist should grip it in his fist with pin ends downward and the three main fronds draped over the top of fist (think of the shape of a palm tree).  All of the individual elements on my hair accessories are bendable, so the idea here is for the stylist to shape and form the pin into a curved umbrella shape prior to placing the pin in the hair. Shaping the pin into a cool three dimensional form will shrink its overall footprint and allow the stylist to fill whatever space seems most attractive.



Traditionally, handwired bridal hair pins/combs were formed flat prior to being placed in the hair, but today's twisted, knotted updos demand dimensional hair accessories.  To achieve the needed dimension, the stylist should bend my individual design elements to stand perpendicular to the scalp -- or shape them to form clustered sprays, but definitely you'll get a far more modern look if my pins/combs are NOT left flat.

Three dimensional pins are hot! 

My bridal design themes can be created in a variety of jewelry applications: hair pins, hair combs, tiaras, garlands, brooches, or even gemstone or crystal boutonnieres for the guys!  And of course, coordinating or complementary jewelry pieces for bridesmaids, mother of the bride etc. are always an option too.   I almost always have pastel pearls and crystals on hand for this purpose. 

Most popular pastel pearls/crystals are available for bridesmaid creations


With so many levels of customization available, the world of handmade gemstone bridal jewelry can seem daunting:  wedding day jewelry applications and their design possibilities are endless, so the modern bride has many jewelry considerations to bear in mind.  I try to ascertain through interview exactly what each bride loves and what she can realistically afford.  And no budget is too small in my view :) 

I find that my brides invariably have put a great deal of thought into the flavour of wedding that will make them happy.  And if they haven't done that yet :) then I'll gently guide them through the process.  It may mean weeks or months of back and forth negotiations, but in the final analysis, my brides "always get it right" and I rely heavily on them to outline their likes/theme ideas and advise me which pieces and colorways I need to create.  


Garlands, tiaras and headbands: nice alternative to bridal pins/combs

In addition to adding focal hair pins or hair combs within your bridal updo, it is often a good idea to provide your hair stylist with a set of smaller bud pins.  These cute mini accents not only tie the coiffure theme together but can prove to be invaluable styling aids if your stylist needs to tack down any loose/stray ends.

Mini accent pins may be worn alone, grouped as shown here or just add a few to complement focal hair accessories
I can easily create mini pins to match (or coordinate with) any bridal hair accessory theme.  Check back to my studios for more tiny (and affordable) bridal accent hairpin styles coming soon!


Handmade boutonnieres available in
 gemstone, crystal or pearl
And check my studios for handmade gemstone boutonnieres and stunning crystal boutonnieres coming soon too!