Tiararama’s Suzanne designs and creates hair accessories for many a bride-to-be – as well as our own Margo Monkey! Margo recently visited her to find out all about the wonderful world of tiaras.

Q1: What are the different styles of tiara and hair accessory?
A1: It’s impossible to list them all, but, in general, you have:
1. traditionally shaped wire or metal tiaras
2. ‘alice-band’ tiaras, which are either heavily encrusted or have a funky asymmetric design
3. crowns and coronets
4. tiara combs (like a tiara but set on a comb rather than a band)
5. decorative hairpins, which give a more subtle effect.

All of the above can be made from metal alone, or can include any combination of crystals, pearls, flowers and feathers. The only limit is the imagination!

Q2: What should people take into account when choosing what to wear in their hair on their wedding day?
A2: It’s impossible to list all the considerations succinctly here, but here are some of the factors you should think about. Firstly, you need to decide on how ornate your tiara will be. This will be partly decided by what you will be wearing on the day: detailed dresses need to be balanced with something simple and elegant, while simple dresses can carry either simple or more elaborate designs.

The style you go for – whether a traditionally shaped design or, say, a tiara comb – will be determined by how you will be wearing your hair on the day.

The combination of your hairstyle and your face shape will determine the size and shape of your tiara. If you have a round face, you may want to consider a tall, thin design, while heavily beaded styles often complement longer, thinner faces.

The question of whether or not you are wearing a veil should also influence the hair accessories you choose. If you are going for a veil, the issue of whether or not you’ll be wearing it over your face needs to be taken into account – certain tall, delicate, wire-based tiaras might be affected by this, as could very ornate designs if there is no ‘up do’ behind to support the tiara. Seek expert advice to find the best option for you.

Q3: What can hair accessories add to a wedding outfit?
A3: A tiara can give a lovely touch of sparkle or elegance to any bridal ensemble, and really can make the wearer feel like a princess for the day. However, I always say that a tiara should be seen and not heard! As I know from experience, it must compliment the wearer and the rest of her ensemble, which is why I always design for the individual bride. Combs and hairpins can be designed either generically or individually, but I feel that extra care must be taken when designing a tiara to make sure it’s perfect for the bride concerned.

Q4: What inspires your designs?
A4: My clients! The important thing is that I get plenty of background information on the wedding in question to help get the creative juices flowing. I ask the bride a series of questions (initially via the ‘Tiara Designer’ wizard on my website or a direct enquiry from them, then in a more detailed discussion to flesh out the details) regarding their dress, their hair, their face shape, their flowers, colour scheme, the venue(s) and any themes they might have. I then work on a number of ideas, ensuring that each design takes into account some or all of these aspects. Sometimes it’s a picture of their wedding venue that inspires me, sometimes it’s their theme, or it might be an aspect of their personality that gives me an idea.

Q5: What materials do you use?
A5: Crystal-wise, I generally work in cut crystals of various shapes and sizes. I also use either cultura or freshwater pearls, and sometimes I add in flowers, rock crystals or feathers. All of this is held together by wiring, which can be any colour from silver to purple!

Q6: Tell us about one particular commission you have undertaken.
A6: One that springs to mind was for a wedding that took place in September in a very traditional church, with the reception in a marquee in the grounds of Framlingham Castle in Suffolk. The colour scheme was red with gold accents, and there was a medieval-type theme. I had an idea of the dress style and I knew how the bride would have her hair on the day.

One of my main inspirations was the church – the design I came up with used three bold arches to represent the stained-glass windows. These strong shapes were also reminiscent of medieval wear, which tied in with the theme of the day.

Having decided on the structure, I needed to consider the materials. Now September is a funny time of year - the sun can be splitting the pavement or it can be grey and rainy, so I had to think about how to make the tiara ‘come alive’ in difficult light.

Sometimes all gold in a solid structure can look a little dull, so I used a combination of gold and silver shades – the band was gold and the structure itself was made from silver twisted bugle beads. To add extra depth, I filled the spaces within each arch with fine wire in a modern, web-like effect, topping each arch with a red crystal to tie in with the colour scheme. A scattering of pearl beads in gold and ivory tones added the finishing touch and tied in with the dress. As it turned out, it was a beautiful day and the tiara looked stunning when the sun hit it, without being overpowering.

Q7: How did you first get into making tiaras and hair accessories?
A7: My first attempt was out of necessity! Just before my own wedding, I went to a bridal shop to have a couple of combs specially made, but the end result just didn’t go with the rest of my ensemble. Because there was only a week to go before the wedding, it was too late to have a redesign done, so my solution was to rip the two combs apart myself and make one tiara comb from the parts. The end result was so good that friends and relatives began to ask me to do hair accessories for their weddings, and I also started selling a few of my designs on a well-known auction website. Once I saw how quickly they were being snapped up, I knew I was onto something so, when the opportunity came for me to escape from my City job, I took the plunge and, well, here I am – Tiararama was born!

Q8: Do you get a lot of job satisfaction?
A8: I get so much satisfaction – after all, I’m producing something which is personal and special to somebody. And when I'm lucky enough to hand over a tiara personally and the bride-to-be is close to tears because she is so happy with my work, it's amazing.

Q9: What is your favourite tiara ever?
A9: It’s so difficult to say what my favourite one is because I just love so many, but Grace Kelly's was pretty special, and anything Audrey Hepburn wore... well, they speak for themselves! Oh, and what I wore to my own wedding – that was pretty special. Other people might not think much of it, but it was mine!

Suzanne can be contacted via her website for more information.

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