Nail inspo for brides-to-be ~ how to choose your wedding nail art design

So you’re getting married (aieee), and you’ve got your pre-wedding nail appointment(s) booked in (well done you), but you’re still undecided on what you’d actually like on your nails for the big day - don't worry, I've got you. Read on for a huge range of Nails by Laura D Lee inspo for bridal nail art, complete with pics (ofc).

A hugely popular choice for bridal nails is to maximise the natural look - think classic French manicure, or a white-tipped fade like the sets shown below. Here I’ve created a softer version using a shimmery white powder or an iridescent white glitter, to give the illusion of a natural look, whilst still elevating it with some subtle sparkle.

If you’d like to stay relatively conservative but aren’t looking to mimic the French mani look, then consider a nude-based nail with either a slight rainbow shimmer (achieved by using a translucent iridescent rainbow foil), or a subtle chrome (such as Lecente’s pearlescent chrome), both pictured below.

If you want to increase the sparkle but you don’t want all-out glitz, then you could go for a glitter tip or glitter fade. You could also choose to have glitter on an accent nail, typically your ring finger, which is a fab way to highlight those gorgeous rings.

If, like me, you’re a full-on magpie, then the obvious choice is full coverage sparkle on every nail. What type of glitter you choose is a whole other rabbit hole to go down, so check out my glitter blog post which helps explain the difference between each kind of glitter, complete with pictures of course.

Now just because nude and natural coloured nails are popular, doesn’t mean that they will be the right choice for you. I am all for bringing some colour into your wedding mani, if that’s what you’d like to do. One such option is a twist on a French manicure, using a coloured tip instead of the classic white, like the gorgeous set of full rainbow tips shown below.

However, there’s no rule that says your wedding nails must be a variation on a French mani - if colour co-ordination is more your style, then absolutely go for it. You could use one of your wedding colours for the base colour of the nail itself to co-ordinate with your wedding bouquet or perhaps your bridesmaid dresses. Here we opted for a pretty peach which perfectly matched the groom’s tie.

Another option to consider is matching your nails to your dress, but this time I’m not talking about the colour. If you have a lace wedding dress then including a lace design on your nails can look particularly effective. Top tip - ask your dress-maker or seamstress if you can have an off-cut when they do their alterations, and then bring it to your nail appointment to get the best possible match to the lace pattern.

Similarly, if you have rhinestones on your wedding dress, you might consider including nail gems in your mani design, or if you have a dress with a cut-out, then maybe a negative-space manicure would be better suited to your wedding style.

Alternatively, why not include some themed nail art, given that weddings are all about your love. This can range from hearts, to kissing lips, to a declaration of love itself!

So there you have a full rundown of bridal nail art suggestions, if you've made it this far please let me know what you think in the comments below - which would you pick and why?