When it comes to wedding nails, there are so many incredible opportunities to be let your personality shine and make a cute statement. Seriously you guys-- if you adore nail art as much as I do, then I feel that your wedding day nails are such an invitation to get extra creative.
Whether you are a bride who is looking for something understated or whether you are a bride who likes to go big or go home, here are nine wedding nail design ideas for you, listed in order of mega-manicure-amazing to whoa-who-did-that?! Let's go.
1. Just Add Initials
Ok, so let me guess: when it comes to your nail color, you would rather die than stray from your trusty nudes and light pinks, right? I get you girl. I do. But how about adding a super subtle hand-painted initial detail to your ring finger? That's not too much, right? The only hurdle now is how to get the perfect up-close photo with that Iphone camera.
2. Make It Bridal, But Make It Ombré
When it comes to ombre, you can utilize any color under the sun and combine it with any other color under the sun to achieve a subtle fade-to, gradient effect. For wedding nails, we recommend choosing a nude or light pink as your base color and fading to white (as shown in the photo above). The best part? These nails will look incredible during your honeymoon too...and will still compliment just about any outfit that you have packed.
3. Beauty and the Botanicals
When it comes to garden party vibes, nothing says WHOA quite like a hand-painted floral manicure. In fact, I love this idea so much that I have it on my "nails to try" list for next month! Pro tip: if you decide to do this type of nail design, make sure your nail artist knows what they are doing and can pull off your vision. In fact, I highly recommend hiring him/her to try it out a few months before the wedding in order to ensure that the design that they do just before your wedding is up to par with your vision. Also-- no loud primary colors guys! Keep it light, with preferably a large white/ivory presence within your color pallet. You can always play around with bolder colors after the wedding day.
4. Modern and Minimalistic
Are you a bride who feels that less is more? If so, we recommend a design such as the one above, that features subtle white french tip detailing at the top of an all neutral, all natural acrylic base. The best part? If the tips are done in a slightly non-traditional shape, you are now not only minimalistic but edgy too.
5. Something Blue
Are you a bride who is still looking for a creative, fun way to work in your "something blue"? If so, we highly suggest heading to your favorite nail salon and plucking out a light blue hue in order to recreate a nail design such as what you see in the photo above. Truth fast: I freaking love this idea and will most likely do it myself someday soon. Not only is it the epitome of 2022, but it is also fun, young, flirty and --most importantly-- original AF. The only thing that we ask is that you send us a photo from your wedding day if you decide to do this! Eeepp!
6. Marry Me In Marble
If you adore nail art, then you have probably noticed the growing marble nail trend. Personally, I love it but because I have never tried it out myself, I can't vouch for how easy/difficult it is to pull off. However, I adore the idea of adding a super subtle marble-like detail to your otherwise nude/natural color pallet. If you ask me, it says subtle but modern in all the right ways.
7. The Deconstructionist Diva
If nail designs were actual places, this particular design would be the inside of an art museum. Hands down. No questions asked. Artistic, subtle, and unapologetically original, these "half done, half not done" nails are the essence of artful. (Bonus points for asking you nail artist to add some sort of 3-D detail like these three tiny gold dots as shown in the image above!)
8. Gold Foil Gorgeous
For the bride who adores unique, organic details, this gold-foil-enhanced nail design is truly Cleopatra-worthy. The best part? You can find foil in multiple colors ranging from gold, rose gold, and even silver. (But we personally love gold the most!) If you decide to go this route, make sure you visit a nail salon that not only keeps metallic foil in stock for designs such as this but that is also skilled in foil-enhanced designs! I mention this because I have worked with gold foil myself in the past and it is NOT EASY to worth with due to the fact that it is basically the weight of air. So, you'll want to make sure you go to a nail artist who really knows what he/she is doing.
9. The Bride Wore White
For the bride who is overwhelmed with options and can't stand the thought of making one more design-based decision, then we highly recommend a solid white lacquer. After all, white is the signature color of bridal. Nothing says WEDDING quite like WHITE. ...and with all of the busy, extra-creative nail designs out there these days, there is something super refreshing about a plain, non-fuss, all-white nail design. Just my opinion. (Plus, just think about how perfectly they will pop in photos.)
10. Pearl Perfect
It's no secret that pearls are having a huge moment right now in bridal, so if you are as seduced by them as we are, you might love the idea of adding some plain ivory 3-D pearl details to your otherwise normal french manicure. (Full permission here to screenshot this photo and take it your your nail-tech asap.)
11. Glitter Girl
In the world of nails, there are two distinctly different types of women: those who glitter and those who do not. It's just #FACTS. If you are a bride who has glittered in the past, then we fully recommend glittering into the future. And if you are a bride who abhors glitter on your nails, then skip this one immediately.
12. Go Bling Or Go Home
For the bride who loves sparkle, consider asking your nail tech to adding a rhinestone or two to your nails just before the wedding. Full disclosure: the nails in the photo above are ridiculous and totally unrealistic. We don't recommend aiming for something quite so COVERED IN JEWELS. But we wanted to include at least something that spoke to rhinestoned, bejeweled nails in the event that you are a "more is more" bride when it comes to sparkle. But no- serously-- do not try to replicate this photo. You won't be able to text, open your car door, hug anyone, or fix your hair. But we LOVE the idea of adding a hotfix rhinestone or two to the top of your nail bed. Actually, hang on. Let me just do the work and find you a photo of what I am actually thinking here. Brb.
Ok, here we go. That's more realistic.
