Since her custom Carolina Herrera wedding gown had lots of breathtaking embellishment (and was plenty attention-getting on its own), Jessica Simpson decided to stick to understated classics when it came to her bridal jewelry.
“My dress had a lot of tulle so I didn’t want anything to get caught,” says Simpson, who worked with longtime stylist and bridesmaid Nicole Chavez to put together her wedding day look. “I just wanted simple.”
Courtesy Neil Lane; Inset:Jamie McCarthy/WireImage
The bride’s something old was her 1910 Tiffany & Co. engagement ring from designer Neil Lane, so it made sense that she turned to the celeb-loved jewelry designer to create custom wedding bands for her July 5 nuptials to Eric Johnson.
Lane designed the couple’s custom bands, inspired by Simpson’s ruby engagement sparkler, about a month before the big day. “That was a challenge because her ring is so distinct. It’s beautiful, elegant and different,” says Lane. “She has pear shaped diamonds in her ring but she didn’t want something matchy-matchy. And again she’s a Texas girl so we didn’t do a little band. She wanted her bling!”
The final results: a wedding band made of yellow and rose gold that holds about 5 carats of marquise and round diamonds, plus one happy bride. “I love my engagement ring and my wedding band so much.”
As for Johnson? “He wanted a special band too!” says Lane. After looking though the jeweler’s archives, the couple found an Art Deco-inspired ring that had a ruby in it that recalls his bride’s engagement ring. “To have a ruby that is complementary to his is quite profound. He loved that,” says Lane.
The new accessory is going to take some getting used to. The day after the wedding “we were just sitting and eating and I started to get choked up seeing Eric with a wedding band on,” says Simpson. “We feel complete.”
Courtesy Neil Lane; Inset: Elizabeth Messina/Corny Dog, Inc/Getty
Lane also created the subtle but stunning 12-carat diamond drop earrings Simpson wore for her big day. “They were looking for sparkle on her ears. The earrings have a bit of gold but you don’t really see the gold line. It sort of disappeared and the diamond was floating.”
“I thought a simple drop diamond would be nice,” adds Simpson. “And that was my ‘something borrowed.’”
And of course, Lane supplied the jewels for the mothers of the bride and groom, as well as Jessica’s sister Ashlee, who wore a pair of 18th century chandelier earrings (below) to coordinate with her embellished Marchesa design.
Courtesy Neil Lane; Jamie McCarthy/Getty
What do you think of the 34-year-old star’s wedding jewels? Do you agree with her “less is more” philosophy? Sound off below.
–Michelle Tan
