When it comes to bridal jewellery, the spotlight rarely strays from the heavy-hitting headliners—your massive polki choker sets, your oversized jhumkas, and your intricately carved gold bangle stack. In fact your jewellery wishlist can happily compete with your lehenga and sari checklists. Those necklaces, earrings and bracelets, get their own Pinterest moodboards, the Excel sheet line items, and family group chat approval. Meanwhile, quietly sitting in the shadows are the side-character accessories—often overlooked, rarely prioritised, and criminally under-glorified. In a day meticulously curated down to the last petal of the bouquet, it’s these so-called “extras” that are the very details that make your bridal look feel personal, intentional, and unforgettable.
Take the haathphool, for instance—whether it’s a delicate chain draped across your fingers or a maximalist kundan-laden panja, it adds poetry to every hand gesture, from mehendi photos to dramatic varmala shots. Or the kamarbandh, no longer just temple-core; it can be worn with pre-draped saris, cocktail lehengas, or even paired over structured blazers for a pre-wedding dinner with edge.
The nath is doing a full comeback arc too (framing the face better than your contour) especially when worn solo with slick hair and minimal earrings. Ear cuffs, meanwhile, are turning up at sangeets and reception looks as millennial-and-Gen Z-friendly swaps for traditional danglers, styled with wet-look waves, tucked hair, or even no necklace at all.
The passa? Not just for shararas anymore. We’re talking side-part buns, pearl-trimmed veils, or even styled with layered ear stacks for an unexpected edge. Meanwhile, the sheeshpatti + maathapatti combo is getting a fashion-girl reboot—worn solo, stacked, off-centre, or styled with bare décolletage and sharp parts. And do not get us started on a payal’s glow up cousin– the foot harness. You’re barefoot at the mandap, or you have sheer organza heels on at your haldi, this studded anklet might just be revealed to be the showstopper.
So, in the spirit of giving credit where it’s very overdue, we present a curated lineup of ten sidepiece accessories that may not be the main act, but they’ve absolutely earned their own moment in the bridal spotlight.
