Wedding Nails

The perfect manicure with or without nail art completes any bride's look for the big day. Whether you like your nails short or long, oval or square, elegant nails set off the wedding ring in pictures.

This elegant look can be achieved either by using a piece of scrap lace fabric or by freehand painting in just a few steps. Use a quick drying manicure spray between steps to make drying time quicker. This picture shows the design on oval shaped nails, but length and shape of nails are up to each person.

1. Start with a sheer pink or sheer nude base color on nails.
2. If using lace fabric, paint one side of the lace with white nail art paint. Then carefully place it on the bottom half of the nail. Set long enough for the white polish to adhere, then lift the lace straight up.
3. If freehand painting, use white nail art paint to mimic the pattern of the lace using a fine detailing brush.
4. For the nail with the flower, add a bit of lace design to the top part of the nail. Use the same white paint to make the flower, and green and yellow paints to make the leaves.

This is a rather simple look with a high visual impact on long, almond shaped nails.

1. Paint a delicate floral design in white polish over clear acrylic nails.
2. Apply a clear top coat.
3. Add a simple, white resin bow as a nail charm to the ring finger with nail glue.

Black and white weddings are a popular trend. This picture shows the design on almond shaped nails. For brides who choose to extend the color scheme to their nails, this is how to achieve it.

1. Start with a rich, black polish on nails.
2. Add a simple design using either white polish or silver transfer foil, which is shown here.

The addition of dimensional pieces to nails, such as pearls and crystals, adds an extra special touch that truly makes nails sparkle. Be sure to consider the jewelry that will be worn to ensure a coordinated look. This look works best with some length to the nail, and is shown here on "squoval" nails (square nails with rounded corners).

1. Start with a classic French manicure, and apply a clear top coat.
2. This look uses white pearls and small gold and silver beads. Using nail glue, attach the beads to the nail in the design of bows with a pearl center, and a heart on the ring finger.

White nail art looks elegant for any wedding and shows up beautifully in pictures. Have a nail artist create a design inspired from a pattern in the bridal gown for a truly customized look. This look can be worn with any length or shape of nails and is shown here on square nails.

1. Start with a classic French manicure.
2. Airbrush your choice of pattern in white nail art paint. This picture shows a floral design.

Wedding day nails don't have to be extravagant. Using a sheer polish and decorating the nail of the ring finger places emphasis on the wedding ring and the reason for the day. The design shown here is created on oval shaped nails.

1. Use a sheer pink or nude pearlized polish to cover all nails.
2. On the ring finger, use nail glue to attach rhinestones to the nail in the design of a flower.
3. Finish with a clear top coat. Using the top coat over the rhinestones will ensure the longevity of the design.

Pearl polishes are very popular for weddings and come in numerous shades. White, pink and nude are good neutrals. Choose a shade that works well with your skin tone and shade of dress for simple wedding beauty. This picture shows a white pearl polish on squared nails that lends a look of simple elegance at its best.

There's no rule that says a bride must wear pastel nail polish shades for her wedding. Incorporate pretty floral designs on nails that coordinate with the wedding flowers. Here the design is shown on rounded nails.

1. Start with a classic French manicure.
2. Make the floral design in red polish using a small detail brush.
3. Use an orange frost nail polish to add accents to the inner flower petals.
4. Add the flower centers with gold glitter and a dotting tool.

Glitter can add a magical touch to any bridal nail design. Added to a classic look like a French manicure on squoval nails, the result is pretty and sparkly.

1. Start with a classic French manicure.
2. Cover the white tips in silver glitter nail polish.
3. Using a striper brush and silver polish, make a smooth line across the smile line of the white tip. This is the line where the pink nail bed meets the white of the nail tip.

Creating a mosaic look is only limited by your imagination. Here the dramatic effect is emphasized by long, oval nails.

1. Over the clear base coat, create large floral patterns on the nails using a fine detail brush and metallic gold polish.
2. Using the colors of the wedding flowers as inspiration, fill in each space with different colors of nail polish. Be sure to make the leaves green.

If you really want to shine, make glitter the star of your manicure. This look can be achieved on any shape or length of nail. Here it is shown on square nails.

1. Apply a heavy coat of dry purple or lavender glitter over a wet base coat. Depending on how heavy you want the glitter, this may take two coats.
2. Apply a clear top coat over the glitter.
3. On the ring finger, use silver transfer foil to make an abstract diagonal design and outline it with white nail polish.
4. Using a dotting tool and black polish, place random black dots along the edges of the silver foil and white polish.
5. Finish with another coat of top coat.

If you want your nails to make a bold statement, try 3D nail art on stiletto shaped nails.

1. Start with a sheer pink polish.
2. Airbrush red and black paint over the tips.
3. Using white nail art paint and a striper brush, create a diagonal grid design over the red and black tips.
4. Freehand or airbrush white lily-type blooms on the nails at the smile line. Accent with a fine mist of black or gray.
5. Using silver or diamond-looking stones and nail glue, apply stones in the center of the flower, at the tips of the nails, and randomly over the lengths of the nails.

Simple nail designs bring attention to nails for a special occasion. To get this look:

1. Start with a classic French manicure on long, almond or stiletto shaped nails.
2. Using gold glitter or glitter polish and a small detail brush, make a swirl design on the length of the nail.

This show-stopping look is all about love. This picture shows the increasingly popular stiletto shaped nail, which is typically achieved through custom acrylic nails.

1. Start with a sheer pink base color.
2. Use a hot pink or fuchsia color polish for the tips and centers of the hearts.
3. Using a fine detail brush, outline the hearts first in white and again in black polish.
4. Use a metallic gold polish to make random leaves, swirls and dots over the length of the nails.

A polish that matches the flowers in the wedding detailed with a design that mimics lace is a modern and elegant option for nails. This picture shows shorter, rounded nails.

1. Use any shade of lavender polish as a base color, and apply two coats.
2. Use a piece of lace fabric coated with white polish on one side. Apply gently to the lower half of the nail, and lift straight up so as not to smear the white. Another option is to freehand a lace design using a small detail brush.

Mehndi is practiced mainly in India and Arab countries, and has been part of wedding ceremonies for thousands of years. The tattoo design is painted on using henna paste by a traditional Mehndi artist. Sometimes the tattoo design is carried down over the nail polish as well.

Traditional nails would feature a natural looking nail or a single color of nail polish. In today's fashion, you can do a pastel or neon color French manicure to add some pizazz to your manicure. Select a nail polish that matches or complements the bridal gown as well as the shade of henna used, and have the manicure done before the henna is applied.

This look is special for any occasion, but especially for a wedding. Simple and sparkly is never plain. Here it is shown on squoval nails.

1. Start with a classic French manicure.
2. Make a crescent sweep of a fine silver glitter nail polish on every nail.
3. To the ring and pinky fingers, add chunky glitter over the fine silver glitter while it is still wet. The chunky glitter can be silver, a color that's complementary to the bridal bouquet, or a holographic glitter.

Finish all nail designs with a coat of clear top coat to ensure the longevity of the manicure. Whether nails are simple or creative, the bride should choose a nail look that reflects her personality and wedding theme to have the perfect nails for the big day.