Three Tips for Brides (and Grooms!) Who Want to Wear Their Glasses on the Wedding Day

Looking like a perfect vision on your wedding day doesn't mean giving up your perfect vision: A stylish pair of frames, a custom fit, and careful eye makeup can give your ordinary eyewear habit a little extra polish. Marie Wilkinson, style director at Cutler and Gross, works with brides and grooms who appreciate the sophistication of an elegant pair of wedding-day glasses—and the practical benefits. "With glasses, there is no worry if your eyes well with tears of joy, as the glasses will shield them," she says. "And when it's time to leave the party and head to the honeymoon suite, I believe glasses are as sexy as the bridal garter!"

Invest in a special set of frames.

Your favorite pair of well-loved frames works fine as your everyday go-to, but your wedding-day look deserves an upgrade. "It's quite common for eyeglass wearers to get a new pair of glasses for their wedding day," says Wilkinson. "Customers come into our stores looking for something perhaps a little different to their everyday frame." For brides, this might mean a slim silver, gold, or rose gold frame that ties into her engagement ring or metallic décor accents, or a more subtle pair that's closer to her skin tone. "As much as a beautiful pair of earrings or necklace can complement the face and neckline, a pair of glasses can do the same," says Wilkinson. She also suggests frames in a "subtle make-up tone," like the blush-colored Candy Darling cat-eyes, which can "add luminosity to the face in much the same way as pearls do." Grooms should look for formal glasses they can wear again; Wilkson likes a classic acetate in a trapezoid shape. "Its bold eyebrow line gives a sincere, earnest look, and a minimal lower rim to emphasize the mouth is a good choice," she says.

Schedule a custom fitting.

You may have a set idea of what shape and size frames work for your face, but working with a professional can help you feel confident about branching out to a slightly different style. "Generally speaking, we know that a square-shaped face will suit a rounded frame, a longer face will suit an aviator, an oval-shaped face will suit a browline frame, and so on," says Wilkinson. "Our staff are trained in picking out the details of each individual face and finding the frame to best complement it." Stylists at a professional eyewear shop will adjust the size and fit so the frames are comfortable enough to wear from your morning mimosas to your last spin around the dance floor, provide you with a foolproof cleaning cloth for lenses that stay clear no matter how much you cry, and direct you toward a special-occasion pair that still feels like you. "Ultimately, the frame should always reflect the [wearer's] personal style," says Wilkinson."

Choose the right makeup artist.

The makeup artist you hire should have experience working with brides who wear glasses—and putting together a makeup look without suggesting you trade them in for contacts. "We always love when our glasses-wearing brides stay true to themselves and wear their glasses on their wedding day," says Katherine McCall, event coordinator at Facetime Beauty. "To make the eyes pop through the lenses, we love to add extra lashes and liner. Because glasses can sometimes hide eyeshadow details in general, we recommend a fun pop of color or a dramatic smoky eye to bring out some definition."