Every young girl has the illustrious bridal veils daydream… Walking down the church aisle on her father’s arm, swathed in a mysterious swirl of white netted lace. She arrives at the alter and is handed from her father to her husband to be, where the veil is lifted and her beauty is romantically revealed to her betrothed. Okay, perhaps this dream is a little tarnished and old fashioned, but there are millions of brides each year that still continue the age old tradition of wearing a bridal veil on their wedding day.
There is something utterly enchanting and completely dreamy about wearing a bridal veil. Depending on the time of year and where the wedding takes place, a bridal veil may not be practical for all brides. However, if you are getting married in a church or cathedral or wearing a traditional wedding gown with a very long train, a veil is perfectly at home walking down the aisle.
When you are looking at bridal veils, it is very important to keep the details of your dress in mind. A bridal veil should always complement your wedding gown and not overshadow it. It is also important for your wedding veil to be in correct proportion with your wedding dress. For example, if you have a simple, sleeveless, tea length wedding dress, it would not be appropriate to wear a full length veil. In addition, unless your wedding dress has a long train at the back, a cathedral length veil is not appropriate and will look out of place. Confused about the different lengths of bridal veils? Don’t be! Essentially, there are three common lengths of bridal veils – elbow, fingertip and cathedral lengths.
Elbow length is approximately 30 inches long and falls just at your elbows – this is generally the most popular bridal veil length. Most commonly worn with a wedding dress that has no train, an elbow length veil will accentuate detailing on the dress around the bodice. Perfect for formal and semi-formal wedding dresses, an elbow length veil is best suited for a full skirted wedding dress.
Fingertip length is approximately 36 inches long and falls just at your fingertips. Sometimes a fingertip veil has a finger loop so that you can control the veil. This length of veil is appropriate for any full length gown, from informal to formal in design. A fingertip veil is not appropriate for a wedding gown with a train and looks particularly lovely with sheath style wedding gowns.
Cathedral length is floor length and is the most dramatic of all veil lengths. Reserved for formal weddings only, this length of veil should only be worn with a wedding dress that has a significant train. For the best look, a cathedral veil should extend about six inches past the length of the dress train, onto the floor.
You should always choose a bridal veil that doesn’t cover up the best parts of your wedding gown. For example, if the décolleté area of your wedding dress is hand beaded with pearls and Austrian crystals, you will want to select a short veil so the lovely embellishments are not covered up. If you are wearing a veil on your wedding day in combination with a tiara or an elaborate headpiece, be sure the veil is pinned at the back of your head behind the headpiece. This will make everything look more balanced and still allow you to pull the veil carefully over your headpiece or crown, if you so choose.
Bridal veils come in snow white and off white and can be custom dyed to match a wedding gown that is a non-traditional colour. Veils can be purchased plain and simple, with scattered pearl or floral embroidered details, or with lovely satin ribbon edge. Hems can be plain, scalloped, or double border in gold or silver thread. The options available are virtually limitless. If you cannot find a veil to perfectly match your wedding gown, many brides will purchase a plain veil and have a local seamstress hand sew the embellishments onto the bridal veil for a perfect match.
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