All About Wedding Veils!

Comment Written by natasha on August 4, 2010 – 5:00 am

Recently a friend asked me about her wedding veil — as in, how long should it be? I decided to research a little bit more and inform you, dear readers, all about the wedding veil.

photo from amphoto

History of the wedding veil

There are two histories relating to the origin of the wedding veil. The first is that the veil was intended to protect the bride from evil spirits. If you read my post about why we have bridesmaids and groomsmen, you might remember that the evil spirits was related to that too. Apparently that was a big problem in Ancient Rome.

The second is that the veil was intended to hide the bride from the groom during arranged marriages. The idea being that if she were too “unattractive” he might try to back out. With a veil – no way to know until after the knot is tied!

Why do people wear veils now?

These days people wear veils for three basic reasons: 1) tradition; 2) they’re pretty; 3) someone in the family requested/required that they do so.

Are there different kinds of veils?

Why yes! The types of veils basically differ based on length. The length you select correlates to the formality of your wedding.

Cathedral length is the longest — and most formal. It is usually about floor length, actually. They look really nice with cathedral length dresses. BUT bear in mind that they can be difficult to work with — and possible cause you to trip.

Fingertip veils are around 36 inches long — and extend to the brides fingertips when her arms are by her side. They are used for both formal and semi formal weddings. They look really nice with a full length dress, but not so much if there’s a train involved.

Elbow veils are about 25 inches long, extending to your (gasp) elbow! They work well with ballgowns because they end where the gown part begins — meaning that they wont take away from your beautiful dress!

Chapel veils are slightly shorter than cathedral length. They reach the floor but do not exceed the floor by as much. They look really nice with dresses with trains.

What other options are there?

You should select a color that matches your dress and the number of tiers.

You can have up to three tiers: one tier looks very sophisticated; two tiers or three tiers work best for classic dresses and romantic dresses.

What else should I be thinking about?

Consider the veil WITH the dress. Sounds simple enough, but you dont want your veil to take away from the beauty and style of your dress.

Keep in mind that the length of the veil will depend on where you place the veil on your head. Towards the front = shorter than if it’s towards the back.

If you’re short, try a shorter veil — like elbow length. You dont need to accentuate the shortness! If you’re tall, a longer veil will probably look nicer.

Select a style that matches your personality, face shape, body type, and hairstyle!

Dont forget to think about where you’re getting married. If you’re in the church or cathedral, the longer lengths will be just fine. But if you’re outside (at the beach, for example) there is sand and elements that might get in the way and/or make it less appealing to have such a long veil.

In sum: try the veil with your dress and your hairstyle of choice. And be sure you like it!

Happy veil shopping!

~ Natasha