Bridal veils … the finishing touch to a bridal ensemble

Bridal veils can be worn on top of the head towards your face or either behind the head over a bun or under a bun. A veil can be adorned with Swarovski crystals, pearls, beading or lace.

The veils come in different shades like white, diamond white or ivory, sparkle white, sparkle ivory, sparkle diamond white, glimmer, silver, pink, beige and gold. A white veil goes well with the traditional wedding gown. Diamond white which is also called Silk White or Candlelight veils goes well with natural silk gowns. Ivory also called cream would go beautifully with an ivory bridal gown.

The edging or trimming could have a simple raw edge or sleek piping for a contemporary look. It can also boast of elegant beading, classic satin edging, romantic ribbon accents or lace details. So, it should accentuate and be proportional to the dress and not take away from its details.

Veils take on a shape of their own from oval to square with different types and length of veils. The ideal veil should be cut just above or below any focal point on your dress. A standard cut is where the corners are cut off, so the edges of a standard cut start up by your face.

An Angel cut is so that the sides start higher on the side of the veil, “cascading” down. A circular cut is just a big circle. It will become a 2 tier veil when it is folded in half. It is gathered at the fold and sewn to a comb. Drop cut, is just like a circular cut, but without any gather and is attached to the hair with a hat pin or a small comb. An Oval cut is usually a one tier veil with the comb sewn at one end of the veil with or without gather and this is the shape of a mantilla veil. A Bubble cut is where the tip of the veil (behind the comb “is puffier”) which makes the bottom of the veil comes in towards the body a little more.

A blusher comes in lengths that land below the lips. They are often square, while short or elbow length veils are typically oval. It is usually combined with other lengths of veil and can be used for formal and semi-formal weddings. It shouldn’t be longer than 34 inches for they will get entangled with your flowers and will be difficult to lift it during the wedding ceremony.

A birdcage veil lands below the eyes in a tighter look, perfect for the bride who desires to keep the veil on all night. The Bandeau style is a very elegant French tulle veil. Made of French netting, sit close to the face, it will attach at the sides of the head with two different pressure clips or combs. You can play around with this little veil by having the rose on either ear, set at an angle.

Elbow length usually ranges from 25″ to 36″, with 25″being the most common length, will compliment shorter gowns which will be perfect to show off any detailing at the waist of the gown. It compliments best a dress with a full skirt with the veil falling just below a low back but above the start of the skirt. Fingertip length, as the name implies, falls right at the fingertips of the bride and can be worn for formal and semi-formal weddings. This type typically ranges from 36″ to 50″, depending on your height, build, etc. the length will vary. It is normally worn with any gown longer than knee length.

If you want to show off lavish details on the back of your wedding gown then this is the right length. Knee length is usually 45″ long. Waltz length is usually 54″ to 60″ and is also sometimes called a Ballerina or Walking veil, where the bottom should land somewhere between your calves and just above the ankles. The Chapel length ranges from 60″ to 90″ where it must just touches the floor. Cathedral length are exclusively worn for cathedral length gowns and it’s very much back in style.

It is for formal weddings where the veil is dramatic, as it will extend right onto the floor trailing after the bride with at least a few inches past the train. Common lengths are 108″ or 120″ long. The Regal lengths are the longest of all veils. It can be as long as 144″ or longer. When choosing a veil, make sure that the veil ends right at the waistline if you have a sharply defined waistline. Attaching a Velcro or snaps to the tiara makes it easy to remove the veil during reception. Lastly, to put the finishing touch of a bridal veil would be a tiara or any suitable headpiece.