Veils 101

It seems that veils are among the many wedding-related topics that most people don't ever think about until they get married. Well... I guess I have no basis to say that that's true for most people, but it certainly was for me. The very little I thought I knew about veils was that I wasn't interested in wearing one.

However, all of that changed when I tried on a veil with "the dress" back in February... there is just something about strapping a bolt of white tulle over your head that makes you want to cry, isn't there?

But seriously, it really does complete a bride's "look," setting apart wedding gowns from fabulous white dresses. When I saw myself in a veil, I envisioned me, standing in front of Steve at the altar (strangely, since I have never wanted to get married in a church), saying "I do, forever and ever!"

The particular veil I tried on was probably the most basic, classic veil you can possibly imagine... no frills or embellishments. I loved it, but not the price tag--$400!

So, I set out to do some research, looking for less expensive veils, or the step-by-step guide on how I (with the help of a craftier-than-me friend) might make one. I have yet to resolve either of those issues, but I have come up with a lot more knowledge than I had when I started. Since you're reading this, I thought you might be interested.

It seems that veils can be categorized pretty clearly into four lengths: (i) very short; (ii) short; (iii) medium; and (iv) long.

Let's start with the very short veils, shall we?

A veil that covers only the face is usually called a "blusher." This simple blusher is called "Collette," and is made of french netting:


"Georgia" is another face veil, but this one is in a sweet little flower shape:


"Astyn," another face blusher, has french net with rhinestones and ostrich feathers:


This one is called "Wendy," and it's actually two pieces: an adjustable tulle band and a seperate silk organza flower:


"Cammy," more of a hair piece than a true veil, features both a tulle bow and a silk velvet and organza flower, adorned with Swarovski crystals and fresh-water pearls:



Slightly longer are "short" veils, usually hitting the shoulders. "Emma" is a short style, made of a half-circle of tulle, and this one has a 1/2" silk ribbon trim:



Medium-length veils fall anywhere from mid-back to knees. They are sometimes called finger-tip veils, for the obvious reason that they sometimes extend just down to where your finger tips hit when your arms are hanging down.

"Ava" is a drop veil, hitting just below the shoulders along the front edge and at the lower back in the center back, with three rows of soutachce trim, which is a flat, narrow braid:


"Dahlia," also medium length, is one of my favorites; it is a mantilla-style veil with a cut edge and chantily lace inset. Mantillas are a subset of veils that were originally made popular in Spain by Queen Isabel II in the 19th Century. Although their popularity dipped somewhat after Queen Isabel's reign, women continued to wear them during Holy Week and other religious events. Today, they are often associated with Catholic weddings.



And, last but certainly not least, the longest styles are sometimes referred to as floor length at about 72", chapel length at 90", and cathedral length at 120." "Lauren" is a chapel veil, with narrow tulle with a cut edge. A cut edge simply means that there is no edging.



"Monique" is a flutter-cut, cathedral-length, two-tiered veil with a cut edge:


Although I love all the cute, cage styles at the top, surprisingly, the one I like the best on me so far is similar to the "Lauren" veil above--a basic chapel veil with a cut edge and just a single layer of tulle. But I haven't yet really dived into that; that shopping project has been reserved for a trip with my mom and sister (if they're interested, that is!).

Which one do you think I should go with?


All of the veils featured in this post are by the talented Sara Gabriel (http://www.saragabriel.com).