Wedding Veil: How to Buy the Right One

The “Wedding Veil” holds symbolic importance for the bride-to-be. It is a hair accessory that many dreams to wear once in their lifetime. Nowadays, wedding veils come in many types and forms. How can you know which one is the best for you?

Wearing a wedding veil on the most special day of your life is a dream many women share – they want to take in the full experience of the blushing bride. Wedding veils are made from transparent white fabric, they give off a light, soft, and pure feeling which symbolizes a warm and gentle love. Feather-light, ever-flowing, and beautiful.

When we think of a wedding veil, many brides-to-be will imagine a netted veil or a considerably long transparent fabric that is placed upon the head of the bride. However, there are many more options for you to choose from to make your wedding veil a perfect fit, both for you and your wedding, elevating the veil’s status from a simple piece of fabric to something much more meaningful.

In this article, I have brought to you a “how to” for the selection of your wedding veil by taking in multiple factors such as length, fabric, and details of the veil as they will all contribute to the bride’s unique look on her special day. What options are there for you to pick from? Let us find out.

“Wedding Veils” – Things to Keep in Mind

Because there are many wedding veils for you to choose from, it would be better if you had core factors to keep in mind in order for you to receive the perfect veil. The things to keep in mind are:

1. Your Wedding Dress Style and the “Wedding Veil”

Try picturing your beautiful wedding dress to see what shapes and styles it has. The wedding veil should help put emphasis on the look that you want to achieve to make you even more stunning but it should not steal the spotlight away from your dress either.

The same goes for choosing your wedding shoes and diamond jewelry to elevate your wedding look to the next level. The core principle is to “Balance your overall look” to not appear too heavy nor too simple.

For example, if your wedding dress is full of sequins or laces, you may only need to select a simple wedding veil to balance your look.

However, if your wedding dress has a modern style, you may want your final look to appear slightly more romantic and outstanding. To do that you could pick a wedding veil that is filled with beautiful floral details and patterns in order to add more dimensions to your wedding dress.

Additionally, the shape of your wedding dress also affects the length of your wedding veil. The veil will bring a lot of attention to the point where it ends, which is why it is important to control the length of the veil in order to balance the look. Examples are:

Sheath Wedding Dresses: This wedding dress style has a narrow wedding dress that leaves the hem of the skirt down straight, suitable for a ground-length wedding veil in order to help elongate the bride’s frame and make her appear more slender.

Mermaid and Trumpet Wedding Dressses: These wedding dresses are form-fitting to help emphasize the curves of the bride, and the hem of the skirt blooms out at the back. Suitable veil options are long to medium length with a medium width in order to make sure that the curves of the bride are balanced and not too large.

A-Line and Ballgown Wedding Dresses: These wedding dresses have skirts that flare out at the end, giving off a luxurious and romantic look. Wedding veils that extend beyond the fingertips of the bride will help make the look even more stylish and luxurious.

The color of the wedding dress will also dictate the color of the wedding veil to follow in the same direction. For example, if your wedding dress has an off-white color, you should also select an off-white wedding veil. If you have an ivory-colored wedding dress, your wedding veil should also be ivory colored.

Read More: A treasure trove of wedding dresses – choose your style (Part 1)

2. The Wedding’s Level of Formality and the “Wedding Veil”

Generally, the length and type of the wedding veil will depend on the wedding’s level of formality. For example, if your wedding is at a Christian church, there may be a need for a veil to cover the bride’s face for formality. If your wedding does not require these formalities, you may choose to not cover your face or wear a veil.

3. The Bride’s Hairstyle and the “Wedding Veil”

The hairstyle you choose will affect the length of the wedding veil, on the other hand, the length of the veil will also affect your hairstyle.

Usually, the veil is worn on the bun of your hair, therefore, the higher your hair bun is, the shorter the veil will appear. This is why it is important for you to consider how high up your hair will be, and then measure the length from that point in order to get a more accurate wedding veil length.

Other than that, it is important to note the length and weight of the wedding veil so that the bride may choose a hairstyle to accommodate the veil in order to make it more secure, by either putting up all of your hair or just half of your hair. If your veil is not too long, you can let your hair down or wear a loose hair bun.

Read More: 8 Tips To Choose ‘Bridal Hairstyles’ To Match Your Wedding Dress

The Length of the “Wedding Veil”

The length of the veil will have a significant effect on the bride’s overall look, especially when she is walking down the aisle. The longer the veil, the more luxurious, elegant, and formal the wedding will look. There are 8 popular wedding veil lengths in total and they are:

1. Blusher Wedding Veil – 30”

This length of wedding veils will end at the middle of your upper arm, giving off a modern and easy-going look. We often see many brides wear this type of veil to their bachelorette parties or the “Hen Night”. When the groom proposes to his bride, he could also prepare this length of wedding veil for his bride to wear at that moment for an unforgettable moment.

2. Elbow Wedding Veil – 32”

This wedding veil length will end at the elbows of the bride, covering the upper arms of the bride which could be useful if the wedding dress has no sleeves. The end result will make the bride even more beautiful and elegant.

3. Fingertip Length Veil – 38-40”

This wedding veil, as the name suggests, ends at the fingertip of the bride, covering the hips of the bride. This is a highly popular choice as it works well for all body shapes and also because it helps bring out the details on the back of the wedding dress if the veil is transparent.

4. Knee Length Veil – 48”

The knee-length wedding veil helps add luxury and prominence to the bride’s overall look without being too long or heavy. The veil itself still floats above the grown, allowing the bride to wear this type of veil throughout the wedding day without having to drag it on the ground.

5. Waltz Wedding Veil – 60”

Also known as the “Ballet Veil”, this type of veil adds on an extra level of luxury to the wedding look. The length will end around the calves of the bride but will not exceed the ankles. The veil is elongated but still does not touch the ground which is why it is suitable for brides who are looking for that extra touch of luxury without the hassle of dragging the veil around. This veil length is considered one of the best options for the bride.

6. Floor-Length Wedding Veil – 70”

This wedding veil length ends at the ground, just like the bride’s wedding dress. With the veil covering the backside of the wedding dress, the veil will add more dimensions to the look, giving the fluid and dreamy appearance, suitable for brides who want to wear the “Ballgown” dress or the “Sheath” dress.

7. Chapel Wedding Veil- 90”

This veil length will start to drag on the floor, with the veil being slightly longer than the end of the wedding dress. It is suitable for brides who are having their ceremony at a Christian church but still desires mobility. The tail of the veil will drag along the footpath of the bride, giving a more formal and luxurious look to the bride as well as add a soft touch to the wedding dress.

8. Cathedral Wedding Veil – 120”

This veil length gives off a luxurious look worthy of a royal bride. The Cathedral wedding veil will leave the longest tail along the footpath of the bride, adding an elegant aura to the bride regardless of her wedding dress style.

The Fabric of the “Wedding Veil”

Selecting the fabric of the wedding veil is just as important as choosing its length because the fabric will set the transparency and style of your veil. Fabric options for wedding veils are the following:

1. ​Tulle

Tulle is a popular choice for brides to use as their wedding veil material because of its delicate netted characteristics. Thin, light, luxurious, and the most transparent of all the choices. Because of its lightweight, the fabric will easily flow and spread which is why it is suitable for longer veils.

2. Chiffon

Chiffon is soft on its own, with its fine threads and un-netted characteristics, the fabric is not very transparent which gives off a more modern look. Suitable for wedding dresses that require simplicity or overall minimalism.

Because of the heavier fabric, the veil will not be as feathery and flowing as the veils made from tulle. It is suitable for medium-length wedding veils or for brides who want their veils to flow straight down onto their backs.

3. Organza

Organza has similar fabric qualities to the Chiffon, it is fine and soft but the fabric is considerably stiffer than other choices. The wedding veils made from organza will generally hold their shape. The fabric is shiny while remaining transparent.

This fabric is suitable for brides who want a wedding veil that will hold its shape whilst maintaining a flowing motion and transparency; revealing the modern, yet subtly sweet, details of the bride’s wedding dress.

4. English Net

The English Net, has similar “netted” characteristics to the Tulle but it is thicker, making the fabric less flowy and transparent; despite that, once used as a wedding veil, the fabric is perfect and beautiful in motion.
If you want the same wedding veil as Kate Middleton which has just the right amount of flow and transparency, you can go right ahead and choose the English Net.

Details of the “Wedding Veil”

The fine details of the wedding veil are just as important as the length and fabric when considering the final look of the bride. Things to keep in mind when it comes to the details of the wedding veil are:

1. The Layers of the Wedding Veil

The layers of the veil have a direct effect on the visibility of the details on the wedding dress. The more layers there are, the thicker the veil and therefore the less visible the details of the dress. However, this is entirely up to the bride. Some may want a transparent veil that allows the back of the dress to be seen and some may want to cover up the details of the curves they do not want to reveal. We can categorize different layers of the wedding veil are the following:

Single Layer Veil: This type of veil is the best at revealing the details of the wedding dress because it is the most transparent. It is also easy to shape and tidy, suitable for beach weddings or outdoor weddings.

Double Layer Veil: You will often see the double layer veil if the ceremony requires the bride to cover her face until her face is revealed and the veil is worn to the back. The double layer veil helps add volume and intrigue to the look.

Triple Layer Veil: This veil will appear the thickest and can be worn with any style of wedding dress. The veil layers at the back will still appear thick even when the first layer is used to cover the face of the bride, giving off an undeniably dreamy look.

Mantilla Veil: This type of wedding veil has a single oval fabric that can be used to cover the bride’s face, once the bride is revealed the veil turns into a 2 level veil which levels down beautifully. This type of veil will appear more transparent and thinner than the double layer wedding veil.

2. The Shape of the “Wedding Veil”

Many brides-to-be may think that there is only one shape of wedding veils, but actually, there are many wedding veil shapes to choose from according to the wedding dress you desire. The wedding veil shapes that you should get to know are:

Traditional Wedding Veil: This wedding veil is let down as a straight line without a gradient, only smooth curves at the end. The top of the veil is pleated and is usually let down near the middle of the back. This is considered the standard choice for wedding veils. The layers can also be adjusted to the bride’s wishes.

If you want a fluffier veil, you can choose this shape and adjust the width to be equal to your back.

Waterfall Veil: This veil shape shows off a soft wave that glides down along the sides with the sides of the veil being wider than its tail. The waterfall veil gives off a soft, flowing like, like a river of elegance flowing down the back of your wedding dress. Suitable lengths include elbow-length up to the “Waltz” length. It may not be suitable to use lengths that have the veil dragging against the ground or to use the veil to cover the bride’s face.

Heart-Shaped Veil: This is a double layer veil with wide fluffy sides that taper down to create a heart shape. This veil gives off a cute, sweet, and not-so-formal look. It cannot be used to cover the bride’s face and is most suitable from shoulder length to fingertip length.

3. Patterns on the “Wedding Veil”

Adding patterns to the wedding veil is one of the best parts of designing a wedding veil to match the bride. If your wedding dress is simplistic and minimal, adding gimmicks to the wedding veil could make your wedding dress unique and outstanding. The patterns you can add to your wedding veil are:

Lace Pattern Wedding Veils: Wedding veils with lace patterns help add romance to your bridal look, especially if your wedding gown has the “minimal” style. The patterns greatly help in adding more dimensions to your wedding dress.
But if your wedding gown already has lace details or patterns, you can choose the same patterns for your wedding veil to create harmony.

However, you should consider if adding more patterns will overwhelm the whole bridal look.

Edged Wedding Veils: This includes both silver and gold sequins at the edge of the wedding veil as well as ribbon-edged wedding veils. This veil type gives off a modern, simple yet eye-catching look. This veil type also works well with all types of wedding dresses.

Diamond Adorned Wedding Veils: This type of wedding veil is decorated with diamond glitters or crystal glitters, including beads and pearls of different sizes in order to give off a luxurious and beautiful look from the front and back. Other than that, adding diamonds onto the veil will add more weight to it, ensuring that the veil does not fly off with the wind which is why this type of veil is suitable for outdoor weddings and beach weddings.

You can choose to arrange the diamonds however you like, whether that is spread throughout the veil or just along the edges of the veil.

Floral Wedding Veils: This type of veil will add a feminine touch to your overall look, beautiful, soft, and sweet just like the flowery details that rest delicately on your veil.

You can choose to sew the details onto the veil or to add a 3-dimensional flower onto the veil. You can also choose to decorate the veil with your favorite colors and flowers to add more glow to your bridal look.

A Special Pattern Unique to You: Sewing a unique pattern onto your wedding veil is an upcoming trend that many brides-to-be should consider. A famous example is Angelina Jolie’s veil. She had chosen her children’s patterns and drawings to be embroidered onto her veil.

From what I have seen, many brides-to-be often choose a pattern that tells a special story between her and her groom. For example, a couple’s photo, cartoon characters that act as nicknames for the couple, signatures, or even kindling fire. You are free to choose any pattern that holds meaning to you.

Where to Place the “Wedding Veil”

As mentioned earlier in this article, the hairstyle of the bride will affect the placement of the veil. Additionally, the placement will also affect the overall look of the bride. There are 3 levels on which the veil can be placed at and they are:

The Top of the Head: Placing the veil at the top of the head will give off a dreamy luxurious look as if the bride came to life from a romance novel. This also gives off a more formal look, especially if the top section of the dress has considerable detail work. For example, the turtleneck dress, the halter neck dress, or dresses with sleeves. Placing the veil at the top of the bride’s head will also help bring balance to the neck area.

Additionally, placing the veil at the top of the head is suitable for brides who want to let their hair loose or wear it “half-up”. Covering the entire head with the veil will give off an extremely romantic and feminine look.

The Mid Section of the Head: This is considered the most popular choice for brides. For this veil placement, the veil rests just above the bride’s hair bun. It is also suitable for brides who want to decorate their hair with flower or diamond jewelry.

The Lower Section of the Head: Placing the veil below the bride’s hair bun or at the beginning of her neck will give off a loose, informal, and easy-going look.

Can I Not Wear the “Wedding Veil”?

Definitely, if you feel that the wedding veil is not suitable for your bridal look. There are no fixed rules that say you must or must not wear a veil to qualify as a bride. You only need to choose a bridal look that is the most “You”, which is far more than enough.

The “Wedding Veil” is another element that could help fulfill your bridal look to become even more beautiful and elegant. Even though there are many veils for you to choose from, if you have fun with the mixing and matching of the veil to fit best with your wedding dress and personality, I believe that you will find your perfect wedding veil.

And if you would like to order a custom diamond wedding ring that fits best with you and your personality, you can also choose exclusive diamond ring designs from Above Diamond right here.