Through my experience with brides over the years I have found that wearing a veil (or not) is a very personal choice for the bride. Traditionally, most Mothers (and Grans) would like to see their daughter walk down the aisle with a veil covering her face, however more & more modern brides choose to rather not wear a veil or not have the blusher part cover their faces.

Having myself been a bride who initially didn’t want to wear a veil, I have found that a veil completes the bridal ‘look’. It gives a dreamy feel to a wedding dress (and photos) that says: “I am a bride & today is my fairytale day…” It made me feel like a real bride.

When a bride comes for her final fitting, her veil is the last thing that I place on her head. This is usually the moment when the tissues come out & I often find myself getting caught up in the emotion of the moment as well.

As with wedding dresses, veils come in different styles, lengths, fabrics and shades of colour. There are also different types of edging to consider.

A veil is usually made from a soft nylon netting fabric called tulle (or veiling), which is mostly available in white, winter white (which is an off-white shade) and cream (also called ivory) shades.

The edging can vary from a simple rolled hem (a fine, narrow stitch done around the edge of the veil), a rhinestone / delicate bead trimming to a more dramatic lace trimmed edge or lace appliqué’s that match your wedding dress.

If you are planning an up-style for your hair, your veil can either be worn at the bottom of your head below your ‘bun’ or it can be attached above the ‘bun’. If you are planning a more in-formal style or a half up / half down hairstyle, attaching your veil towards the top of your head is a better option.

You also have a choice between either a gathered veil (one that has more fullness where it attaches to your head) or a veil without any gathers (less fullness where it attaches to your head). It is all matter of taste & how you envision yourself on your wedding day.

I would suggest that your veil be separate from your head piece (such as a tiara, head band / wreath) in order for it to be removed easily at any point, should you desire to do so.

A veil can either be attached with a see-through comb or have a little fabric tube that allows for attachment with hair slides.

However there are various styles & lengths of veils available, the following are descriptions of some basic (and most popular) types of veils:

Cathedral veil: Usually worn with a train, about 3.2m from the headpiece.

Chapel veil: Slightly shorter from a cathedral length. It is a long, cascading veil that falls about 2,1m from the headpiece. This style, as with the cathedral length, is best worn with a train. Having a bit of your veil trail a little longer than your train is perfectly acceptable.

Circular veil: This is a simple, flowing veil without gathers that attaches with a comb.

Fingertip veil: This is the most popular option. It falls across the shoulders and down to the fingertips when your arms are extended at your sides.

Mantilla: Spanish in origin, this is a drape of lace worn without a headpiece. Alternately you can opt for a sheer netted mantilla with an exquisite lace trimmed edge. These may be long or short in length.

Most of the veils I make have the blusher attached to the veil (the shorter, single section that is worn over your face as you walk down the aisle), however, this can either be omitted or done as a separate piece to be removed after the ceremony.

I have found the two most popular lengths are the Chapel and Fingertip length veils. A Chapel veil is best suited with a wedding dress with a train whereas a Fingertip veil goes with just about any wedding dress style.