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Rules are as important in a wedding as in any other special event. Guests shouldn’t wear black (it’s the colour of mourning) or white (it takes attention away from the bride, who’s also wearing white). Never RSVP when there’s even the slightest chance of not making it.
Oh, and never get drunk and cause an alcohol-fuelled commotion. Actually, that’s a good rule to live by, whether in a wedding reception or life in general.
When it comes to picking a wedding dress and bridal veil, at least in terms of being mandatory, there are no “rules.” So many veil styles and designs exist today that sticking to a set of hard and fast rules isn’t worth the effort. The most important thing is to be happy with what you wear on one of the most important events of your life, even if it defies conventional trends.
However, not all looks will be worth wasting time and resources on. It’s crucial to look your best on your wedding day, down to the tiniest detail, like your choice of wedding veil. In this post, we provide several rules and guidelines for choosing the ideal veil.
As wedding veils are accessories to wedding dresses, it makes sense to get to know the latter first. To start, the dress structure design determines the veil length to match. Here are the various veil lengths currently being offered in the market.
|
Veil Type |
Length (inches)* |
Length (centimetres)* |
|
Bird Cage |
4-9 in. |
10-23 cm. |
|
Flyaway |
13 in. |
33 cm. |
|
Shoulder-Length |
20-22 in. |
50-56 cm. |
|
Waist |
29 in. |
75 cm. |
|
Blusher/Wedge |
30 in. |
76 cm. |
|
Elbow |
32 in. |
81 cm. |
|
Hip |
37 in. |
95 cm. |
|
Fingertip |
38-40 in. |
96-102 cm. |
|
Ballet |
47 in. |
120 cm. |
|
Knee-Length |
48 in. |
121 cm. |
|
Waltz |
60 in. |
152 cm. |
|
Floor-Length |
72 in. |
182 cm. |
|
Chapel |
90 in. |
228 cm. |
|
Cathedral |
108-120 in. |
274-305 cm. |
|
Royal/Regal |
120-144 in. |
305-366 cm. |
|
Queen |
196 in. |
500 cm. |
*Measurements can vary by designer. Also, the bride's height can affect how far down the veil reaches. For example, a fingertip length veil may not reach the fingertips if the bride is tall enough.
Fun fact: the Guinness World Record for the longest wedding veil belongs to a bride in Cyprus, measuring almost seven kilometres. To put that into perspective, the distance from our Sydney studio to the Opera House via Highway 1 is over half a kilometre longer.
Back on topic, a wedding veil doesn’t get more beautiful as it gets longer. Experts agree that longer veils are ideal for equally long dresses with full trains and, as a rule of thumb, should be no less than 30 cm. longer than the dress. Meanwhile, short veils suit wedding dresses that are far from touching the floor.
Many wedding veils are single-tier, meaning there’s only a single piece of veil fabric that runs from their attachment on the head to the edge. Others are double-tier, which has a blusher veil covering the bride’s face.
Blushers maintain the traditional aspect of wedding veils. In ancient times, brides wore longer veils to hide their identities from evil spirits, only to be lifted by the groom when about to seal their vows with a kiss. Some fathers today still insist on blushers for their daughters to signify “giving away” the bride to the groom.
Because blushers are meant to be lifted near the end of the ceremony, they aren’t made to be overly long. Imagine the groom having to lift a blusher as long as the veil, which can look awkward before an audience. A blusher veil should ideally be no longer than fingertip level.
Single-tier wedding veils don’t have a blusher. However, they can be designed in a way that the front section can be easily lifted or parted when the time comes. Naturally, this section has to be arranged to appear shorter at the front than at the back.
Wedding veils are made from a vast selection of fabrics. Here at Madame Tulle, we create our veils out of the two most commonly used fabrics: tulle and lace. Here’s a comparison of the two materials.
Named after a city in France that’s known for its lace, tulle is described as a delicate, lightweight kind of netting. Tulle is usually made out of nylon and polyester, making it an inexpensive option for floor-length veils.
A major competitor to tulle, lace is highly sought after in the wedding market due to its design versatility. It’s primarily made out of cotton, allowing designers to make various veil styles out of it.
There isn’t a clear answer between the two because everyone has their own tastes when it comes to fabric. One helpful tip here is to request swatches from designers to get a feel for your fabric options.
Plain wedding veils have their own charms, but many brides want to push the envelope of veil design by adding intricate embroidery and embellishments. And while there’s nothing wrong with spicing up a veil with patterns, some efforts tend to go overboard.
Too much embroidery or embellishment not only obscures the bride’s face but also limits her vision when walking down the aisle. It defeats the purpose of the groom and the public admiring the bride’s elegance as she’s about to get married. Also, when the décor involves precious stones, the veil can get too heavy and risk tearing.
For example, if you want something embroidered onto your chapel length veil or birdcage veil, check out this blog post on a handful of wedding veil embroidery ideas. In most cases, simple designs are better as they won’t make the veil compete for attention with the dress when it should be a beautiful accessory complementing the wedding gown.
A wedding event may implement strict rules, which is sensible. However, when it comes to mixing and matching a wedding dress and veil, the rules aren’t as strict. In fact, wedding fashion trends managed to evolve thanks to people who decided to challenge the status quo by trying out something unconventional.
You’re welcome to follow the guidelines discussed here to achieve your desired bridal look. But above all else, your choices should be based on your personal style and what’ll make you a delighted bride on your big day.
