Veils UNveiled!

Do you want a veil or a fancy headpiece? How long and of what material will your veil be? Are you clueless about all of it? Well have no fear, we are about to unveil the ins and outs of choosing your perfect veil!

Historically, veils were worn to protect the bride from evil spirits. However, nowadays it is simply another stunning aspect of the bride on her special day, second only to the dress itself.
Here are some key factors you should consider when choosing your veil:

THE DRESS

You want to select a veil that compliments your dress. To do this, you must determine what the focal point or best part of your dress is. Is it the back? Special detailing on the bust line or through the middle? You should choose a veil that falls just before the detailing you would like to focus on or that covers it and has a fabric that you may see the detailing through. A simple dress allows for a more elaborate veil and in the same respect, an elaborate dress yields a more conservative veil.

THE VEIL LENGTH

Very Short - sometimes called "visor veils" and do not extend past the chin. Cage veils and other very short veils are trendy and popular at the moment. These veils pair well with either extreme of wedding gown: simple or eclectic.

Shoulder Length (blusher) - (20 inches) great for dresses with bust, waist or lower back detailing. They can sometimes be too informal for classical dresses.

Waist Length - (30 inches) this type of veil suits mosts dresses that don't feature a train.

Fingertip Length - (36 inches) reaches your fingertips when you stretch your arm out (hence the name). This is the most popular type of veil by far and suits the majority of dress styles.

Chapel - (90 inches) this veils reaches if not drapes slighly on the floor and is best with a dress that features a train.

Cathedral - (120 inches) the longest and therefore most formal veil, some extend 9 feet along the ground! It obviously works best with full length classic gowns.

TIERS

Veils can have up to 3 tiers and whether your choose to have 1, 2 or 3 is largely dependant on your dress type and how traditional you are. A 1 tiered veil is usually good for a sophisticated look but a romantic or classic dress could usually pull off 2 or 3 tiers. Keep in mind that with multiple veils, you will most likely not be able to see your hairstyle so it is often best to have it simply styled. The veil used to cover the brides face during the start of the ceremony is usually a blusher (shoulder length). Today's bride often chooses not to have a veil covering her face, but it can be really romantic to have the groom remove it before the first kiss :) Just make sure it is long enough so that when it is flipped over to reveal that bridal beauty that it doesn't look awkward from behind.

FACE SHAPE

The veil frames your face, so just like when you cut your hair, the shape of your face should be kept in mind.

Round - if you have a round face your goal when choosing a veil should be to make your face look longer and slimmer. So you should aim to avoid veils with volume on the side and look for ones that are at least shoulder length with volume towards the top!

Square - with a square shaped face you should choose a veil that softens your face and also adds length. The same type of veil as mentioned for round face shape will work here as well. Circular and cascading styles can help soften yoru jaw line.

Oval - this face shape allows you to experiment with all veil styles but it is a good idea to avoid extremes in length or width.

Rectangle - this face shape should look for veils with volume on the side and not on the top (the opposite of round face shape).

We hope you are now better informed for your veil shopping!