Finding Your Veil
You’ve come a long way, baby, and so have your veils. While veils are not required wedding attire, and die-hard wedding-etiquette gurus will tell you they’re inappropriate for second-time brides, they’re an exquisite finish to your perfect dress. Traditions change too, and nowadays, the general rule of thumb is, “If you want to wear a veil, go for it!” A good thing to remember when picking your veil is to use the same guide you do when picking jewelry for your dress: The more elaborate the gown, the simpler the accessories, and vice versa.
You've got veil.
There are almost as many veil types as there are facial and figure types. Work with what you have. Experts suggest, for example, that if you have a circular face, you should pick a longer veil for contrast. Similarly, a rectangular face benefits from a shorter veil. Just how does your figure, er, figure in? If your veil swoops up and around you, it’s going to enhance your height; wonderful news if you’re runway-model-approved, not so much if you’re under five-four. Like horizontal stripes on your gown, any veil that stops at the waist is going to make your waistline look larger. Make sure when choosing veils that you have at least one friend with you; she can check to make sure the back of the veil is just as flattering on you as the front is.
Classic veils are generally made of tulle, though nowadays you can also find variations like silk, satin, and lace. Veil embellishments—here we go again—follow a similar “opposite” rule: If your gown is simple, feel free to lather your veil with accents. A complicated gown needs a simple, unadorned veil. If you want your veil to show up in photographs, pick something big and dramatic—just stay away from one that makes you look taller than the groom. Veils can be clasped in the back so they are not very visible in photographs—a good option for brides who want pictures that are focused on the hair and jewelry.
Here, a primer on the four most common veil types:
Flyaway veils go right to your shoulders, and have a casual/chic look. Very popular options for daytime weddings.
Fingertip veils are easy to remember, as they fall does down to your fingertips when placed at your sides. A good, middle-of-the-road look—neither too short nor too long.
Chapel veils reach to the floor (think chapel train and you’re on the right track). In general, the longer the veil, the more formal the look, which means the chapel veil is headed toward the more pristine bridal look. Chapel veils are tres romantic, tres trendy, and tres fabulous.
The mother of all veils, Cathedral veils fall down the aisle behind you. It’s an extremely formal look, more suitable in a house of worship than your backyard, and will require the assistance of at least one member of the bridal party to tend to it as you walk up and down the aisle.