| How to Choose a Wedding Veil
A bride wearing a wedding veil is a very old wedding tradition. In ancient
times, people believed that it would protect the bride from jealous, evil
spirits—or more practically, from the tribe’s enemies, who may steal her on the
day of the wedding ceremony. (Incidentally, that was also the purpose of
bridesmaids: to confuse any would-be attackers since they could not readily
identify which one she was.) It was also considered a sign of modesty, at times
when women were not meant to blatantly display their beauty—and even then,
people believed that brides were the most beautiful of all women. Today, modern
brides wear veils to complete the “wedding look”, and choosing one involves both
personal preference and a consideration of the type of wedding dress you will be
wearing. Here you'll find some tips on how to choose a wedding veil.
If
you have a very ornate wedding gown one with very intricate beading, ruffles, or
embroidery you should keep your wedding veil simple. You don’t want the two to
compete for attention, plus you could ruin the sophistication and elegance of
your dress and just end up looking tackily overdone. If you want, you can add
just a simple trim (like a line of pearls or lace at the edges). Conversely, if
you have a very classic and simple dress, where the drama is mostly in the cut
rather than any ornamental details, pull out all the stops when it comes to the
veil, and construct it in such a way that you can wear it for the whole ceremony
and reception without it getting in the way and still look magnificent.
You definately don’t want your veil to hide any important details in
your dress. For example, if the focal point of your gown is your bodice or back
(such as a fully embroidered ribbon, or antique mother of pearl buttons) don’t
wear a full length veil to hide it.
Antique wedding veils are coming back
into fashion, not only because of the renewed interest in “vintage” clothing,
but because it is considered good luck to borrow the veil of a very happily
married woman. If you were able to get an antique wedding veil, resist the
temptation to “fix” the color by dying it to match your wedding gown. You could
ruin the material, and it really isn’t necessary to do that. Even if it’s
another color (such as a subtly darker or creamier shade of white) the
difference won’t really be apparent because of the sheerness of the fabric and
will still be beautiful.
Another important factor when choosing a wedding
veil is the length of the wedding aisle. A long, dramatic wedding veil works
best in cathedrals or other ceremony venues where you will really be able to
make a suitably dramatic entrance. Otherwise, the wedding veil will just bunch
up. Convenience is, of course, another consideration. You don’t want to wear a
veil so cumbersome that talking or moving will be cumbersome, especially as you
will be socializing with the guests during the reception. If possible, look for
a wedding veil that allows you to easily remove part of it after the ceremony.
Your maid of honor should be able to help you with this, and you may need to
“practice” doing it before the Wedding Day.
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