Wedding veils: a quick guide

Veils

Veils for the modern bride

Today, veils usually serve as the finishing touch to a gown. But they can also help a bride meet her 'something old/new/borrowed/blue' quota, depending on taste and family heirlooms...

Whatever your taste, you'll find no shortage of choice, but don't panic -- picking a style is easy, as long as you stick to the practical side of things. Follow our failsafe guide and you can't go wrong:

Pair up: the most obvious tip is to buy your dress and the veil together, or get the veil custom-made to match your dress. This way you can be sure that one won't clash with the other.
Long story: the taller you are, the longer your veil should be, to match your height.
Easy does it: if your dress is detailed, keep the veil simple.
Waist not: a long veil can help take the emphasis off a wide waist, but make sure it doesn't take attention away from any bows or details down the back of your dress.
Face off: if your veil covers your face, keep it at bust height so that it doesn't cover your flowers.
Head and shoulders: it's not just the shape of your dress that you need to consider when choosing a veil -- a bride's head, face and neckline should also be considered too.
Practice makes perfect: if your veil is floor-length, carefully practise walking about in it before launching yourself down the aisle. Or make sure your bridesmaids are in charge of keeping it out of the way.
Stay secure: your hairdresser should be informed well in advance of the kind of veil you plan to wear, so it can be made as secure as possible.
Overcoat: for winter weddings, wear a hooded cloak matching a lighter dress underneath. Have the cloak for the ceremony, to keep you warm in wintry churches, and remove it later on at the reception, where food, wine and dancing should heat you up nicely!
Hire away: a wedding dress can be customised and worn again, but this isn't so easy with veils. Whatever you've arranged for your dress and shoes, hiring a veil will save you valuable pennies.
Holy Communion: consider buying a communion veil, a fraction of the cost of a wedding veil but essentially serving the same purpose.
DIY: as in “decorate it yourself”. If you trust yourself as being handy with the glue and sequins then buy a simple veil and go crazy with adornments.