09:58AM, Tuesday 12 November 2013
Don’t let the thought of dealing with an unruly veil on one of the most stressful days of your life may put you off, a veil is the one bridal accessory that really says wedding!
Sublimely romantic and with over 2,000 years of history behind them, veils are timeless. Your wedding day is probably the only chance you’ll get to wear one so it seems a shame not to. You don’t have to go for the romantic full length, you could try a flirty short one to add pizzazz to a neat tailored style.
When it comes to veils, your dress and venue are important things to consider, but then there's where to place it, which shade of white to choose, and how to manage the intermittent gust of wind.
Here’s a helpful guide.
Obviously, your dress is going to come first, unless you’ve inherited a family veil you need to work around.
Choose a colour that will blend into the colour of your gown. Aim for the same shade or go for a shade lighter. Avoid anything darker.
Longer veils also pick up marks very easily so if you are getting married outdoors or on a beach setting it might get dirty very quickly..
Your hairstyle plays a large part in determining your choice of veil. A long veil (chapel or cathedral length) or a heavy veil will require the support of an up-do hair style to hold it in place.
A half up, half down hairstyle will be able to support moderate weight veils (waist length) and if you want to wear your hair down then it is probably best to stick with short or lightweight designs.
It is a good to have an idea of your wedding hair before you buy your veil. Make sure to purchase it well in advance so you can take the veil to your hair trial and discuss where to wear it (top or back of your head) and how to secure it in place.
It’s also important to think about face and body shape when selecting a veil. You can use a veil to frame or soften.
Square face: As for a round face but circular and cascading designs that can help soften an angular face.
Oval face: Any style should work but avoid very high and narrow or short and wide veils to maintain proportion.
Rectangle face: Look for volume at the sides with very height on the top of the head.
Apple: Longer veils – waist length or longer – can help the silhouette appear taller and slimmer.
Pear: Shorter veils can add volume to shoulders, bust and waist to help even out proportions
Full figured: Single-tiered veils work well on brides with a fuller figure as they don’t add any width to the outline.
As for length of veils, long styles are most traditional but there are many choices.
Cathedral
The most dramatic and most formal of veils, flows three and half yards or more from the headpiece is often paired with an equally impressive cathedral train.
Chapel veil
Slightly shorter than a cathedral veil – about 90 inches – it’s a traditional style well suited to more formal ceremonies and pairs nicely with gowns that have a train. It looks particularly good if the veil extends beyond the hem of the gown.
Ballet veil
It falls somewhere between the knee and ankle. Try pairing this with a column or sheath dress for a slim, streamlined look.
Fingertip veil
It’s a versatile length (literally ending at your fingertips) that can be worn with many lengths of dress. It’s usual to have a decorative edging to complement the gown. Without trimming it gives an ethereal look.
Mantilla veil
This falls to the elbow and was traditionally worn by Spanish women during formal ceremonies to cover the head and shoulders. It best suits long and draped gowns.
Blusher veil
A playful style that fits loosely around the hair and can be placed either in front of the face or back on the head and can be altered during the wedding ceremony. It works best with short dress. Can also be attached to a longer veil which trails down the back of the head and gown.
Birdcage veil
A vintage-inspired style, it features a small swathe of netting that sits close to the face and falls just above the nose. It’s usually anchored with a decorative accessory such as feathers or flowers or used in conjunction with a small hat–ideal with a form-fitting gown.
For the most secure hold, fasten the veil by first flipping its comb upside-down, with teeth facing up; if you're doing it right the U curve of the comb will curve away from your head
Gently slide the comb upward so that it grabs a bit of hair and then flip it over so that the U curve cups the back of your head; wiggle into place.
If you are wearing a long veil outdoors, it’s a good idea to loosely wrap it around one arm like a stole to keep it under control.
When you first get your veil home, hang it up to loosen any wrinkles. After a few days, gently steam out remaining wrinkles. Do not use an iron as this can discolour or damage the fabric.
Store the veil away from sunlight until your wedding day.
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