Everything you need to know about veils (and there’s more than you might think!)

Today, Margaret from Dream Veils gives some advice about what to look for when buying a veil. When I got married I pretty much thought veil or no veil? And then when the answer to that was a ‘yes’ it was long or short veil? So it’s great that Margaret can go into more detail here about what options there are. And I didn’t realise how many options there are!

‘For most girls the only time they will wear a veil (apart from if they wore one on their first communion day) is their wedding day. So a veil can be such an unknown item – they don’t know what they will look like in one, or in fact anything about them.

The first time they come across a veil is a sample they try on in the wedding dress shop. The shops only have, for obvious reasons, set sizes to try on. The shop’s main business is to get you organised with your dress and the veil is an extra item, an addition, an accessory even. So the veil can be a secondary decision at the beginning of the bride’s search- something that they can’t think about at that time as their dress, quite rightly, is their main concern.

So, in my experience I have found that brides tend to leave their veil until the last minute- thinking they might or might not want one then they go for their first dress fitting 8 weeks before the big day, try a veil on again and then decide ”yes,” in fact they want a veil. They see the options and then either, think they are too expensive, not the right one, or are just disappointed with the choices the shop has. SO the big hunt is on for “The Veil” and where do they look – the internet.

Now how on earth can you choose something from a website for THE most important day of your life?

When I started Dream Veils I never imagined that my little company would finish up being an international internet based company. I made up the first samples and used my daughter Emma as my “Corporate” model, which she still is today. Then as time went by and brides sent me photos of themselves on their big day in their veils, I put them on the site so that other girls would get ideas and examples of all the different ways that brides had worn their veils and the looks they had achieved.

So to start your search for “The Perfect Veil” look around the internet at all the photos that are available until you get an idea of what you want and the look you want.

I personally make all my veils as “one offs,” they are custom made to the bride’s order and yes you can have exactly what you want! However, in order to know what to wear on your wedding day you do need to know where to start. I think that are 4 main things to decide upon:

The length

Do you want a tiny short veil just to reach the nape of your neck, or a long veil that covers the train of your dress? A short veil can be less cumbersome and you can leave it on for longer whereas a really long veil can annoy you and get in the way and you might want to get it off as soon as possible.

A single layer or double layered veil

A single layer hasn’t got that portion that covers your face when you walk down the aisle. So if you decide that you do want that then straight away you know you need a two layered veil. To further explain, this is how they are made: A double layer veil is cut in a circle for shorter length veils or an oval for the longer length veils.

Edging
This depends on where you buy your veil from. The usual edges are a pencil or fine edged stitch, a satin bound edge or just a cut edge. I make other edges too – and other companies make different edges to me. See what will go with your dress

Fabric
There are a few different fabrics that veils can be made of, but the main two are nylon tulle or pure silk. You can sometimes find chiffon or organza veils but the problem is that a veil is very wide and you therefore need fabric which is manufactured very wide. Chiffon and organza are not made in these larger widths….but I am still searching!

So once you have made a decision on these main points – you then have options of embellishments, for example crystal or pearl additions, and different cuts of the veil. Embellishments for example, could be crystal or pearl additions either all over the veil or to the edges.

There are lots of companies out there on the internet, in different countries, who make veils along these basic lines, with slight differences, so just have a good browse around. Once you know the options out there that are available to you (and you can understand what they all are!) you can make your decision and buy the veil that will make you into a real fairytale bride.

Just always remember – the main focus is probably your dress – so your veil should enhance the dress and not overwhelm it

Happy hunting!

Margaret’

 

If you’re head’s whirring with all these different options, I suggest getting in touch with Margaret and discussing the options. You can find her on her website, on Facebook and on Twitter.

 

 

 

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