To veil or not to veil. That is the question. It used to be at one time a bride wouldn’t think of walking down the aisle without a veil. Today there are so many styles of weddings from an informal destination wedding to a formal black-tie affair. Believe it or not a veil fits in any occasion. Don’t underestimate the power of the veil. A detailed veil can completely change the look of your wedding attire by turning up the amp of a simple dress. If your dress has no train a veil is a great way to add that train to your look. Veils are more complicated than they seem. There are so many lengths; elbow, fingertip, and cathedral, to the different cuts, like angel wing, butterfly, or straight. Then you have to decide do you want the bottom to be round, square, or pointed. Yes, you can do fresh flowers or have a beautiful comb but there is nothing like the romantic mystic of a veil, with your hair blowing in the breeze. Or when your new husband lifts the veil to give you your first kiss as man and wife. A bride can say she wasn’t thinking of doing a veil but as soon as she puts one on it brings tears to the eyes of everyone in attendance. What is it about this wisp of fabric that can create a swell of emotion even from the most cynical of people?
Since veils are sort of an afterthought to most brides these days they are not aware of or have calculated the cost of a veil into their budget. The material is not expensive but the labor to make a veil is what brings the price up. Veils are mostly made of nylon tulle. The more detail on a veil the more expensive it is. A veil is hand cut and all the details are hand sewn onto the tulle. A hand cut plain tulle veil can run anywhere from $100-$500 depending on the length. If you want a lace mantilla style or lace edge veil those can run into the $1000 or more range as does a beaded or embroidered veil. A more rare but special veil is the silk tulle veil. Silk has a completely different hand and feel than a nylon veil but oh so fragile, like a cobweb. Keep in mind if it’s a silk veil you are going for expect to spend around $1000 or more. If a veil isn’t your thing there is always the little cage veil. Cage veils give you the feeling of being a bride without the seriousness of a regular veil. They are flirty, fun, and saucy. Tilted in a jaunty way over the side of your face it gives a retro look to your ensemble. A cage veil doesn’t necessarily go with every dress but can complete the appropriate dress in a fashionable way.
If you go with a veil, now the question is to blusher or not to blusher. What’s a blusher? A blusher is the short part of the veil that goes over your face. Usually there is no trim on the blusher maybe only on the edge because as you walk down the aisle you should be able to see your face through the veil. The blusher should also be above your flowers as well. After the wedding the blusher will be behind you and depending on the cut of your veil can create a beautiful cascading affect on the sides. If you like the cascading effect but don’t want the blusher on your face, it is totally fine to just leave the blusher behind you as you walk down the aisle.
Veils are a bit more formal than our more casual society is but at the same time when will you ever be able to wear a veil if not on your wedding day. Nothing says bride like a veil, however, brides have options and a veil is just one of them.
By Mindy Woon Of The Sample Room NY
Mindy Woon is a co-owner of The Sample Room NY and Group 868