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Wedding veils can be styled to cover your face, be pinned under a bunch of
curls, or flow along with your hair. Veils come in many lengths, designs, and
fabrics. Finding the perfect style to match your wedding dress and hairstyle is
not always easy, so allow plenty of time to look. Veils run the gamut from
simple and sheer to intricately decorated with beading, lace, or ribbon. Visit
these links for details on
veil lengths; colors;
shapes; materials; and
edging or embellishments.
This veil is very short (just long enough to frame the face) and worn
alone, without additional tiers or a separate blusher.
The birdcage is generally made of coarse
French or Russian-style netting rather than typical fine-mesh veil fabrics.
There are, however, birdcage-style veils made with finer
meshed tulles.
Historically, the veil was
attached to a hat. In recent years, most brides attach this short, circular veil
directly to their hair with a pin or comb, so that it hangs down around the
head. The traditional approach seems to be making a comeback, however.
In either
case, the front part may serve as a blusher, ending at the
eyes or lower. Alternately, a birdcage style clip or comb may be worn as
a hair ornament.
As with the
mantilla veil, there are no folds or gathers at
the crown, and it can be folded back to create a two-tier veil. To make your
own, see our
How to Make a Birdcage Veil page.
The blusher is the short part of the veil that covers the bride's face during
the ceremony. Many brides wear a blusher over the
face in deference to their cultural heritage. During the ceremony, the blusher is lifted back over the head to reveal the bride.
This is an elegant veil, softening the bride's features. The top layer of a circular tier veil may be used as a blusher, or you may have a
separate blusher attach
to your veil. The length generally ranges from very
short to shoulder-length or longer. Standard length is about 18-25 inches, but as
you can see in the photo, longer blushers are also attractive.
A tiered veil is one with more than a single layer. While four-tier veils
exist, double- and triple- tier veils are most common. The top layer of a tier
veil often serves as a blusher. The more layers your veil has, the fluffier
looking it will be. So, for a very rich and full veil,
wear three or more layers of the same
length.
Historically, there have been three types of mantillas, all with lace as their
central feature. Today's mantilla veils are primarily the third:
1. Handmade
Blonda lace mantillas, where the designs are crafted from two types of silk:
A thin thread for detailing and a thicker one to add depth, more details or
color. These are often floral-themed veils.
2. Chantilly lace mantillas, heavily embroidered with vegetable, fruit,
or floral designs. They are named for the town in France where the lace
originated.
3. Lace-embroidered tulle mantillas, with designs reflective of the
Chantilly and Blonda lace. Brides, today, most often wear this type.
Some modern mantilla veils have a wide lace edge, while others are full lace with a scalloped or other edging. In either case, wear the mantilla so the lace edges softly frame your
face and upper body. Or, for a blusher effect, attach the veil at its center so
the front hangs around the face. Folded back, the veil will create two
layers.
Vintage or antique veils can be the perfect "something old" or "something
borrowed" to uniquely complete your wedding ensemble. Shop a selection
of all veil types below.
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