After saying yes to the dress, many brides decide they would like to add a veil as the crowning glory to their wedding ensemble. But where to begin? With so many lengths and styles to choose from, starting to pick apart the infinite world of wedding veils can seem like a daunting task. Material, trims, embellishments, and length can all have a big impact on the overall finish of your big day look. And we want to help you get it exactly right.
In this guide, we’ll help you make sense of all your options when it comes to wedding veils, making it easier for you to find the perfect veil that compliments your dress and completes your bridal look.
The shortest in our collection with a length of 4-9 inches, birdcage veils are a stunning choice for brides opting for a retro-chic or vintage esthetic. Often likened to fascinators, they feature a veil usually formed of net or lace which can range in length from covering just the eyes, skimming the tip of the nose, or covering the whole face and framing the jawline. Rising in popularity during the 1940s, this style is perfect for vintage loving brides or brides that want to break away from wearing a traditional cascading veil.
Shoulder length veils fall just below the shoulders and are around 20 - 22 inches in length. These types of wedding veils are a great choice for brides who want to wear a veil for the whole of their big day, as their short length means they won’t get in the way while still lending a traditional finish to your look.
Shoulder length veils also look great with heavily embellished or beading gowns, due to their simplicity. Veils of this length are often made of stiffer tulle, too, so they fan out and provide structure.
Waist length veils typically measure around 25 - 30 inches in length, although can be a little bit longer in two-tier variations with the addition of a blusher. As you might guess, these kinds of veils fall to the waist, just below the elbows.
We think waist length veils look simply stunning paired with full length gowns without a train. This is because the end of the veil falls where the skirt begins, accentuating your silhouette with elegant ease.
Fingertip veils, as you might have guessed, extend just below your fingertips. Falling around 42” in length, they’re the perfect choice for brides who want to enjoy the striking esthetics of a veil without the fuss of wearing a full length one, especially if they plan to wear it all day. We’re big fans of fingertip lengths veils because they are just so flattering and complimentary no matter your style. Plain fingertip designs look fantastic with heavily embellished gowns, while designs featuring beading or lace can add easy glamor while remaining simple to wear.
Full length veils, sometimes known as “floor length veils”, are typically around 78” long, which means they match the full length of most wedding gowns without a train. We love the look of full length veils because of the way they frame and accentuate a bride’s silhouette bringing volume and structure depending on the type of veil material you choose. We recommend pairing full length veils to dresses without a train to create a soft, romantic finish to your big day style.
Chapel length veils are arguably one of the most popular and traditional types of veils. Falling around 96” in length, these stunning wedding day accessories look fabulous worn with wedding dresses that have a train, whether embellished or otherwise, as they are designed to extend past the train or hem of your gown.
If you’re looking for drama and romance on your wedding day, a chapel length veil is the perfect choice either in single tier or two tier variations.
Cathedral length veils are the longest type of veils you’ll find, measuring around 114” in length. As you can probably guess from their name, cathedral length veils are designed for grand church ceremonies and formal wedding celebrations.
High on drama and show stopping elegance, cathedral length veils look their best worn with gowns with a train, as they extend far past the train and can be spread out on the altar and for your wedding photographs to stunning effect. This type of veil length was made for embellishments from lace motifs to glitter and beading!
Choosing the Perfect Veil
With so many gorgeous styles to choose from, and that’s before you’ve even considered embellishments and edging details, finding the perfect veil can seem like a challenging task. We’ve been helping brides worldwide with their search for the veil of their dreams for many years now. Below are our top things to consider as you search for the crowning glory to your bridal look.
1. Set a Budget
When shopping around for your veil, you’ll find that price tags can vary greatly depending on the designer, length and design. As with any part of your wedding planning it’s important to set yourself a budget which in turn, may help to narrow your search down!
2. Consider Your Wedding Dress
Next it’s important to consider your wedding dress style. If your dress has intricate detailing or embellishments, a simple, sheer veil might be the best choice to avoid overwhelming it.
On the other hand, if you’ve opted for a minimal gown with very little detail, you may want to opt for a more ornate or heavily embellished veil to add some glamor and texture to your look. We also advise you to consider the length and silhouette of your dress. For example, a show-stopping cathedral length veil would be a perfect pairing with a formal ball gown, while a light and airy fingertip veil would complement a fitted dress such as a mermaid gown beautifully.
3. Consider Your Hairstyle
Once you’ve considered your wedding dress, you also need to think about your hairstyle. If you opt for a long or heavily embellished veil, you may need to wear your hair in a supportive bun, or half-up, half-down style. The good news is that most bridal hairstyles work well with a veil, it’s just a matter of working with your hairstylist to find a look which pairs perfectly with your chosen veil! You can also incorporate a variety of gorgeous hair accessories to frame your veil for that extra personal touch, choose from elegant hair pins, beautiful bridal combs and so much more!
4. Try It On!
Finally, the best way to find the perfect veil is to try different styles on with your wedding dress. This will give you a super clear idea of how each veil complements your overall look and will all ensure that your veil won’t overshadow your dress on the big day. As cliche as it may sound, once you try on ‘the one’, you’ll definitely know!
Find Your Crowning Glory with Lace & Favour
Here at Lace & Favour, we stock a wide range of wedding veils in a variety of styles and lengths. From quirky birdcage veils to sweeping cathedral length veils, you’ll discover a treasure trove of gorgeous wedding veils with us from the biggest and best wedding brands in the world such as Rainbow Club, Bianco Evento, and Perfect Bridal and many more.
Many of our gorgeous wedding veils are totally bespoke, which means you can choose the length, color, material and embellishments to suit your style. Explore our range today and purchase online to get the veil of your dreams delivered directly to your door wherever you are in the world.
See a Small Selection of our Most Popular Veils Below
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Ivory Single Tier Glitter Tulle Pearl and Crystal Edge Fingertip Veil
A beautiful floral cathedral veil handcrafted from a single layer of dreamily soft ivory tulle this design is heavily embellished with gorgeous 3D flowers scattered over the train...
Our beautiful Bellavue veil is made from two layers of soft ivory tulle with a simple cut edge and scattered all over both tiers with a myriad of various size pearls...
Amy is the Ecommerce Director at Lace & Favour. She regularly works with leading designer brands and their stylists to curate collections of hand-picked products for brides-to-be, helping them to create their perfect bridal look.
We hope this guide has provided you with plenty of ideas and inspiration to find the perfect veil to complete your bridal look.
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