Short Wedding Veil

Ah the wedding veil... the ultimate accessory in the transformation from engaged girl to blushing bride. Though steeped in tradition as it is, unless required by your religion, a veil is strictly optional. Today wedding veils are more of a style statement than a symbolic gesture. Thus, the ideal veil depends largely on the style of your wedding gown and the overall look you want to create. Here are four easy steps to finding the right bridal veil to complement your wedding dress and bridal look.

Learn The Basics:

Tulle is the classic veil material, although lace, silk, and satin are also options. Veils can be embellished with embroidery, pearls, or sparkly stones. Lengths run the gamut from short blushers to elaborate cathedral-length jaw droppers.

Determine Your Overall Bridal Style:

Hair Apparent:

To showcase your hairstyle, choose a veil that fastens underneath your 'do or one you'll remove for the reception. Otherwise, you can opt for a veil that you'll wear throughout the event. In this case, your hair will simply support the veil.

What's Your Function:

How long you plan on wearing your veil can dictate how long it should be. Wearing it for the ceremony only? Go ahead and get one that rivals Princess Di's. But if you want to wear your veil until the party's over, you'll need a more functional approach - either a shorter veil or a multi-layered one with a top layer that can be worn on it's own during the reception. You can also ask your seamstress to create a bustle for a longer veil (that's right, your train and your veil can be bustled!).

Picture Perfect:

If you plan to remove your veil immediately after the ceremony, keep in mind that it won't appear in post-ceremony or first dance pictures. To ensure this classic accessory is adequately documented, many brides wait to remove the veil after the first dance.

Jazzing it Up:

Your veil should not compete with your dress, so if you're donning an elaborately embellished gown, keep your veil clean and simple. Also, any ornamentation on your veil should start below where your dress embellishments end.

A Question of Formality:

Your veil - like your gown - should remain consistent with the formality of your wedding. In other words, lose the cathedral-length veil if yours is a simple beachside ceremony.