Veils 101: Wedding Veil Style Guide

If you’ve found the dress of your dreams, you may be ready to start looking at bridal accessories! Although the dress is undoubtedly the star of the show on your wedding day, the entire outfit will be heavily photographed, so finding your dream veil is important too! Veils can be a fun way to bring your whole look together to give it an extra bridal feel, and there are quite a few options available! Check out our veil style guide for help on picking out your perfect veil.

Types of Veils

There are endless options when it comes to veil lengths, especially when you consider custom orders, however the main lengths to reference are the following:

Birdcage (9-10”)

Typically made of birdcage or Russian netting, this is the shortest veil available. Acting as more of a headpiece, the veil only falls to your nose or chin. This style became popular in the 50s and is perfect for a vintage bride.

Blusher (9-10”+)

A blusher is a second shorter layer on a full-length veil that goes over the bride’s face as she walks down the aisle. A blusher can also be worn on its own in a similar style to the birdcage veil. The main difference here is that the blusher will be made of tulle, rather than the birdcage netting.

Fingertip Length (38-40”)

Remaining true to the name, these veils fall right to your fingertips. This is the classic option for brides and can be worn with or without a blusher to cover the bride’s face. These veils offer an easy, lightweight, and flirty look!

Chapel Length (72”)

Chapel length veils are usually around 72” but will be adjusted to either barely touch the ground or create a small puddle of fabric based on the bride’s height. Due to their length, this style is great for brides who want to wear their veils all night long. Floor length veils pair perfectly with dresses that don’t feature trains.

Cathedral Length (108-120”)

Cathedral veils add a grandness to any bridal look. Trailing between 108”-120”, these veils are sure to make a statement as they extend beyond the train of your dress. If you’re looking for a dramatic veil to trail behind you as you walk down the aisle, cathedral length is for you!

How to Choose a Veil

Similar to choosing your dress, at the end of the day you’ll want to pick whichever veil makes you feel the most confident and bridal. Some brides opt to coordinate the look and feel of the veil with their dress, choosing something that has the same general look. For example, picking an extravagant veil to match an extravagant dress. This creates a cohesive bridal look! Other brides may opt to utilize their veil to create a contrast. For example, if your dress is simpler, you can pick a louder veil to create a balanced look.

A veil also provides a great opportunity to tie features into your bridal look that are missing in your dress. If you originally thought you wanted a lace gown but ended up with something simpler, you can choose a veil with lace trim love to help scratch that itch!

Something to consider when picking a veil is your hairstyle. Whether you’re wearing your hair up or down will affect the placement of the veil, so you’ll want to think about how each style will look with your hair. Veils are typically attached to the head using a comb and can be placed above or below most updos depending on the style.

At the end of the day, you’ll want to pick a veil that compliments both your dress and your personality. Once you find a veil that brings your entire look together and is you, then you’ve found the one!

How Early to Purchase a Veil

Standard veils can take anywhere from 3 weeks to 4 months to come in, so be sure to plan ahead! Some brides opt to purchase a veil at the same time they buy their dress. Other brides prefer to spread the decision making out and buy a veil during their fittings. We suggest ordering your veil 3-4 months before your wedding to ensure that it comes in time for you to try it on with the dress. Just be sure that you can try the veil on with your gown to ensure that you love the entire look!

Alternatives to Veils

For some brides, a veil just isn’t their style, and that’s okay! There are a growing number of alternatives to the classic bridal veil to consider. Flower crowns, tiaras, and hair accessories can tie in a bridal look the same way that a veil does. If you’d rather have the attention on your hair, show off your locks and skip the veil entirely! There are no rules that you have to follow when it comes to your wedding day look, so choose whatever is most authentically you.