Very informative 101 on Veils

I found this info in an old post from 2004, but I thought re-posting it could help some people. It just helped me =)

Veils 101
Article contributed by Julie Ann Elizabeth Custom Veils

Choosing a wedding veil can be a confusing and frustrating process. Not only do you need to coordinate it with your dress, hair, and wedding style, but to make things even more confusing you have probably never worn a veil before in your life, so how are you supposed to have any idea what will look and feel the best for you? A few tips and explanations may help smooth the process. Remember that the goal is to look and feel like a fabulous version of yourself, so pick things consistent with your own tastes and styles.

I. Finding Your Style

Tip 1: Start with your hairstyle: wedding and day-to-day.

The way you wear your hair on a regular basis says a lot about what looks and feels good for you. If you love the look of long straight hair around your face, then a smooth veil draping around your shoulders will be a natural wedding day look for you. Love the way your thick curly hair frames your face? Lean toward fuller 'poufy' veils. If you prefer to wear your hair up and out of the way most of the time for a clean view of your face and neck, then consider a look that lets the veil hang more toward the back of your head, like just above or even under an up-do, so that the veil will stay in the center of your back - almost like a long ponytail. Even though you probably won't be wearing your 'day-to-day' hairstyle for your wedding, you want the veil to feel natural and fit your personal style as well as frame your face in a way that looks best for you. By matching the veil style to your favorite hair style you'll start to tune in on the best look for you.

Tip 2: Think of your overall wedding style and location.

Whether ultra-traditional, hip and informal, or a tropical get-away, there's a range of styles that will ensure a comfortable and appropriate veil on your perfect day. For a very traditional wedding, consider at least an elbow length veil as the very short veils appear less formal and are better suited for informal or civil services. If you're getting married in an outdoor venue, remember that long flowing layers can get caught in bushes and a cathedral length veil can serve as a rake, sweeping up leaves or sand behind you as you walk. Consider having detachable layers if the reception will be in a much different format than the ceremony.

Tip 3: Keep Your Dress in Mind

If you have a lot of detail on your dress such as all-over embroidery, pearling, or lace, then an elaborate veil and headpiece could be visual overload. A fairly simple dress can support either an elaborate veil or a simple one. If you have a ball-gown style dress, avoid waist length veils which rest on the skirt. Likewise, if you have an elaborately designed back to your gown, don't hide it under multiple long layers of illusion. Showcase it with a shorter veil or with one very long thin veil that covers but does not hide or compete with the design. A long veil will help avoid the 'now you see it, now you don't' look by providing an over-all effect. Avoid having wide ribbon edges running directly across important details of the back of your dress. If you are wearing a blusher layer, be sure the blusher edging does not compete with the front of your dress.

Tip 4: Put it all together:

If at all possible, try on veils while you are trying on your dress to get an idea of what styles work for you. You may find that the veil that looked like a 'no' on the rack is a perfect 'yes' with your dress! The way a veil and headpiece looks on you has as much to do with your hairstyle as with your wedding dress. So first settle on your hairstyle and if you try on veils, do so with a close approximation of your wedding day 'do.

Tip 5: Match the Veil to Your Personal Style

Ultimately it all comes down to personal choice. These tips are just guidelines. Choose a veil that makes you feel like the beautiful bride that you are. If you've always pictured an extra full chapel length, don't settle for the short thin veil just for convention's sake. It's your wedding so make every detail a reflection of your unique personality and style.

II. Getting used to it:

Once you have a veil picked out, how do you wear it? Unlike a dress or shoes or almost anything else from your wedding ensemble, a veil is a completely new wardrobe piece and can take some getting used to.

Practice with the hair and placement:
Run through your hairstyle at least once with your hairdresser so that the two of you can determine where exactly you want it to sit on your head. A few inches can make a huge difference in the look--from the front, the back, and the side!

With your dress and shoes:
If you'll be wearing an extra long or extra full veil, you might want to walk around in it a few times. You'd be surprised how much work it takes to move around a bunch of airy tulle and keep it out of candle flames and cake icing. But that's the price of being a vision!

III. What's in a Veil: Styles, Cuts, Lengths, and Materials
Some styles are classics that every designer carries, while others are new and will vary in name by designer. These are just some of the most common styles.

Styles and cuts

Blusher:

A blusher is a layer of veil worn over your face to add a little mystery and romance to your walk down the aisle. In very traditional Jewish ceremonies, the groom lifts this veil before the wedding--in theory to make sure he's marrying the right girl--then lowers it for her walk down the aisle. In many Christian ceremonies, the blusher covers the bride's face for the walk down the aisle, then her escort lifts the veil to kiss the bride goodbye before she turns toward the altar. Some brides opt to have the escort lower the veil again, so that the wedding ends with the drama of the groom lifting the veil to plant the first married kiss. Blusher veils can be worn with any style of veil and can be worn just long enough to reach your nose or chin or all the way to the hem of your dress. They should be worn with at least one other layer and should be no longer than the back-layer to avoid a front-heavy effect. The exception is if you are wearing a hat with the blusher attached to the front of the hat. If your blusher is longer than waist length, consider how you will be holding your bouquet in relation to the blusher and how your escort or husband will lift the veil.

Mantilla:

A mantilla is the flowing classic Spanish veil. In the past, this sweep of lace was draped over a high comb, but the modern take is to have it placed right over your head with the rippled lace edge either framing your face or just obscuring it, so the overhang can serve as a blusher. Mantillas are sometimes worn over tiaras or are anchored under them. Mantillas generally drape rather smoothly down the back and sides so it is a very elegant and refined look.

Drop Veil:

A drop veil, also referred to as a cage veil, is formed from a large circle of fabric, un-gathered, and pinned to the top of the head. Generally this veil has delicate edging, if any. For a little sparkle or a personal touch, add scattered pearls, crystals, or lace to the veil. Some brides choose to fold the drop veil in half after the ceremony and use it as a shawl during the reception.

Cascade Veil:

A cascade veil looks like it sounds: it is several layers of veiling, of varying lengths, to give a full, waterfall effect. The longer layers can usually be removed after the ceremony, leaving a short full veil. This style is generally center gathered or angel-cut.

Angel-Cut Sides:

An angel cut veil is similar to a cascade veil. A portion of the veil is left out of the gathered section to create rippled curves down the sides of the veil. It is usually just one layer, so you have the cascade effect but without the extra layers. The bottom of the veil is usually relatively flat (parallel to the floor).

Circle-Cut:

The veil is cut in a large circle for two layers or a half-circle for one layer. A smaller circle (or half-circle) is then cut out in the center. That smaller arc is gathered and attached to a comb. This creates a veil with a lot of swing at the bottom but very little fullness at the top. Generally only the rounded part is edged so that the edging is all around the bottom leaving the sides unfinished. For a one-tier veil the effect is a flat bottom with sharp corners. In two tiers it is very similar to a center gathered veil.

Traditional Cut

Traditionally the veil is cut in a rounded U shape for straight edges, rounded corners, and a flat bottom.

Oval Cut

An oval cut veil tapers to a rounded point in the back for a look that falls away from the shoulders and more down the center of the back. It also appears less full.

Crystal-Cut

A crystal cut veil comes to a sharp point in the center back and angles out to sharp corners on either side. Very beautiful with tapered sleeved gowns, this cut has a renaissance look.

Lengths

Ballet or Waltz length:

These veils are aptly named for what you can do in them. They end around the ankles so you can wear them for the ceremony and still dance your heart out at the reception without tripping.

Cathedral:

Extra long and extra elegant! This falls 3 1/2 yards (10 1/2 feet) from your headpiece, so it will trail several feet behind you. You don't need to have a cathedral train on your dress to wear this veil, in fact a single layer cathedral veil looks wonderful over a simple dress without a train or with a shorter train. It creates the illusion of a long
elegant train with a lot less weight than if the dress were really that long. And instead of bustling after the ceremony, you can detach the long part from your headpiece for the reception and dance the night away.

Chapel-length:

This is essentially a cathedral veil minus one yard (3 feet), leaving about 2 feet of veil as a train.

Sweep-length:

This is essentially a chapel veil minus two feet so there's just a small swag of fabric that pools on the ground.

Fingertip, waist, elbow, shoulder:

These veils all end at the designated points and are generally 45, 35, 25, and 18' respectively. Shoulder length veils are sometimes called fly-away veils because they are so light.

Gathering

This subtle difference makes a big difference to the look.

Top Gather:

A top gathered veil has all of the veiling gathered together at the very top which makes each layer look completely separate. If there is an edging on the veil, it will run from the comb, down, and back up in a U-shape. This is a very traditional look.

Center Gather:

A center gathered veil leaves a little veil out of the gather to create a more circular shape for the edging. The veil then looks like 2 layers, but all one piece. The amount left of out the gather, the 'drops', effect the final look by determining how high up the edges come on the side of the veil. Drops that are the same length as the layers will create a rounded 'bell' shape while shorter drops will pull the edging into gentle curves.

Materials

Standard veil materials range in weight and opacity as follows: tulle, bridal illusion, silk tulle, English netting, organza, and chiffon.

Tulle is the lightest, sheerest, and stiffest of the materials. It has the most pouf and body and is best for very full looks. Nylon.

Bridal Illusion is the most commonly used material. It is softer than tulle but equally sheer. Because it is less stiff it drapes more smoothly for less pouf. This is also made in a glimmer finish which runs the material through a glazing process to create a glittery finish that photographs beautifully. Nylon.

Silk Tulle is very rare in North America but common in Europe . It has the sheerness of illusion but the drape of silk so it drapes very smoothly. Silk or polyester.

English Netting is the heaviest material that still has the look of netting. It drapes very richly and has no pouf. Polyester is the most common.

Organza is a solid fabric that has some stiffness but is sheer. It often has a shiny or pearled shimmer to it. Because it is a fabric instead of a netting, organza must be edged or it will fray. Organza and Chiffon are generally too thick for blushers. Since they are prone to snags, sweep, chapel, or cathedral lengths are generally avoided. Silk or polyester.

Chiffon is a soft fluid fabric which is usually a matte finish. It drapes very well. Like organza, chiffon must be edged or it will fray. Organza and Chiffon are generally too thick for blushers. Since they are prone to snags, sweep, chapel, or cathedral lengths are generally avoided. Silk or polyester.

Re: Very informative 101 on Veils

thanks....that was good stuff!!!!

Re: Very informative 101 on Veils

thanks for sharing the 411

Re: Very informative 101 on Veils

Thanks, very helpful!!!