No traditional white wedding is complete without the wedding veil. If following the traditions of the white wedding, the bride is supposed to wear her hair down, long and flowing to symbolize her purity and chastity. Today, it is the wedding veil that represents the bride’s virginity.

A veil is a type of garment that covers a part of the head or the woman’s face. In most religions, the veil is used to show reverence for an object, but many modern brides choose to don the veil as part of their bridal attire because of the aesthetic value rather than what it symbolizes.

When choosing your wedding veil, it’s important to keep in mind that your veil should complete your overall look and not draw the focus away from your face or your stylish wedding dress.

Tips for Choosing the Perfect Wedding Veil

Shopping for a wedding veil can be a confusing experience, especially if you don’t know what you’re looking for. To help you out, we’re providing some tips for how to find the perfect veil for your dream wedding.

Tip 1: Before shopping for your wedding veil, decide on how you intend to wear this bridal accessory.

Determine first if you want to wear the veil as an accessory, meaning you will leave your face uncovered but wear the veil as an accent to your gown, or have the veil cover your face.

When you decide on how you will use your veil, you will be able to determine the length of this bridal accessory. Short veils work extremely well for "over the face" arrangements.

Tip 2: Make sure your veil matches your dress.

The following are some guidelines when picking out veil designs and embellishments.

The old saying "less is more" works when you’re wearing a long veil that covers the entire back portion of your gown. If your veil is too ornate or too heavily decorated with either appliquéd designs or embroidery, it’s going to take attention away from the back of your gown.

Avoid overly-embellished veils if you’re wearing a corset bodice or if your gown has a majestic train. Choose a sheer or see-through veil with simple satin cord edges or plain edges instead.

Go for an elaborate and intricately designed veil if you’re wearing a simple or plain wedding dress. The veil’s accents and decorations can help bring more impact to your appearance. Go for a veil with wonderfully intricate edgings that will fall over your arms and add decoration to the otherwise plain back of your gown.

Tip 3: If you’re planning on wearing stunning bridal jewelry or sparkling tiaras, go for a plain veil.

The plain veil will help accentuate your jewelry choice. Avoid wearing blinding jewelry with a heavily embroidered veil, since this will only overpower your lovely gown and your pretty face.

Tip 4: Pick the right veil color.

Your wedding veil’s color should match or, at the very least, be similar to your gown’s shade. Bring a swatch of your wedding gown fabric or a picture of your wedding gown so you can be as accurate as possible when it comes to your color-choice.

Tip 5: Keep your budget in mind while veil shopping.

A simple veil from a bridal boutique usually costs more than what you’d originally expect. To get a fashionable veil for a fabulous price, shop for your wedding veil online.

Tip 6: Before buying a veil, try it on first.

If you’re going for an up-do on your big day, tie your hair into a simple bun to help give you an idea on what you would look like with the veil.

If you’re buying a veil online, try on similar-style or length veils from the bridal boutique to help you find the perfect veil style for you.

Check out this video for some wedding veil styles.