How to Choose the Perfect Veil for Your Wedding Dress

Just like choosing the perfect wedding dress to match all that is you, finding the veil that goes with it comes down to a science. Achieving bridal perfection is a balance between hair & makeup, a stunning wedding dress, shoes and accessories, and the cherry on top of your bridal look: the perfect veil. As with many other components of your bridal look, there are some factors that will determine what type of veil matches your wedding dress. Let’s start with the basics: the types of wedding veils:

Birdcage

Between 4-9” in length, this veil can cover the eyes, graze the nose or the jawline. Made of lace or net for a sheer, vintage finish.

Shoulder Length

20-22” is perfect to keep the focus on your traditional and detailed wedding dress.

Blusher

30” falls over your face for that perfect movie moment where the groom pulls it back to give his blushing bride a kiss after “I do,”

Fingertip

38-40” falls just below your hips and aloes the design on the back of your gown to come through the sheer netting.

the Floor-Length

72” long enough to graze the floor and the same length as your wedding gown.

Chapel

90” slightly longer than your wedding dress to create the illusion of a long train.

Cathedral

108-120” for a dramatic entrance, a trend among our favorite celebrities is to wear a veil that is longer than the statement train of your wedding dress.

Choosing the type of veil depends widely on your wedding dress budget, how you’re planning to style your hair, the theme of your wedding, and most importantly, the style of your beautiful dress. There are a few rules of thumb to creating the perfect balance of your bridal look. If your dress is very embellished, you want to leverage that with a smooth and transparent veil. If your dress and theme are vintage, a bird cage will be the ideal final touch. Remember, all eyes will be on you, you don’t want your wedding veil to steal the spotlight, but it has to be the perfect add-on. Depending on the style of your wedding dress, here are a few tried and true suggestions we have observed over the years.

Embellished gown

If the design of your wedding dress is an exquisite piece of art with intricate detailing, beaded work, embellishments, and all the glitz, like our Angelina 19240, the perfect pairing would be a veil with just a touch of bling long the edge to highlight the sparkle in your dress, without overpowering it.

Open back

When you’re walking down the aisle in a showstopper open back dress like Portia 120121, or one with an intricate embellished design down the back like La Perle favorite Quincy LP2222, your best bet is a sheer cathedral veil without any accents. You want the back of that stunning wedding dress to be the focal point.

Train for days

If your dress features what we in industry like to call a “train for days”, the one that makes for a spectacular and dramatic entrance into the venue like Priscilla 122122, a cathedral veil with just a bit of lace around the edge would be the perfect match. Just make sure the veil is longer than the train.

Vintage

To add the final touch of sophistication to a vintage inspired lace dream such as Myrtle 121105, a birdcage wedding veil is the perfect pairing. The dress has enough romance and finesse on its own that covering it up in any way would be a sin.

Beachy Bohemian

For the bride who is planning a destination wedding at a beautiful and exotic beach and is wearing a bohemian dress to match, like our exquisite Fallon LP2020, which also features an open back, a sheer chapel style wedding veil is the perfect match. It’s just the right length to cover the train of the dress and the right weight that won’t blow into your face while exchanging vows.

If the dress you said “yes!” to is a stunning mermaid gown like Iris 120119, you want to showcase the flared skirt at the bottom and keep the focus on your gorgeous curves. The best way to accomplish this is by wearing a mid-length or fingertip veil. 、

Mermaid

Remember, the main focus of your wedding attire should always be your wedding dress, the veil is just an accessory to finish off your perfect bridal look. If you want expert advice, trust your bridal consultant to help you make the right decision, and your loving entourage will also be able to give you some great recommendations based on your personal style. Take their advice and put it in your pocket, but the end of the day the decision will be all yours. No matter what you wear, you will look absolutely stunning as you walk down the aisle. The smile on the face of your lifetime partner will be the best seal of approval. Find the wedding dress and veil that are meant for you!

If you’re having trouble finding the one, The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Your Perfect Wedding Dress has everything you need!

Banner Image Credit: @brookemageephotography & @ryannlindseyphotography