The iconic wedding veil is much more than a… well, icon.
It’s a traditional addition to a wedding ceremony, an accessory infused with sentimental value to the bride, and a beautiful contribution to your bridal style.
Most importantly (in our opinion), it’s an accessory that works with a bridal gown to help better express the bride’s personality and individuality. Not to mention in a room full of white dresses, hands down the veil sets the bride apart. And that’s the #1 reason you should consider buying a custom wedding veil.
But there are plenty of reasons beyond that to partner with a specialty veil company and design your own! In this post, we’ll explore some of those reasons and give you some tips on creating a bridal veil that perfectly shows off your style.
Why is Getting a Custom-Made Wedding Veil Better?
Glad you asked- this is one of our favorite things to share with new brides! Here are seven fabulous reasons that designing your own veil is the way to go:
- Your bridal veil should be designed just for you, not for you and your cousin’s fiancee, co-worker’s new wife, and the model on the cover of that bridal magazine.
- You’ll avoid the whole “emotional-snap-judgment” thing that happens that results in overpaying for a veil you’re not even really in love with. No one loves buyer’s remorse, especially when it comes to your wedding day attire.
- A custom-made wedding veil will match your overall wedding day look, including your dress and accessories, better than a cookie-cutter veil.
- Your veil will become a treasured heirloom for generations to come.
- Ok, this one may be a little shallow, but indulge me: A custom veil will totally impress your wedding guests. There, I said it.
- An online custom shop can create the perfect veil for you often at a fraction of what you’d pay in brick-and-mortar boutiques. So much so that we wrote an article about it here.
- Custom veils are lovingly hand-made with the best materials by people sending you positive wedding vibes, not mass-produced in a factory by someone ready to clock out three hours ago. (We’ve all been there at some point, ladies and gents. No judgment here.)
How to Design Your Own Bridal Veil
We’re not talking about designing and making your own bridal veil here. That’s a job for YouTube.
We’re talking about designing the perfect veil for you with the assistance of a pro with a team of more pros that will handcraft it to last forever! So with that in mind, here are a few tips on how to design your own bridal veil using a custom online shop:
Note: Not all shops are created equal, and Classic Veils offers services you may not find at other online shops. So verify and proceed with caution before you commit!
Do Some Daydreaming
First, it’s good to have plenty of examples to show your designer when it’s time to discuss what you want. So spend some time on those Pinterest boards, browse bridal websites, and check out some real weddings featured on wedding websites for inspo.
Do a Little Research.
Depending on how closely you work with a designer, you may not have to spend too much time on this one. Veils come in various styles for different dresses, so it’s good to know the basics about coordinating length, width, edges, design, etc., with your own gown.
For instance, the tricky silhouette of a mermaid gown looks great with a waltz-length, semi-waltz-length, or knee veil, depending upon how tall you are! Thinking about something short and contemporary? A birdcage veil may be just the thing.
Want to learn more? Have a look at our post on matching your bridal veil seamlessly to your wedding day look!
Send a Pic & Chat with your Pro
Even if you know exactly what you want, you should take advantage of the personal consultation with a designer that some shops offer.
After you’ve reached out with an email containing a few details about what you have in mind and a picture of your dress, a designer should contact you via phone or video chat to discuss.
They’ll suggest unique additions you may not have considered (pearls and rhinestones and appliques, oh my!) and advise you on the best way to attach your veil. In addition to all that practical stuff, you’ll get honest advice from someone who’s be-veiled a bride or three! Yes, I just made up that word, and I now declare it legit.
Request a Sample
Once you’ve had a chance to chat, your designer will probably want to send you some tulle swatches. This is an integral part of the process because you definitely want to feel the fabric and verify that the color matches your dress perfectly. That goes double for a lace veil. Trust me on this one.
Finalize your Plans
After you’ve established all the details and are ready to go, your plans will be sent to a team specializing in creating your dream veil!
Custom Wedding Veil Options
Custom veil shops are popping up all over the place, both online and in retail stores, so you’ve got plenty of options.
The biggest piece of advice I can give is to find a shop you feel comfortable with. The second biggest is to take your time. (If you can.)
As I mentioned above, it’s easy to make a snap decision in a boutique when tears and complimentary champagne are flowing. Give yourself plenty of time to think it over, and chances are you’ll be glad you didn’t buy that $500 veil because you got swept up in the moment.
That said, we cordially invite you to check out our post on where to buy wedding veils. We’ve recommended a couple of boutiques, as well as plenty of independently-owned Etsy stores with gorgeous veils and an excellent reputation. (Go small business!)
It’ll come as no surprise that we’ve very proudly included Classic Veils as number one on our list. Are we biased? Sure. We think we’re fabulous. Luckily you don’t have to take our word for it, though – just ask any of the gorgeous brides we’ve worked with to design their perfect veil!
Ok, shameless plug over. Maybe.
Wedding Veil FAQ
Here are a few of the most common questions I get from brides shopping for wedding veils- hopefully, you’ll find answers here if you’ve got questions of your own! If not, give me a shout; I’m always glad to help!
Simply put: look for a wedding veil that makes you feel like royalty when you put it on. The rest is a matter of practicality. Look for a reputable shop that makes veils using the best quality materials with amazing craftspeople who know what they’re doing.
How do you know if that’s the case? Ask lots of questions about how and where their products are made and request swatches of the materials so you can feel it yourself. Any shop you choose should be happy to answer those questions and send you samples.
I’m not here to tell you how to style yourself (unless you ask my opinion), but 9.9 times out of 10, your entire ensemble will look much better if your veil complements your dress. If you’re a fashionista who can pull off something daring and crazy more power to you, but matching always gets my vote.
The length of your veil should complement the style of your dress! As I mentioned earlier, it’s all about proportion. For example, shorter dresses usually look better with shorter veils like a flyaway or birdcage veil. Longer cathedral veils look often look fabulous with a mermaid or a-line dress.
That’s a matter of personal taste. Some brides love the drama of a flowing cathedral veil over their train; some don’t want to deal with the maintenance.
As a general rule, choose a veil slightly longer than the train of your dress. If you want to show off the embellishments on your train, a flyaway veil or fingertip length veil will enhance without being too bossy.
As you may have guessed, keeping your veil in place will depend upon how you wear your hair and the type of veil you choose. Often, hair combs and pins used to hold a veil in place are decorative works of art in their own right.
That may depend on your cultural norms and the type of ceremony you’ll have. Some religious traditions require a bride to wear a veil covering her face and shoulders.
Other than that, it’s entirely up to you and your personal taste. Many brides do love the drama of the unveiling at the altar, which I totally get. Some take a more modern stance on the unveiling issue and opt for something other than a drop or waltz veil. As long as you feel amazing in it, go with it!
I recommend shopping for your veil while you shop for your dress to get an idea of what you want, then put in final your order after you’ve said yes to the dress. As a rule, don’t wait any more than four months from your wedding date (if possible) to give your designer plenty of time to work out the details with you, finalize your design, have it made, and ship it back to you ready to wear.
Let’s talk about veils!
Hopefully, the advice in this post has helped you get the ball rolling! We love working with brides to create a veil that’ll make them feel (and look!) like a princess. Our goal is to make something for them they’ll pass on through the generations, but let’s face it, turning heads at your wedding is a pretty popular goal, too.
If you’re veil shopping and aren’t sure where to begin, let us know! It would be an honor to work with you, so together, we can create a stunning veil for your big day.
