The Finishing Bridal Touch: The Veil

There is something just so… bridal about a veil! While we do love all the unique headpieces and hair accessories that are so hot right now, somehow a bride’s wedding day look often doesn’t seem complete without that finishing touch – dare we say, the cherry on top – the veil!

One of the most fabulous things about the bridal veil is its versatility! Veils afford a bride unlimited style options! You, beautiful bride, can choose from virtually any length, from birdcage to cathedral and everything in between.

Sweet elbow-length veil, perfect for this lovely outdoor ceremony

 Very trendy right now - face or birdcage veils

Knee-length veil, a great compromise between long and short!

You should use your gown, the style of your wedding and your ceremony venue as your guide. To further expand your wedding day style options, you can pair your veil with a fabulous complementary headpiece, removing just the veil after your ceremony or replace the veil with hair jewelry for the reception.

This bride exchanged her long veil for a shorter, more simple one for the reception

This bride removed her veil after the ceremony, exposing a beautiful hair clip for the celebration

But you might wait to remove your veil until after your first dance to capture a fun photo opp like these.

More selections to consider: Do you want a simple, unadorned tulle veil, one with sparkle or shimmer or one with lace? If your wedding gown is ornate, a very simple veil is best so it won’t compete with your gown. If your gown is lightly embellished or quite simple, you can go with either a plain veil or something more elaborate.

This veil has just a touch of lace to tie in to the bride's lace gown - beautiful!



The "Grace Kelly" veil from Toni Federici is a prefectly classic simple cathedral veil



The crystals scattered all over the veil are a great way to add sparkle and interest
since the bride's gown has no embellishments

Do you want your veil to have a cut edge or one finished with lace or a ribbon? The cut, raw edge gives your veil a more ethereal feel, subtly complementing your overall look, whereas a veil with a stronger edge of ribbon, lace or even sparkle has more prominence in your wedding day ensemble.

This bride's gown has a lot of ruffles and texture on the skirt,
so her long veil is best with no embellishment and a cut edge

This lace-edged veil is a perfect match to the bride's lace gown.

This stunning ribbon-trimmed veil is a great complement to this very simple gown

 Are you getting excited about your choices yet? Wait, there’s more! Do you want a veil of just a layer or two or something with a little more depth or volume? Yet another option is to have your veil comprised of multiple layers in different lengths, using the full length during your ceremony but removing the longer layer and keeping a shorter one on for the duration of your reception.

Love this bride's gorgeous lace-embellished cathedral length veil perfect for a church wedding,
but she removed the longer portion, wearing only a simple, shorter veil for the party.

Some fabulous trends we’re seeing in veils right now are:

Colored veils, usually to match colored bridal gowns, but sometimes the veil stands alone (or with a fur!) as the pop of color

This gorgeous and very "now" face veil is a perfect match to the earthy colored gown

Pretty in Pink! This bride boldly wore a pink gown and veil

This bride's vintage style included a bold teal veil and fur

Face or birdcage veil made of regular tulle or Russian or French tulle

These veils can cover one or both eyes

This simple tulle birdcage covers the whole face. Aren't those feathers so fun?

This veil partially covers the bride's face with Russian tulle

Vintage style cap veils

Painted veils

Photographers seem to love veils, too! They are using these gorgeous accessories as props in their photography.

We are especially fond of the windblown veil pic! And while you might be concerned about wearing a long veil in the wind between the ceremony and reception sites or during photos, they are actually quite easy to manage, as you can just pull your veil around and drape it over your arm. Voilá, your veil is safe and secure! Also, your long veil can double as a wrap if it gets chilly at sendoff time; just remove and wrap it around your shoulders and it becomes an impromptu shawl.

A long veil is easily managed by draping it over your arm.

Are you feeling the love yet? Seriously, lovely brides, consider a veil…you don’t want to look back at your wedding photos and realize you did not look as much like a bride as you could have, but more like just a lady in a pretty white dress or a debutante!

Can you tell which of these photos shows a bride? None of them!
They are either on their way to prom or are a deb! Veils help make that distinction.


Stardust carries veils from several renowned designers, including Toni Federici, Debra Moreland, Erica Koesler and Sara Gabriel. We host trunk shows a few times each year for these lovely accessories, and often the designer herself will attend to meet and personally style brides! Our veils range in price from $150 to $1,200, depending on all of the above mentioned options. Our experienced bridal stylists are experts at helping brides pair the perfect veil with a wedding gown and are happy to educate you on all the different styles and variations veils have to offer. Make an appointment to see how a veil can finish off your bridal magic!

image sources/credits: Sil Azevedo, Vera Crosby, f8, Dorothy Gautreaux, Graham Hobart, Lavara Photography, Whitney Lee, Joseph Mark, Mikos Photography, Vim Studios, Etsy, The Knot, Onewed