Veil Talk: Talking the Talk

A couple of weeks ago we started learning about veils. Consider that a primer on veil utility - or stuff you'd need to know to walk the walk while wearing a veil. Today were going to deal in aesthetics. Keep in mind, the choices brides make at this point are simply based on what they like, and the options are almost limitless.

Before we get started, please direct another tab in your browser to this site. The visuals will come in handy as we move through today's material.

The very first thing to consider is how many layers or tiers you want to wear. Most veils you'll see are two-layers: usually a long one and short one. Your knowledge about veil lengths apply here. The longest layer could easily be chapel or fingertip and the shortest (on top) is usually the blusher. Blusher = part that goes over your face. Two-layer veils are designed so that you can flip that top layer to serve as the blusher (or not). Since blushers are still wildly popular, I'll save my diatribe for another post.

Some veils even have three layers. Must be an aquired taste because that middle layer just looks silly. All others can be broadly categorized as single layers. This includes traditional tulle veils, mantilla veils and birdcage veils (albeit loosely). Single layer veils are just that. One layer of material - tulle, organza, chiffon. You name it. People makes veils out of all kinds of stuff. Tulle is the most common, the most translucent, the cheapest, and the easiest to work with. Unless you can make a serious case for using some other fabric, just go with tulle.

The most common veil is a wide piece of tulle, gathered, and stitched to a comb. Yup. That's it. And that's precisely why increasing numbers of brides are opting to make their own. Krissi has volunteered to make mine, as long as I don't want something too elaborate - lol. I just want a single layer chapel length veil.

We know birdcages a little so lets talk about something new. I didn't know about mantilla veils until I really started wedding planning. Mantillas are a special kind of veil that is made out of one piece of material, edged in lace and is usually worn at the back of the head. They don't usually have a blusher, but some brides pull their mantilla to the front to have a blusher. A similar veil, without the lace is called a drop veil. Imagine a bride just draping a piece of tulle over her head - no gathering, no comb. That's kind of what a drop veil looks like. Very sheer and barely there (cause you cannot hide under tulle - lol). A drop veil is probably the only way you'd get me in a blusher. Period.

Talking about drop veils and mantillas brings me to another thing you'll hear about - securing the veil. Veils are usually attached to a plastic or metal comb. And many stylists often secure the comb with a few bobby pins - to be safe. Technically, you dont have to attach your veil to a comb (and you can buy them that way). Just know its harder to secure it without a comb. A shaky veil isn't a good look. Personally, I feel like people are going to be pulling on mine all day - both on purpose and not.

Lets stop here for today. I have at least one more teaching moment in me because as of yet we have not talked about How Veils Accessorize. Ya'll come back now, ya hear?

♥