Designing your own wedding veil is a fun and easy way to add a meaningful, creative touch to your wedding look. Learn what to consider for the most beautiful result and where to go to get your veil custom-made to your specifications.
Options for Custom Bridal Veils
You can buy a basic veil at any bridal shop, but designing your own lets you have a lot of fun with the options for a personalized look. Before you start shopping for a custom veil retailer, take a few minutes to think about what you'd like. Rebecca Walker, formerly of SimpleVeil.com, says brides today have a lot of options.
Veil Fullness
The fullness of your veil comes from two factors: the amount of gathering and the number of layers. If you have several layers of fabric, the veil will be more voluminous. Similarly, if you have one layer but a lot of fabric gathered into it, that leads to puffiness as well. Walker says the trend in recent years is toward more streamlined veils, but she also recommends letting your gown dictate the fullness. She says it's about the overall silhouette, as some gowns "...require a streamlined veil to elongate the look or more fullness to balance out a full skirt."
Veil Length
Veils range from short options that cover the face to longer, cathedral-length designs that trail behind you as you walk. Once you've considered the location of your wedding, this is mostly a matter of personal preference and budget. You can try on different lengths with your gown to decide what looks the best.
Bridal Veil Edging
Most custom veil sites allow you to choose from a variety of edging options. You can select no edging and just let the plain tulle stand alone, or you can have a lace border or rolled edge. You can do this will a colored thread or in white. Some brides also choose metallic thread for a little more sparkle. Walker recommends looking at your gown for inspiration. "In general, the gold and silver metallic edges work best with a gown that has the same type of embroidery work on the bodice," she says.
Veil Color
Traditional veils are white or ivory, but if you're designing it yourself, you can go with any shade you want. Consider the colors in your wedding gown or decorations as you choose, as well as which colors look best on you.
Veil Cut
Bridal veils come in a variety of different cuts, including standard, angel, mantilla, and more. This refers to how the veil is shaped and how it falls from the headpiece. You can try on different options at a bridal shop to decided which you like the best.
Embellishments for Your Veil
Veils can be simple, but you can also get custom embellishments, such as beading, lace panels, pearls, rhinestones, and appliques. Walker suggests brides coordinate the embellishments with their gowns, keeping the materials similar to match the overall theme of the dress. "You want the accents to coordinate with any accents in the gown, the headpiece, and the jewelry," she says.
Additional Things to Consider When Designing Your Veil
Once you know what you like, think about the factors that might influence the veil you choose to design. Walker recommends brides think about the following.
Your Face Shape
Just as your face shape dictates how you apply makeup or the hairstyle that looks best on you, it can also affect your choice of veil. However, Walker says most veils will look good on most face shapes with a few exceptions. Women with round faces should steer clear of really puffy, layered veils. "If you have a very round, full face, you should have a middle-of-the-road veil," she says, "one that has some lift, but not too much. A two-layer, standard fullness veil works best."
Type of Wedding
Your veil can match the type of wedding you're having, but it doesn't have to. Walker says the biggest factors to consider are practicality and the photos, especially for beach weddings and outdoor events. She says she used to recommend shorter veils for beach weddings, but that's changed. "Now, our most popular veil for a beach wedding is a single layer, chapel, or even cathedral length veil," she says. "The reason? The pictures! A veil flowing in the wind creates a very dramatic look and is quite popular."
Your Gown
The style of your gown can also influence your veil choice, but the rules aren't set in stone. You can mix a cathedral-length veil with a shorter, less formal gown or wear a short veil with a formal ballgown-style wedding dress if you like. Walker says it's less about the length and more about the headpiece and embellishments. "The headpiece should match the overall look of the gown," she says. "If you have a simple gown, then a headband or small comb or tiara would look great. If the gown is very embellished, then you would probably still keep it on the smaller size, but select one with a lot of embellishments."
Your Budget
The cost of a custom veil can vary depending on the complexity of the design, how many layers you have, the length, and edging and embellishments. If you're on a budget, you may want to keep your veil simpler. However, if you want to make a major statement, it's a good plan to allow room in your wedding budget to create your dream veil. Simple custom veils start at about $25 on sites like Etsy, and the prices go up from there.
Where to Design Your Own Veil
Most local seamstresses who do alterations on wedding gowns can also make a custom veil for you. You can find someone by asking for recommendations from your bridal shop. However, if you want to get your veil from a place that specializes in these accessories, consider the following retailers.
Classic Veils
Offering one or two-layer veils in any length, three different widths, 10 colors, and four different cuts, Classic Veils has all the options you could want. You can choose the edging and embellishments too, as well as how you would like the veil to attach to your hair or headpiece.
Cassandra Lynne
Instead of giving you custom options right away, Cassandra Lynne gives you basic veils as a starting point. You choose the one you like best and then customize the length, color, and width to suit your needs.
OBridal
OBridal offers one-of-a-kind, handmade veils. You have complete creative control over the fabric, length, color, embellishments, width, fullness, and edging. You can also choose the cut and how the veil attaches.
Veil Artistry
Another completely custom options is Veil Artistry. Here, you can work directly with a seamstress to design a veil that's exactly what you have in mind - any color, length, cut, and more. You can choose unique embellishments and edging details too.
More Meaningful
No matter where you choose to design your own wedding veil, you'll find the process provides you with a more meaningful bridal accessory. Your custom-designed veil may even become an heirloom someday.
