To Veil or Not to Veil: A Wedding Veil Style Guide

Almost every bride is asked at least once if they plan to wear a veil. As a traditional bridal headpiece, a wedding veil is often the first type of headpiece we picture for brides. The epitome of elegance and grace, wedding veils offer the perfect finishing touch to a bridal ensemble. Do you have to wear a wedding veil? Certainly not! But whether it’s always been a part of your wedding day vision or you’re considering a veil as one of your stylish options, it’s worth noting that there are so many different lengths and designs available, so it’s easy to find a wedding veil that suits you, your dream wedding dress, and your bridal theme.

Wedding Veil Lengths

Did you know that many shorter veil lengths were named for where they fall on the body (shoulder length, fingertip length), while longer veils were typically named for the special ceremony venues where they were most often worn (chapel length, cathedral length)? There are other unique names for popular wedding veil lengths too, but it is fascinating to consider the origins! Below you can learn more about the most common short, medium-length, and long wedding veils to consider when shopping for your preferred headpiece.

Short Wedding Veils

Whether you’re a petite bride trying to make sure your figure won’t be overwhelmed by lots of fabric or you’re looking for a streamlined, simple option, short wedding veils offer gorgeous style without a whole lot of fuss or weight. Here are a few designs to consider:

• Birdcage Veils: (About 4 to 9 inches) Also known as a bandeau veil, this style covers part of the face and is often made with fabric that has a wide netting (to create the “cage” effect). A smaller birdcage veil will go over the eyes only, while longer ones stop at the nose or the chin. With vintage flair that hails back to the bridal styles of the 40s and 50s, this veil is a favorite for retro wedding themes, as well as destination weddings since birdcage veils are small and easy to pack.
• Shoulder-Length Veils: (About 20 to 22 inches) Also known as a flyaway veil or mini veil, this style keeps your dress front and center, especially if your gown has beautiful embellishments along the neckline or back that you want to show off. A shoulder-length veil can still look traditional, especially if it’s two-tiered, or it can have a flirty, modern edge when worn as a hair accessory clipped in high and falling gently around your face.
• Blusher Veils: (About 30 inches) Falling over the face down to the bustline, a blusher veil is meant to cover the “blushing” bride’s face until the veil gets pulled back during the ceremony, usually by the bride’s father as he “gives her away.” This tradition gives the groom the iconic first look at the bride. Sometimes the blusher veil is actually the front part of a two-tier wedding veil, and the back part can be the same length or longer. Considered the most formal of the short wedding veil options, the blusher veil is a favorite for brides with traditional ceremonies in a church or another house of worship.

Medium-Length Wedding Veils

Perfect for both semi-formal and formal weddings, medium-length veils combine a lot of the perks of both short and long bridal veils. When you love the look of classic veils but worry about snags or tripping, the versatile wedding veils below are the way to go.

• Elbow-Length Veils: (About 32 inches) Beautifully covering your head and shoulders, this style stops near your elbows, keeping your skirt (and train, if you have one) on full display. Because this wedding veil length generally ends near the waistline, it pairs quite well with a variety of gown styles and silhouettes.
• Fingertip Veils: (About 38 to 40 inches) Flowing down to the tips of your fingers, this wedding veil is a popular pairing for a-line and ball gown wedding dresses with voluminous skirts. But don’t overlook the fingertip veil if you’re considering a more fitted bridal dress style, especially since a fingertip veil usually ends just where the skirt of a trumpet or mermaid wedding dress is about to flair out. Shop Avery Austin’s fingertip wedding veils to find your favorite design.
• Knee-Length Veils: (About 48 inches) Stopping near the back of your knees, this veil offers the perfect balance between coverage and movement. And just imagine how great it will look and feel at an outdoor wedding with a gentle breeze that moves the wedding veil around you as you walk down the aisle and pose for pictures. Hoping for some of those adorable “under the veil” photos with your groom? While you might be able to pull it off with a fingertip veil, the knee-length veil makes it even easier to arrange this photo op!
• Waltz Veils: (About 60 inches) Also known as a ballet veil, this style is perfect for brides who wish to have a longer veil but still want to enjoy wearing it during the reception. The length is meant to fall to about mid-calf so you can easily dance (thus the name!) or mingle with your guests. If you want to create a “flying veil” photo (when the veil looks like it’s flying off in the wind behind you as you kiss your groom), a waltz veil (or longer) made from a lightweight, unembellished fabric is best for creating this visual effect. Check out Avery Austin’s waltz wedding veils to find one that suits you!

Long Wedding Veils

Whether you long for an iconic wedding moment with a lengthy veil trailing behind you or you crave a dramatic design for your ceremony and photographs, long wedding veils offer one of the most memorable bridal looks. Get ready to turn heads when you choose one of the wedding veil lengths below.

• Floor-Length Veils: (About 72 inches) Depending on your height, this veil should end above the floor. Of all the long wedding veils, this style is the least likely to get stepped on, dirty, or become a tripping hazard, so you can get all the perks of a dramatic veil without many of the common risks.
• Chapel Veils: (About 90 inches) A favorite for brides who want the look of a stunning train without the extra weight or need for bustling, this style is eye-catching as it trails slightly behind you for the walk down the aisle. Of course, if you’re already wearing a bridal gown with a chapel train, what a classic pairing they would make!
• Cathedral Veils: (About 108 to 120 inches) Offering a breathtaking formal look, this style extends well beyond the train of your dress and gives your ceremony entrance a regal, majestic air. Usually trailing behind you by two to four feet (depending on your height), the visual effect of the cathedral veil makes it a bridal favorite. But keep in mind, this captivating style is a bit high-maintenance. To keep it from getting snagged, stepped on, or otherwise dirty, you’ll need to have someone (a bridesmaid, family member, or friend) available to help you arrange it, lift it, carry it, or drape it over your arm, especially if you plan to wear it for your reception too. Alternatively, you can plan to remove it or swap it out for a shorter veil for your reception once all the photos have been taken. If this wedding veil style is the one you want, be sure to check out Avery Austin’s collection of cathedral wedding veils.
• Royal Veils: (Over 120 inches) Typically reserved for celebrities and monarchs, royal veils can trail behind you for 20 feet or more! Certainly the most dramatic length, the royal veil is similar to the cathedral veil in that it is perfect for stunning photography effects and a long aisle walk for the ceremony, but it isn’t very practical for a reception. The longer the royal veil, the heavier it will be, especially when paired with a bridal gown that has a long train to balance out the look. You’ll want to make sure you have plenty of space at your ceremony venue for maneuvering and displaying this showstopper, and you need to be able to easily remove or replace the royal veil with another headpiece or accessory before arriving at your reception.

Unique Wedding Veils

Now that you’re familiar with the wedding veil lengths available to you, it’s time to explore some unique veil designs that come in a variety of lengths. Whether you’ve seen these styles before or you’re about to learn something new, there’s no denying the appeal of each wedding veil for different types of celebrations.

• Drop Wedding Veil: This circular veil looks as though it has been “dropped” on the bride’s head and covers her whole head and upper body. Unlike most veils, the drop wedding veil does not have a fastening spot near the hairline, so there’s no cinched, ruched, or layered volume, only a streamlined, sleek look that’s both classy and timeless. If you prefer to have it secured in some way, consider pairing the drop veil with a sparkling tiara or sweet floral headband, depending upon your bridal theme.
• Mantilla Wedding Veil: Secured a few inches back from the hairline, this Spanish-style veil is a large, circular piece of tulle. Usually trimmed by scalloped lace, the mantilla veil is perfect for romantic, bohemian, and rustic weddings.
• Waterfall Veil: With multiple tiers in back that seem to cascade down its length, a waterfall veil is a work of art. Imagine each tier hemmed with intricate lace or sparkling appliques…simply breathtaking!
• Juliet Wedding Veil: A boho bridal favorite, the Juliet veil contours against the curve of your head and is secured just above each ear, forming a “cap.” Offering a vintage look (since it was most popular in the 1920s), this veil is usually made from tulle and can be embellished with lace trim or decorative beadwork and appliques.

How to Choose a Wedding Veil

If you’ve made it this far through Avery Austin’s bridal veil guide and you’ve decided that a veil is the right choice for you, it’s time to figure out how to choose the right wedding veil! Deciding on the wedding veil style and length is all about keeping your venue, theme, and dress in mind. Check out the tips below and keep them in mind before making your final selection.

• Consider the Venue: Will you be having a beach wedding? In that case, you may wish to opt for a shorter veil to avoid catching sand as you walk or losing control of your veil in a gusty seaside breeze. Of course, if you plan to walk down the aisle of an ornate church, you may wish to go for a chapel or cathedral veil for your ceremony to match the ambience. Will you be traveling with your gown and veil? In that case, you’ll want to make sure that the wedding veil length and style you choose can be packed safely and travel well for a destination wedding.
• Consider the Effect of Veil Length and Style on Your Dress: A smaller wedding veil is perfect when you want to keep your dress on full display or highlight the shape of your dress style. On the other hand, in the case of a fancy birdcage veil, it can pull your guests’ eyes upward toward your face even though it is a short wedding veil style. A simple wedding dress can be beautifully enhanced with a softly embellished veil, while an intricately designed bridal gown might benefit from a plain veil that won’t visually compete with the dress details. A longer veil can provide sheer coverage for a backless wedding gown, which is helpful if you plan to have your ceremony in a conservative setting. Longer veils can also provide a little extra volume and graceful movement to your look. Thinking through how the wedding veil length and style can impact the overall look of your bridal gown can help you narrow your options.
• Try on the Veil and Wedding Dress Together in Advance: Now that you’ve thought through the effect your veil can have on your dress in the previous step, it’s time to see if your mental image of the pair matches up to how they look together in reality…preferably well in advance so you can make changes if you don’t like the combination after you see it! Trying the bridal gown and wedding veil on together reveals just how well the styles suit each other, how your silhouette changes with the addition or removal of the veil, and how closely the colors match up (more on that in the next point).
• Try to Match the Color: If your dress is white, go for a white veil. If you’ve chosen an off-white ivory dress, then that’s the way to go for your wedding veil too. Keep in mind that most photographers recommend ivory or other off-white hues for both gown and veil, especially for an outdoor wedding. This is because when white is photographed outside, it often reflects the blue from the sky (and it can be rather difficult for a photographer to edit out the “blue” hue that appears in the photographs). 
• Explore Veils Designed to Match Your Dress: Did you know that some designers specifically create wedding veil styles and lengths that match their dresses? This certainly takes out a lot of the footwork a bride usually has to do to find the perfect veil! Many of Avery Austin’s bridal gowns feature coordinating wedding veils. Shop the Avery Austin wedding veils to discover the veils named after the dresses they were made for, then you won’t need to worry about coordinating colors and styles.

You can elevate or complement the look of your bridal gown with just the right wedding veil, so take your time in deciding whether or not a wedding veil is the right choice for you, and certainly don’t rush the process of selecting a wedding veil style and length! From creating memorable bridal photos to wowing the crowd as you walk down the aisle, a wedding veil can make a huge difference on your big day.