Traditional Veiling

            Traditional veiling has four pieces to it, each with its own specific purpose and meaning. Even if you don’t think you’ll wear a veil or you want something simpler, every bride needs to see themselves in traditional veiling.

Cathedral length veil

            The first piece is the flair. It can be anything from a tiara, headband, ribbon, feather, flower, or just a simple clip. You wear this throughout the entire ceremony and reception –that way even if you take everything else off after the ceremony, you’ll still have something that sets you apart as the bride.

            The next piece is the Chapel/Cathedral length veil. This veil flows all the way down the back of the gown to the floor and is worn only during the ceremony. Depending on your train length, it will either hug the trim of your gown or flow past it, creating the illusion of a longer train. This piece holds a lot of significance in it. It traditionally symbolized the formality of the event, often times signifying royalty. Today, any bride can wear this stunning veil. It adds a grace and elegance to any style of wedding gown. Cathedral veils also depict unity. Couples often wrap it around their chairs at the head table or take pictures with it intertwining the two. Traditionally the veil is wrapped around the couple’s first child’s baby bassinet as well.

2 tier fingertip veil 

            On top of the cathedral veil the next piece is placed – the fingertip/shoulder length veil. As you might have guessed from the name, this piece ranges in length from anywhere between your fingertips and top of your shoulders. This is the most traditional veil seen on most brides. It not only ranges in length but also in style. Some are covered in sparkle, some are lined with pearls, some cascade with ribbon, and others retain a simple elegance with no added accessories. They can have anywhere from one tier to three tiers, making a large variation with “poof”.

1 tier fingertip veil

            Fingertip/shoulder length veils are traditionally what you would pass down from generation to generation. You wear it during the ceremony and then depending on your style and preference, some brides wear it for the rest of the time and others take it off before the reception.

Blusher

            The last piece is the most significant to many brides – the blusher. It has no beading, no edging, no sparkle of any kind. This is because its significance lies in its symbolism. It is placed on top of the other two veils and is brought over the bride’s face as she walks down the aisle. Once she reaches the end of the aisle, dad lifts it up over her face and it disappears into the rest of her veiling. This is that last moment you have with your father. His lifting the veil up over your face is a picture of him unwrapping you like a present for you groom and presenting you to him. Traditionally it symbolizes dad passing his authority over his daughter over to the groom.

Traditional Veiling

 Those are the four piece of traditional veiling. It may seem like a lot at first, and to some brides it is too much, but you never know until you try it! Each bride is unique in what she likes so take away any elements you don’t like and see what you’ll be left with is just your style.

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