When it comes to your wedding veil, there are many things to consider when looking for the perfect compliment for your bridal look. 

There are longer veils, short birdcage veils and everything in between. In this post, we're going to focus on longer veils and their various styles and material options. We'll discuss short veils in another post later this week. In the Twigs & Honey collections, we are big fans of simpler veils. Simpler veils seem more modern and fresh. And by simpler, we mostly mean less material, pouf and bulk. In this guide, we will help you answer the question on how to choose the right veil. Throughout this guide, if you like the veil in the photo, click on it to be taken to its listing for purchasing options and additional details.

Train length

Let's start with train length. We measure the train length as the distance in inches from the comb to the back bottom edge. Our 3 most popular train lengths are fingertip (41 inch), chapel (90 inch) and cathedral (108 inch).

Here is our fingertip length veil:

 Here is an example of a Chapel length veil:

Here is our best selling Cathedral length veil:

You can see that the Cathedral length is the most dramatic.

What length should you choose?

There are several considerations. Where will the ceremony take place? If it is indoors, a longer length is definitely appropriate. If it is outside, keep in mind that a longer length like a Cathedral veil will likely snag on debris/vegetation/sticks on the ground. Also, it may get a bit frustrating if there is much of a breeze. Another question to ask yourself is what look am I going for? If you want a more dramatic, traditional look, a longer length is great! A Chapel length veil is a nice length if you want drama but not too much veil dragging behind you, which can easily be stepped on. Fingertip length veils seem more youthful and carefree. They are also great paired with shorter tea-length style dresses. If your dress is a slim A-line or column silhouette, a narrower Chapel style would compliment the shape beautifully. If you have a fuller, ballgown style, a wider Cathedral length would frame the higher drama of your skirt nicely.

Blusher or no blusher?

For the most part, it is purely up to you! Having a blusher is very traditional. We love the look of blushers as they are a way to soften one's features and give a lovely glow around the face. We like to say it photoshops the face in photos by naturally softening and illuminating.

Many brides we talk with say that the act of wearing a veil with a blusher makes them feel more like a bride than any other bridal fashion element. But our more low-key brides tend to prefer having no blusher or forgoing the veil altogether. 

What materials are available?

At Twigs & Honey, we offer veils in bridal illusion tulle, lux tulle, silk tulle, glimmer tulle and teardrop tulle. We have pre-chosen what we feel will be the best material for a particular veil style but are open to customization requests if you don't see a veil in the material you'd prefer. The main differences are as follows. Our bridal illusion tulle is 100% nylon and milled in the U.S.A. It is one of the most sheer of our tulle options with a very open weave and lightweight feel. It is soft and has a beautiful drape but it has more body than our lux or silk tulles. This means it is not quite as fluid and naturally has more volume. Our lux tulle is also 100% nylon and milled in the U.S.A. It has a much denser weave than our bridal illusion tulle and is therefore more opaque in appearance and it is softer to the touch. The material is heavier to the hand and much more drapey with a very fluid and beautiful feel. Our silk tulle is 100% silk and is milled and dyed in the U.K. It is our finest material.

One of our lovely silk tulle veils

It comes pre-starched so it has more body initially than our bridal illusion tulle, but can be softened through soaking in water with a mild detergent and/or light steaming. It is very sheer and delicate. If the starch is intact, it will have more body than our bridal illusion tulle. If the starch is removed it will be as drapey as our lux tulle. Though it is very luxurious, greater care needs to be taken as it can easily tear or snag. Additionally, if you plan to keep and pass down through the generations, you will need to store in an airtight container to prevent moths from eating the natural fibers. Our glimmer tulle is much like our bridal illusion tulle but with the addition of a slight glimmer to the sheen. Not to be mistaken with glitter, the glimmer effect is soft and subtle and adds just a touch of iridescence to the veil. Our teardrop tulle is also 100% nylon and it has the most body of all our veil material options. It is similar to our bridal illusion tulle but it is thicker, heavier and a bit stiffer. Because of this, it has the most volume. It is also embellished with clear drops throughout that give the effect of teardrops.

If there is a veil style that you'd like in a different material than what is offered through our site, please email us to inquire about the possibility of switching materials: info@twigsandhoney.com or use our contact form HERE.

Embellishments?

We embellish our veils with a few different options. One of our favorite elements are Swarovski crystals. These beautifully faceted crystals catch the light beautifully and can make your veil shimmer and sparkle. Here is one of our most favorite veil styles embellished with hundreds of hand placed Swarovski crystals:

Another embellishment we use is lace. Most of our lace veils use French lace that we import from France. Our French lace is delicately milled on 100+ year old machines and is extra special. We usually embellish the edge of the veil with lace but also have styles where the lace appears to float on the veil like this veil:

Here is a beautiful example of a veil with a lace edge:

We also create veils that mix crystals, beads, lace and hand embroidery like our Juliet embellished veil:

There are additional embellishment options like silks, silk flowers and feathers. If you don't see the embellishment you are looking for, please contact us to inquire.

One piece veil or two piece veil (or more!)?

Many of our veils are one piece veils. That is, the entire veil style is made from a single continuous cut of fabric. We utilize this style quite often because it creates such a beautiful veil style that is gorgeous in its simplicity. It appears less fussy and is more modern. We also have 2 pieces veils. Our two piece veils are cut into two separate pieces that are gathered and sewn at the comb to create more volume. Here is one of our latest 2 piece veil styles and you can see the additional lift at the crown of the head:

We also have a new style that is a fusion of both where it is a one piece veil but we've added slight gathering at the comb to create a little volume at the crown of the head:

Overall, you can achieve different looks with the number of cut pieces. With more layers, you can create even more volume and drama, but we tend to like the less voluminous styles as they are more modern and less dated. 

We also create alternatives to the traditional bridal veil styles like juliet veils, bridal caps, bandeau styles, mantilla veils, convertible styles and more!

Conclusion

Veils can be a beautiful addition to your bridal look with many options and possible combinations of material, length and style. Whether you go for a long veil with a blusher or shorter lace trimmed veil, be sure to consider your overall style, the venue and the functionality of the veil. 

If you're unsure about a style or need additional assistance or advice, be sure to email us: info@twigsandhoney.com

We encourage our brides to purchase our veil swatches to ensure the correct color/material prior to purchasing a veil.

Photos by Elizabeth Messina