The Wedding Veil – ProTips for Every Bride!

There’s just something about a veil that beautifully completes any wedding outfit. The tradition, the flowing fabric, and the intricate details all create such a romantic look and feel.

When I was getting married, I knew exactly what I wanted my veil to be, and I made it myself in the evenings when my now-husband was working. I actually had 2 veils! One was 15 feet long, and one was about 3 feet long (it was almost 20 years ago, and time has made the memory a bit foggy!).

Night after night I would lay 15 feet of tulle down my hallway and I armed myself with fabric glue, bedazzle gems, and tweezers. In the end I had glued countless embellishments around the edge of the fabric AND a big letter R since that is my husband’s first initial. Yeah, I’m a bit extra that way.

Once my huge veil was complete, I made my shorter veil that I could put on right before dinner so that I could sit down, move around, and dance easily without tripping anyone (or myself!).

I also did something extra special to make swapping veils super easy and could be done by anyone in a matter of seconds! Keep reading to find out what my top tip is!

If you’re planning to wear a veil on your wedding day, you might have a few questions about when to put it on and how long to wear it.

Here is what you need to know.

Putting Your Veil On

You may want to put your veil on once your gown is on, but it’s best to use your timeline as a guideline.

If you will be doing a first look, get someone to help you with your veil before you leave the room, not after.

If you will be traveling in a vehicle to your ceremony venue, put your veil on when you get there. This way, it won’t wrinkle, mess up your hair or rip when you’re getting out the car. When you book your cars, ask if there will be room to lay your veil out in the back while you travel.

Taking Your Veil Off

When you want to take your veil off is a personal decision. Some brides prefer to wear their veil throughout their ceremony and during some of their photos, while others prefer to take it off directly after the ceremony.

Another option is to swop the veil for a shorter blusher for the rest of the day. If you like the idea of a longer veil and a blusher, you might want to purchase a two-piece veil.

ProTip!!! When I made my veils, I cinched them at the top ends and stitched one side of white Velcro to it. I stitched the other side of Velcro to the comb my stylist would install into my hair with bobby pins, behind my tiara. When I got my hair done on the morning of my wedding, I came home with the comb in my hair ready for my veil to be attached. Before I walked down the aisle, one of my bridesmaids simply attached my long veil to the comb with the Velcro and off I went. Once we had come back from photos, my bridesmaid simply took my long veil off the comb, and attached the short one I wore for dinner and dancing. The swap took literally 5 seconds and required ZERO hair skills at all. If someone can do up Velcro shoes, they could swap my veil for me – without having to take the comb out and put it back in!

Keeping It In Place

Your veil will come with a comb, which will keep it in place throughout your ceremony. Trust your stylist on this one! They will know what it will take to hold the comb in your hair all day.

If you are doing your hair and veil yourself, use a few bobby pins that match your hair color to attach the veil to your hair too. You really only need one or two pins on either side, hidden beneath your hair.

See above for my ProTip!

Veil Assistance

If you want to remove your veil after your ceremony, get your hairstylist to help you. If he/she won’t be around, get your stylist to show one of your bridesmaids or your wedding planner how to do it correctly. You would start by removing the pins, while keeping the veil’s comb in place. The person removing your veil should place one hand under the veil on top of your hair so that the comb can be removed gently. Tilt the comb away from the head when pulling it out so that the teeth come out.

Or…use my ProTip above if you are swapping veils.

And there you have it, these are some of the general veil etiquette guidelines – don’t forget to get some beautiful veil shots. 

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