Wedding Veils

They say its bad luck for groom to see his bride in her wedding dress before the ceremony. In older times, the groom rarely got to see his future wife before the wedding day. Even during the ceremony the bride is concealed in a veil- a symbolic way to tantalize the groom by preventing him a glimpse of his beautiful bride, perhaps!

Historically, wedding veils have been in use since centuries in many cultures; in some it was used as a means of protection for the bride from evil spirits, while in others it was a way for the bride to convey her modesty and chastity. Either way, the veil has remained an inherent part of weddings in present times too.

While a veil may no longer be perceived to protect a modern day bride from demons, it sure does make a fashionable wedding attire accessory. Along with a gorgeous wedding dress, a wedding veil lends a look of grace; a partially hidden face of bride, seen blushing on her wedding day makes for a pretty picture.

Looking for a Wedding Veil

The veils used in weddings these days are made in a way to obscure a bride's face rather than concealing it completely like in the older times. The most critical aspect when looking for a wedding veil is its length. There are three categories of veils that brides can opt for:

• Short- A short veil ends somewhere midway between the bride's shoulders and waist. This kind works well with a wedding dress that has a lot of detailing on the waist of the dress as it helps accentuates the design.
• Medium- A medium length veil extends till the bride's elbows and is the most popular length.
• Long- A veil of this type falls till the bride's hip, and when holding a bouquet, will touch her fingertips. A long veil looks elegant with gowns having a long trail.

Apart from these basic lengths, another parameter one needs to be careful about is the style of the veil. A veil is an elegant accessory that serves the purpose of enhancing the wedding dress and elegant hairdo. Both the length of veil and its design should be such that it complements the overall intended look.

Lifting the Veil

Once a veil is chosen, a bride might find it disappointing to think that so much effort in picking a veil will end within a short time of wearing it once the groom lifts the veil off her face! But take heart, it shall only bring out the radiant face of the newly wed bride.

Lifting of veil is a ceremony in itself which needs to carried out with elegance. A groom lifting the veil from the bride's face is symbolic of him committing to assist her in every aspect of her life. It must be carried out slowly to impart elegance to the event and some practise beforehand might come handy.