The veil of yesterday

The bridal veil has undergone many changes in connotation and today it sis no longer symbolic, it certainly forms an intrinsic part of the wedding attire. The strong connection between a wedding and the wedding veil stems from the fact that the very word “nuptial” draws its origin from “nubo” which stands for “I veil myself”. The interpretations kept changing over the years and unlike earlier when veils used to be worn to ward off evil spirits today it is viewed more as an accessory to accentuate the bride’s look on the big day. Reasons for covering the bride’s face with a veil has been different for different cultures.

The Roman bride for instance wore the Flammeum which had a flame-like color and stood for the intention to stay married for eternity.Most European countries believed that on the day of her wedding the woman may draw evil spirits and the veil was worn to protect her purity and humility. Similarily, the Chinese bride kept her flowing tresses behind to symbolize her virginity. Earlier in European countries, the marriage was a bargain between the father of the bride and the groom and the veil could be lifted only once the ceremony was over. A cloth was also used to cover both the man and his wife as it was reminiscent of the age-old tradition of the man throwing a blanket over the woman he wished to wed. Even in Biblical customs, the veil comes across as a bride’s symbol of purity, modesty and the desire to retain her individuality just like Rebekah who wore a veil before surrendering to her betrothed Isaac.The custom of placing a veil by the groom over the face of his wife during a wedding ceremony is typical of Jewish weddings and stands for commitment. In the more recent Western marriages, only the first time virgin brides were allowed to put on veils since it stood for innocence and purity.

Today the historical bridal veil is more of a style statement and is often more difficult to pick up than the bridal gown itself! It stands for a happy occasion, a time to rejoice and works as the crowning glory to the bride’s attire. In the twenties, the wedding headdress comprised of flowers and lace on silk cloth with velvet leaves to match the bride’s waist corsage. The thirties saw the veil being left loose to flatter the long fitting gowns. The following decade witnessed a more extravagant kind of veil adorned with wax blossom flowersand half-crown headpieces. In the fifties, skull headpieces of satin with circular veils came about as long as 27 inches. The sixties look was more akin to what the veil presently looks like teamed with real flowers worn in the hair and drawing inspiration from many movies that released during this time. Since the seventies, the bride’s personal tastes and preferences have come into play when designing veils with big pearls and bead designs that soon made way for fancy tiaras.