How To Choose The Perfect Length Wedding Veil For Your Gown
Planning a wedding involves a multitude of decisions, from choosing the perfect venue to selecting the ideal dress. One accessory that plays a significant role in completing your bridal look and one that we are particularly in love with at Natasha Nicole Studio, is the wedding veil!
The right veil can enhance your gown and create a delicate and memorable bridal look. However, with various lengths and styles available, selecting the perfect veil can be overwhelming. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you choose the correct length wedding veil for your wedding gown.
Image by Meg Mari Photography featuring Natasha Nicole Studio Embroidered Floral Wedding Veil
Understand Different Veil Lengths
Before making a decision, it’s essential to familiarise yourself with the different veil lengths available. Here’s a quick look at the different options and the style they convey:
Birdcage Veil: This short veil covers just the top half of your face, often ending at the chin or just below. It's perfect for a vintage or retro look. Additional tiny embroidered details are perfect for veils like this as the detail can be seen in all your wedding photos.
Shoulder-Length Veil: As the name suggests, this veil ends at your shoulders! It’s a chic and modern choice that works well with a more minimal or short dress. This length is also the perfect veil length for a city elopement, where you may not want a longer length veil trailing behind you.
Elbow-Length Veil: This veil reaches your elbows and complements most dress styles, especially A-line and ball gowns.
Fingertip Veil: This veil extends to your fingertips when your arms are at your sides. This is a very popular option as it’s so versatile and that suits many different gown styles, from fitted to flowy.
Knee-Length Veil: Ending at or just below the knees, this veil offers a bit more coverage and drama without being too overwhelming and is easy to manage.
Waltz Veil: Also known as ballet-length, this veil falls between the knee and the ankle. It’s elegant and perfect for brides who want a longer veil without the hassle of a floor-length option. This is one of our favourite lengths as it looks wonderfully romantic whilst still being easy and light to wear.
Floor-Length Veil: This veil just grazes the floor and is ideal for brides who want a seamless extension of their dress or for the veil to finish where their floor length dress finishes. It’s also a great choice to pair with a short wedding dress as the balance between long and short can look very dramatic and stylish.
Chapel Veil: Extending slightly beyond the length of the gown, this veil is the traditional ‘long length’ and looks ideal for formal settings. It is the most popular longer length veil and feels whimsical and romantic without too much fabric.
Cathedral Veil: The longest veil, often extending several feet beyond the dress or complementing a particularly long gown train. This length is ideal for a grand, statement veil and is perfect if you are considering lots of embroidery or a lace design that really stands out.
For bespoke veils at custom lengths consider exploring the Bespoke Collection, or send the studio a message to discuss what length would perfectly suit your dress.
Consider Your Gown’s Style and Length
Your wedding gown’s style and length play a crucial role in determining the appropriate veil length. Here are some of the things we think about at the studio when designing your veil.
Simple and Sleek Gowns: If your dress is simple and sleek, consider a more elaborate veil, like a cathedral or chapel length, to add drama and elegance. You can really enhance a simple gown with delicate hand embroidery such as interlocking hearts with initials or make a statement with a large floral or celestial design.
Ornate and Detailed Gowns: For gowns with intricate details or embellishments, opt for a simpler veil, such as fingertip or elbow length, to avoid overshadowing or competing with your dress. A floral design could be a perfect match; see the Floral Wedding Veil for inspiration.
Short or Tea-Length Gowns: For shorter dresses, birdcage, shoulder-length, or elbow-length veils work best, as they complement the dress and balance with the length very well.
Long Gowns: Long dresses pair beautifully with matching veils such as floor-length, chapel, or cathedral veils. Your bridal boutique or wedding veil designer will know the precise length that would match your gown perfectly. Ideally your long veil should finish where your dress ends or longer.
For more inpsiration, visit the Wedding Veil Shop to explore a variety of lengths and styles or Natasha Nicole Studio Instagram for ways to incorporate subtle embroidery details to elevate your bridal look.
Think About Your Wedding Venue and Theme
The venue and theme of your wedding can also influence your veil choice!
Formal and Traditional Venues: For grand, traditional venues like churches, cathedrals or stately homes, longer veils such as chapel or cathedral lengths are fitting and balance well with the venue. Consider reflecting the style of the venue into your wedding veil, using colours or flowers from the season you’re getting married in.
Outdoor or City Venues: For city or garden weddings, shorter veils such as shoulder-length, or elbow-length are more practical and comfortable, especially if you want to focus on dancing or not catching your wedding veil. However, longer wedding veils can also pair beautifully, depending on how open the space is. A beach or large garden might be the perfect place to showcase a large gown and veil.
Vintage or Themed Weddings: If you’re having a themed wedding, consider bringing in some of those motifs into your wedding veil! Anything can be embroidered into your veil to create memories and to tie together your unique bridal vision.
Personal Comfort and Practicality
While aesthetics are important, your comfort is paramount! Consider how the veil feels and moves. If you’re planning on dancing the night away, a shorter veil might be more practical. Alternatively, you can opt for a detachable veil that you can remove after the ceremony or even replace with a bow or different hair accessory.
Try On Different Veils with Your Dress
Finally, the best way to choose the perfect veil length is to try on different options with your wedding gown. This will give you a clear idea of how each veil complements your dress and helps you visualize your overall look. Take photos and see how they look in different lighting and angles. This is great to do even if you choose to work with a bespoke wedding veil designer such as Natasha Nicole Studio. Though we can expertly guide you on the best veil choice, it is wonderful to have your own experiences to help you choose the perfect veil.
Choosing the correct length wedding veil for your gown is a personal decision that can be guided by many factors! By considering your gown’s style, your wedding venue and theme, your hairstyle, and your comfort, you can select a veil that enhances your bridal look and makes you feel stunning on your special day. The right veil is the one that makes you feel like exactly how you’ve dreamed of and carries with it significant sentiment that you can treasure forever.
Above - Amy Elizabeth Photography - Gallery Images - Anne Letournel Photography and Toria Frances Photography
want to talk veils?
Contact the studio to create your own bespoke wedding veil with us! From minimal to colourful, delicate to daring, we create pieces that are one-of-a-kind and unique to you. Dreamed, drawn and handmade in the UK using couture techniques.
