Weddingbee Blog

When it comes to veils, brides have a seemingly endless supply of options. Choosing an appropriate veil can be almost as stressful as choosing a dress, and I am no exception. Although I had a clear vision of what I thought I wanted prior to even getting engaged (and prior to even choosing my wedding dress), once I started looking at all the different options out there, I found myself doubting my original choice and considering a variety of alternatives.

Here are just a few examples of all the different types of veils available to brides:

Elbow-length veil / Image via David’s Bridal

Fingertip-length veil / Image via Bridal Xpress

Chapel veil / Image via Blissful Gifts

Cathedral veil / Image via David’s Bridal

Veil with blusher / Image via Princess Bride Tiaras

Tiered veil / Image via David’s Bridal

Birdcage veil / Image via Etsy / Available from Brenda’s Bridal Veils

Needless to say, brides are not suffering from a lack of options when it comes to veils. And there’s always the chance that a bride will simply opt out of wearing a veil at all, a choice that has become increasingly popular these days.

Those of you who are at all familiar with veils will notice one glaring absence from my list, and that is the mantilla veil, the type of veil I have been dreaming of wearing on my wedding day for more than a year now.

Image via David’s Bridal

I am in love with mantilla veils. It’s the lace that does it for me. Although I was adamant that there be no lace on my actual dress, for a long time I couldn’t imagine wearing anything other than a lace-edged veil. It’s so soft and delicate, so romantic and antiquated. I especially love when the veil is worn toward the back of the head, like on the model. If it’s worn too close to the crown, I feel like it starts to look more appropriate for a Catholic religious ceremony than a wedding.

As I said, though, my love for mantilla veils began to waver when I starting looking at other types of veils. I momentarily flirted with the idea of a birdcage veil, but I quickly decided that it looks too “1920s vintage” for me. Don’t get me wrong—it’s a great look, but it’s not exactly what I’m going for.

What really shook my confidence in choosing a mantilla veil for my own wedding, though, were pictures like these:

Image via Manolo for the Brides / Photography by Scarlett Lillian

Image via Manolo for the Brides / Photography by Misty Dawn Photography

Image via Manolo for the Brides / Photography by Raw Photo Design

I mean, aren’t all these cathedral veils absolutely stunning? These pictures simply take my breath away, and I think I want a few photos of me with my veil blowing in the wind. All of a sudden, these really long and seemingly very formal veils didn’t seem so bad. In fact, they started to look almost perfect.

If I really am truly torn, I could simply get the best of both words: a cathedral-length mantilla veil, much like this one:

Image via Etsy / Available from Rohm

But, in all honestly, I’m worried that something like this would be too heavy and bulky and busy for my taste. There’s a lot packed into this veil, and it might be too much for me.

So I think instead of trying to combine my two favorite styles into one veil, it’s better to compromise. As of right now, this fingertip-length mantilla is my front runner:

Image via Rohm / Photography by Red Shutter Studio

Image via Rohm / Photography by HRM Photography

I am absolutely in love with this veil from Rohm. I feel like it has the best of both worlds for me: the delicate and romantic lace that I’m drawn to in mantilla veils, and (some of) the length and drama that I so love in cathedral veils. This veil may actually be perfect for me. Even though it’s not quite as long as the cathedral veils I’ve been eyeing, I can definitely still get some of the windblown pictures I adore.

And the manageable size of this veil means that I won’t necessarily have to take it off for the reception, which is a huge selling point for me. I may decide that I want to remove my veil for the reception, but I don’t want to have to do so. Wearing a veil really makes me feel like a bride, and I have a hunch I’ll want to look and feel like that all night long.

As of right now, this particular veil has been sitting in my Etsy cart for several weeks. All I have to do is press “check out,” and in a few short weeks I’ll have my veil. We’ll see how long it takes me to make a final decision on my veil and actually put the order in…

What types of veils do you like? Are any of you as torn as I am about what veil you want to wear for your wedding?