Next to your wedding gown, your veil is one of essential elements to complete your bridal look. Traditionally, a white veil is worn by the bride to protect her from bad spirits; today, however, it acts as a defining accessory that accentuates the wedding dress and enhances the bride’s face and body shape. There are many unique styles to choose from, but the following go best with a vintage wedding theme and are easy to create yourself.
Birdcage
The birdcage is a popular version of what is often called a “blusher”, which is a single layer of netting worn to cover the face. It is subtle, elegant and just screams vintage. Plus, it’s easy to make as well. All, you need, is your choice of netting, a hair comb, some narrow lace, and some invisible thread and needle for sewing everything together. A white veil is the traditional choice, but you could go bolder with the colour such as metallic gold or silver, beige or pink – as long as it goes with your dress.
Classic Lace
Lace always looks divine in a fingertip, chapel or cathedral length piece. The longer is, the more you will be able to show off the delicate fabric – not to mention longer lengths tend to go well with vintage dress styles. But most importantly, a lacy white veil doesn’t even need sewing if you choose your material properly. All, you need to do, is fold your tulle or lace fabric in half lengthwise, then cut an oval pattern across it. Estimate how much coverage you will need for your face by trying it on; once you know where it’s going to go, secure a comb in the tulle with pins. Remove the tulle and use a fabric glue to hold it and the comb together.
Add a Tiara
Fancier than other types mentioned so far, a lovely long white veil with a tiara definitely goes well with many vintage wedding gowns. The key to complementing the dress is finding the balance between the two in terms of design. If you have an elaborately adorned dress, going for a tiara could take the focus away – and you don’t want that. Go for a tiara if you have a simple dress, and it will elevate your vintage look to the more classical. The trick to making the tiara is having a longer comb and some ready-made silk flowers in the colours of your choice. All, you need to do, is to sew the netting or tulle into the comb, cover it with a narrow strip of lace, and then attach the flowers using fabric glue. Voila!
