Veil Shapes and Cuts

Are you going for a sleek, elegant look or a veil with more character and height? The number of tiers, length, shape and cut, and how the veil gathers at your head all combine to create the final look. With several options for each, there are literally thousands of possible veil combinations from which to choose.

Center-Gathered Tier Wedding Veils

Jessica Tier Veil>>	Amore Tier Veil>>

A center-gathered veil is relatively flat because there is little gathering at the comb or headpiece. It is usually cut from a circular piece of fabric that is folded over so the two halves create a tier veil. The fold creates each veil side, with the edges at the bottom of the veil. Some brides fold the top tier forward to create a blusher.

You can wear this veil behind or on top of the head, depending on the look you want to create. In the pictures above, one bride wears her Amore veil near the crown so it frames her head. The other attaches her tier veil in the back, beneath a bun. This also changes how long the veils look. Although the veil on the left looks six or eight inches longer than the one on the right, it measures only four inches more.

Standard Cut Top-Gathered Veils

Flare Cut Veil>> (fuller at bottom)

The standard-cut veil has a traditional look and feel. Its popularity stems from its versatility. This veil works at any length, is often tiered, and can handle most edgings and embellishments with style. It is cut rounded, like a half-circle (similar to the end of an oval table top) or "U." This shape, along with where the headpiece attaches to the fabric, allows the veil's edges to fall around your face (instead of at the bottom, as with a center-gathered veil). It can be worn on top or at the back of the head. When tiered, the top layer works well as a blusher. If the veil is waltz, cathedral, or chapel length, the longest layer can be made detachable for removal after the ceremony.  

Flare Cut Veils

There are several variations of the standard veil, each designed to create a unique effect by cutting or gathering the material differently. Some are narrower at the top and flare out. Others are cut narrower at the bottom and flare in.

• Fountain veils are "A"-shaped veils, widening as they fall around the bride. Elbow and shoulder length veils are lovely in a fountain shape.
• The teardrop veil also flares out -- starting narrow at the headpiece. The oval cut at top and bottom form the teardrop appearance. The teardrop veil is stunning in cathedral length.
• Angel-cut veils start wide, framing the face, and taper to a point as they cascade around the bride. If you choose to wear this type of veil, make sure it is edged so guests can see its beautiful cut. The "angel wing effect" is best seen in shoulder through fingertip lengths. Longer-cut angel veils, however, are distinctive as well, with the sides softly falling around you.
• Cascading veils are another variation on the standard cut. The "U" cut is angled so the sides cascade around the bride. It is similar to the angel-cut veil in that the sides form cascading folds, but the flare's angle is less severe, making the bottom wider and more rounded.

The Pouf (or Bouffant)

A pouf or bouffant creates the ultimate "gather" veil. It is worn in informal or semi-formal weddings to add character to the hairstyle and headpiece. The pouf is a piece of gathered material (netting, tulle, bridal illusion, etc.) at the veil's crown or attached to the headpiece. It is usually about three inches high, but can be as large as six or eight inches.

The effect varies depending on the pouf's width and where you attach it: Low -- to the back of your head -- to create a halo effect. High -- to a headband, for example -- for a more crown-like effect. 

Drop Veil

If you are a "zero pouf" kind of bride, a drop veil may be exactly the look for you. Conceptually, it is easiest of all to imagine. The veil is simply a piece of sheer fabric, usually oval or round, draped over the head. There are no gathers at all, and it is usually held with a pin. The two halves fall around your head, with the front half forming a blusher.

Petal Veil

While the specifics of this veil type vary with each designer, it is generally made from three or more oblong oval pieces attached across the back of a headpiece. The veil hangs down to form "petals" around the bride's head or across your back. Petal veils come in shoulder through cathedral lengths, each creating a very different look.

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