Chapel Veil vs Cathedral Veil vs Short Veil: What’s Best For You?
Veil length is a much disputed topic in the wedding industry! It can be tricky to cut through the noise of what friends and family have done, what the bridal shop suggests and what you’re seeing all the celebs currently wearing. Hopefully this blog will give you some questions to ask yourself and some answers to others!
Height
The first thing I’d suggest you consider is your height. What is fingertip length on someone five foot nine will not be fingertip length on someone five foot one. That doesnt mean fingertip length wont work for you, but it does mean you might find it more helpful to look at the lengths in centimeters (cm) rather than the traditional name. We can make any veil to a specific length so if that floor length veil isnt sitting at the floor how you want it to we can always do something to fit you. Traditionally speaking if you were to go for a longer veil we suggest anywhere between 30-50cm over the train of your dress.
Venue
Next I would look at your venue. Are you walking down the aisle in a small village church where the aisle isnt more than ten meters long? Is it a grand hotel where the aisle is very wide? Are you walking down the aisle in a cathedral where the aisle goes on and on and on? For each of these venues I would look at the space you have to work with and think about the impact you want to make as well as the practicality. I *know* practicality is not what you want to be thinking about when planning your dream gliding walk down the aisle but, to keep that walk everything you’ve ever hoped for we must plan ahead. If you have a shorter, narrower aisle then an extra wide cathedral length might not be the best fit for you. If you still want to make an impact then a church length could really come into its own here. Giving you the train and drama to finish off your look but not get stuck on corners and ends of seats. You could also utalise the smaller space to really draw the eye in and up on you. Here a shorter veil, fingertip or even elbow, could really pull focus and let the dress do the talking.
Style
This brings us to the next thing to consider because you might have a short and narrow aisle but still be pining for the extra wide extra long veils in this world. Your personal style really is the most important thing. If you want your Kourtney Kardashian moment you should have your Kourtney Kardashian moment! This is the trickiest part of the process as it calls on you to put your fingers in your ears and tune out the masses, tune into your own style and vision. Places like pinterest can be really helpful to compile an array of styles together. Often times you’ll make your board full of things you like and not realise until reviewing your choices later that all the veils in the images are the same length! The style of the veil may also impact how you feel about the length. For example if it has lace motif detailing around the train, like our Amara veil, then you may opt for cathedral length to really give the lace a platform to talk (although I will say we had a bride wear the Amara in fingertip and it truly stunning at that length too!). Or you might be looking to spice up a more simple dress using the higher up detail of a shorter lace edged veil, like the Ophelia in a ballet or fingertip length.
Comfort
Last to consider is comfort. Will you be wearing your veil all day or just for your ceremony? Are you having two? If you plan to wear your veil all day then a short veil might be for you. Personally I love a short veil, I think they’re very underrated and give great character as well as being elegant and classic depending on the style you choose. If you’re only wearing your veil for ceremonies and pictures then the choice is yours. To get those epic wind shots you might need church to cathedral length but if your heart isn't set on that then the shorter veil might give you some more Wes Anderson modern vibes.
When you have figured out what sort of length you want we’d recommend you measure from where you will wear the comb on your head to where you would like the veil to end. If its a standard length or near a standard length (122cm, 150cm, 200cm, 250cm, 300cm) then great! If not then drop us an email and we can whip up something spot on just for you.
