Wedding I Do: Veils
Wedding attire in America is generally very traditional: the bride tends to wear a white outfit under most conditions, the groom proposes with a diamond ring that the bride wears on her ring finger, and under most circumstances, the bride wears a wedding veil in her hair.
In this week’s I Do/I Don’t wedding series, I Do Wedding Veils!
Through history, brides typically wore their hair flowing down their back as a symbol of their virginity going into their marriage. Later, veils were adapted as this symbol of virginity.
Many cultures still utilize the traditional wedding veil which covers either the hair and face or just the hair as a symbol emphasizing the brides virginity before her nuptials. Today, in Western cultures, it’s less common to find virginal brides but many women still utilize the veil due to it’s traditional symbolism and accent to the rest of the wedding attire. In this instance, the bride will wear the veil to cover only her hair, showing that the veil was lifted prior to the ceremony.
Even brides who have consummated the marriage use the veil as a symbol, too. If you choose to have your groom lift the veil at the beginning of the wedding ceremony, this is symbolism for the groom taking possession of the bride as a lover and partner—with no references to the virginal aspect seen in earlier times.
In Jewish cultures, the bride will occasionally have a maid slip the veil on while the groom is entering the ceremony and the bride will wear the veil covering her face for the duration of the ceremony to be lifted just before the end when the couple is officially married.
The wedding veil not only accents the outfit, but helps the bride accentuate the expensive do’ she’s sporting and stand out from the crowd.
There are dozens of examples of fashionable wedding veils for today’s bride. It’s typically an inexpensive addition to the bride’s wardrobe on her wedding day and one with significant historical significance. For the bride looking for a traditional ceremony, reception and attire, I think a veil is a great finishing touch to the bride’s wedding day attire!
