A History of Veils
The wearing of the veils is one of the oldest bridal traditions in the book. The bridal veil has a history that dates back as far as love runs deep. The veils has always been so strongly associated with the wedding dress that the majority of brides say would never walk down the aisle without one.
In the earliest of times, historians could trace back the veil to Roman Empire. Brides wore a traditional special cloth around their face. They were meant to frighten away any evil spirits who might kidnap the bride before the big day. In a biblical sense, the veil was used to trick Jacob into marrying plain Leah instead of her sister, Rachel. With time, the veil came to mean the assurance of the husband to his family of the bride’s virtue and purity. When the veil was lifted, this signified that the groom was taking possession of his wife when first seeing her face. This was also known as revealing the bride to the groom’s family.
Now, the veil has become smaller, sometimes only covering the eyes. Veils have lost some of the meaning that came with them as a lot of brides see them as nothing more than an accessory. The veil size often shows the formality of the ceremony. The longer the veil, the more formal the wedding. The longest veil in history was worn by television personality, Star Jones, in 2004. Her veil measured a whopping twenty-seven feet long.
Common veil styles include: blusher – one layer of tulle that is pulled forward over the face during the early part of the ceremony. The tier veil, which has many layers of tulle. The circular-cut veil, which has a two-tiered veil that is attached to the head by a comb near the center of a circle of tulle. The diamond-cut veil has netted fabric used to create most veils, but has different weights and comes in different stiffness and drapes. The Russian netting veil is made with wide-spaced netting used for birdcage veils and vintage hats.
If you’re in Cincinnati and are looking for the perfect veil for you big day, try Sew Much custom gowns and veils.
www.sewmuch.net Phone: 513-376-9638