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A Bit of Bridal Veil History & Lore
Here we explore some bridal veil “traditions” in the European-American culture. What we know as the bridal veil has a mysterious and ancient history….much of it wrapped in what would be considered today stories of mythology and goddess legends. But, I dare say, there is more truth to these origin myths than even our imaginations can dream!
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History: Throughout antiquity in the Western world, the dress of the bride “took second place to the accessories, most of which were loaded on her head,” according to Ann Monsarrat in And the Bride Wore: The Story of the White Wedding. Flowers and a veil were usually the main attraction for the ancient Greeks and Romans. The veil, draped over the bride’s head like a protective cocoon, was “worn until she arrived at her new home on the night of the wedding, when it was the bridegroom’s privilege to do the unveiling.” Today: Many modern brides have their escort who takes them down the aisle, usually their fathers, lift their veils so they don’t wear it over their face during the ceremony. |
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History: Hats for brides were favored in 18th century England and brides wore the style of the day: lace trimmed caps, bonnets or hats to accentuate the elaborate hairstyles. (The bridal hat made a comeback in the 1940s, many times worn with a short tulle veil.) The fashion of wearing a bridal veil returned to England in the early 19th century. “Wearing a veil over the face did not evolve again until the 1860s and 70s; and the custom of arriving at the church, veil demurely down, and leaving triumphantly bare-faced, was an even later refinement,” states English historian Ann Monsarratt. Today: The fashion of wearing veils over the face to enter the ceremony has returned for the modern bride who loves the mysterious beauty that the gossamer illusion evokes. |
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History: “Most veils in the 19th century were made of lace, usually in the most expensive lace the family could afford, and were treated with due respect, becoming family heirlooms and worn by generations of brides,” author Ann Monsarratt confirms. After Queen Victoria wore a stunning handmade lace veil for her 1840 wedding, no “self respecting” Victorian-era bride married without a lace veil! Today: Today’s brides use lace heirloom veils beautifully with imagination and style to accessorize their modern gowns. Combining the best of “old & new,” this elegant combination makes a regal portrait on the arm of their husband. |
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History: “There is a superstition that an old veil is luckier than a new one, and that luckiest of all is a borrowed veil, especially if on loan from someone who has been happily married, or from a member of the bride’s own family. But superstition is no match for fashion,” writes Ann Monsarratt, “and when crisp, fresh tulle was in vogue for wedding veils, crisp, fresh tulle is what most brides wore! In the 1950s, with the arrival of nylon, a more bouncy effect was achieved and very full, waist-length veils became popular” for several decades. Today: In the overly polished wedding style of today, it’s no surprise that the stylized full, bouffant veils are back in fashion. However, modern brides can choose styles from thousands of years of history for their “veiled beauty and mystery!” |
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