A long wedding veil will add a timeless elegance to your bridal look. We explore what to consider when choosing the best length for your wedding day.
Whether you’re getting married in a church or out in the outdoors, a long wedding veil can add the perfect amount of grandeur and drama to a wedding dress. A long veil is, without a doubt, the defining wedding accessory that can instantly transform a bridal look with its timeless appeal and elongated silhouette.
A ‘long’ wedding veil is a relative term. How long is long? How long is a piece of string? What’s long for one bride might barely touch the floor for another. Throw in the added complexity of the length and width of the train on your dress, your height, your heel height, your venue… It’s no wonder it can be difficult to determine the best length for you.
We’ll guide you through the key factors to consider when selecting the best long wedding veil for your special day.
1. An overview of wedding veil lengths
Is a floor length, chapel veil or cathedral veil best for you? This is where it can get a bit grey. Why? Because so much depends on the style of your dress, the fabric it is made from, your height, and any distinctive horizontal lines that are visible on the dress.
Some brides like their veil to extend beyond the length of their train so their train and dress appear longer and grander. Other brides choose to have their veils puddle on the train so that it blends into the fabric of the skirt and won’t get in the way on the dance floor. And other brides want their veil to fall exactly to where their dress train ends as a longer length might feel excessive. It’s very much a personal preference.
Floor length veil - 190cm or 75 inches
The floor length veil is your introduction to long wedding veils. As the name suggests, a floor length veil is designed to gracefully touch the floor and is ideal for sheath or fitted wedding dresses without a train. We love to suggest a floor length veil for more casual weddings or for brides who want to wear their veil all day and all night – including for the bridal waltz. Our made to order mandate means we can design your veil your way – whether you love to have it pooling a little on the ground, or not quite reaching it. It’s up to you!
Chapel veil - 230cm or 90 inches
A beautifully versatile length, we love the chapel veil for its timeless beauty. A chapel veil complements a wide range of wedding dresses, from ballroom gowns to dazzling red carpet worthy dresses. For the vertically challenged brides, we find that veils that create a little puddle on the floor elongate the silhouette which always looks incredible.
Cathedral veil - 300cm or 118 inches
If you want to make a statement, this is your go-to veil. The cathedral veil is grander than the versatile chapel veil and is best suited for cathedral and church weddings with long aisles. Some useful advice to know is that longer veils are often wider too. So bare in mind the potential proportions of your veil to your dress.
Royal cathedral veil - 400cm or 157 inches
Lastly, we have the ever glorious royal cathedral length veil. Measuring anywhere from 4 metres plus, this fabulous length looks amazing for medium to taller brides with a very long runway to walk down.
2. Matching the veil with the silhouette of your wedding dress
- A ball gown: A full ball gown will look balanced with a veil that extends beyond the length of the train. A ball gown is by its very nature a statement of grandeur so a longer veil with a classic silhouette will feel like a natural pairing. If you would like a blusher layer, we recommend it fall to your elbows to define your waistline.
- A fit and flare gown:Â A fit and flare gown starts to flare out just under the hip and a longer veil will complement this style beautifully. Whether a chapel or cathedral length veil is better for you will depend on the actual length of your train. However, a floor or waltz length veil will interrupt the flow of your silhouette as these lengths end too abruptly and will interfere with the fit and flare silhouette.
- A mermaid gown: As the name suggests, the skirt starts to flare out just above the knee, reminiscent of a mermaid. A fingertip length veil is an easy choice. However if you would like a longer veil, choose one that extends beyond the length of your actual train as it will feel like an extension of the distinctive mermaid’s tail.
- A sheath dress: A figure hugging silhouette with a train is best suited with veil that matches the length of the train or extends beyond it. A column shape is quite simple visually so a veil that falls short will be quite noticeable. We often find a veil that’s at least 15cm longer than the end of the train will be flattering.
- A floor length dress: If your dress has little to no train, a floor length or chapel length veil will suit it beautifully. Floor length doesn’t necessarily mean it should just touch the floor and match your height. A floor length veil flows better when it can create a tiny puddle on the ground, even if it’s just a 15cm longer.
3. The fabric of your dress
The fabric your wedding dress is made from is an important factor in choosing your wedding veil.
A gown made from structured satin or frothy tulle fabric will provide structure to a veil as the dress will act as a frame on which the veil will sit. We recommend veils made from bridal illusion or Italian tulle which is a lightweight and crisp tulle which will suit the nature of firmer and floatier fabrics.Â
If your dress features a flowy sheer fabric, a softer drape on the veil is an option. These veils are often made from English net. Flowy fabrics also suit bridal illusion tulle as these floatier veils add an ethereal quality to your look.
4. Consider defining details such as key horizontal lines
There are multiple horizontal lines that are visible on a dress. It could be the line that runs across your shoulders on an off-the-shoulder neckline. Or the line that’s created on a plunging back. Or there’s the line where the bodice is sewn onto the skirt at the waist on a ball gown. Or perhaps even a peplum detail. There can also be lines further down if your dress features a mermaid silhouette where the skirt starts to flare out above the knee.
The lines on a dress aren’t limited to the neckline or the silhouette of the dress. There can also be lines in the patterns of the lacework or the fabric. Think ruffles on a skirt or a dress where multiple laces are mixed and matched to create a distinctive pattern.
The importance of lines comes back to not wanting to take away from the beauty of the dress. Adding a new line with a shorter veil can interfere with how the dress flows. For example, if your dress features an oversized bow on the back, it’s best to avoid a veil that falls to the same spot.
5. Your height in proportion to your wedding veil
A veil that’s 2 metres long will look very different on a bride who is 4’9 compared to a bride who’s 6’1. This doesn’t mean a bride on the shorter side should only wear a shorter veil and that long veils aren’t an option.
Quite the opposite. A shorter bride can certainly wear a long veil so long as the veil isn’t excessively long in proportion to her silhouette. There are many shorter brides who wear wedding gowns with long trains and similarly, her veil can be just as long. The key is to ensure that the silhouette overall is balanced.
Need personalised styling advice?
There are thousands of wedding dresses out there so we understand that finding the perfect veil can be difficult. What you find on the rack in bridal boutiques may not be the right length, width or colour for your dress.Â
We work with brides worldwide to offer recommendations and styling advice. We have over 15 years experience designing and handcrafting wedding veils and bridal accessories.
Feel free to send us an email with photos of your bridal look and we’d be happy to get back to you with ideas on how your favourite veil can be customised to suit you.
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