Vintage-Inspired Cathedral Wedding Veils

A cathedral wedding veil is all about the length. Coming at no less than 9ft long, you will find (or can custom-make) vintage-inspired cathedral veils that come as long as 12ft. but the beauty of the veil is having a long aisle to walk down. There is not much point it wearing veils that long if you are getting married in a small chapel with a short aisle.

If you desire a regal stately look on your wedding day, the Cathedral styled veil is for you. It is a ‘super-size’ vintage-inspired headpiece that makes a bold statement and portrays a wedding that’s not only stylish but elegantly formal as well. They are great for a black-tie wedding at a dramatic venue.

This long sweeping wedding veil that drapes naturally to the ground and trails behind you comes in single, double, or triple layers look beautiful when worn on trumpet-style wedding dresses, ball-style gowns, mermaid gowns, and A-line bridal dresses.

They look absolutely wonderful in the dim light of many traditional churches and cathedrals and ‘come to life’ as the bride walks out into the sunlight under the flash of paparazzi lights.

A vintage-inspired cathedral bridal veil can be worn either on the crown of the head, attached to the hair with heavy combs or hair clips or at the back of the head with a tiara. The tiara will give it an elegant and royal touch.

Vintage-Inspired Edwardian Tops for Plus-Size Women

There is something simple yet romantic about Edwardian tops inspired by the fashion of the first decade of the 20th century. The blouses featured lightweight fabric with large puffy shoulders, frilly details puffed bodice, and bell sleeves. Great styles for plus size women with a curvy silhouette.

Majorly made from delicate lace or chiffon with intricate embroidery, these stylish vintage-inspired Edwardian tops were made famous by the Gibson Girl image, the epitome of the womanly model of physical attractiveness “as portrayed by the pen-and-ink illustrations of artist Charles Dana Gibson”.

During the Edwardian era (1901 to1910), women's fashion took on a stylish opulence with a bit of overindulgence, a trend that was inspired by the pleasure-seeking lifestyle of King Edward VII. It was an era of beautiful clothes and the peak of luxury living for the elites rich and the privileged few.

For fashionable plus size women, these stylish Edwardian tops are vintage chic at its best! Soft, sexy, and cropped blouses, lace camisoles, and puff-sleeve tops, they can all be paired with under-bust corsets and a pair of jeans, worn as is with your exposed midriff, or worn with bustle skirts for that dramatic and irresistible vintage-inspired look that's body-flattering for plus size women.

Vintage Style Wedding Shoes (Bridal Footwear)

It is not an easy feat finding authentic vintage style wedding shoes for your vintage-inspired bridal dress. And if you do find one, which is near impossible, they’ll probably be the wrong size, and discoloured with age.

For that flapper style twenties wedding dress, how about finding the right kind of shoes to go with it? For the Gatsby themed wedding party, for instance, there will be a lot of dancing so, what best to wear than a pair of beautiful bridal shoes that’s great for the swinging dances of the roaring twenties.

Satin and lace vintage-inspired white bridal shoe
 (from Shoespie).

Rounded and closed toe, this pair of satin and lace bridal shoes is the perfect match for vintage 20s wedding dress designs.

A simple, streamlined and elegant Mary Jane style shoe, it comes with a satin ribbon tie, a striking detail that gives it a classic chic touch.

Its medium heels with a slight front rise of 1cm make it one of the most comfortable wedding shoes for any bride that not only demands style but knows that style without comfort can turn to an agonising experience on her important day.

For any bride who is practically on her feet for hours, meaning walking down the aisle, taking photographs, moving round greeting guests at the reception, dancing at the wedding party, etc... You can’t ask for a more comfortable pair of bridal shoes.

Though they are basically wedding shoes, these vintage style wedding footwear can also be worn as bridesmaids and maids-of-honour shoes, prom shoes, and special occasion shoes, and come in white, gold, and ivory colours to match most colours of classic wedding dresses.

Further Reading:
Types and Styles of Bridal Headpieces 
Bridal Veils for Older Brides

Wedding Veil Designs – Types and Styles of Bridal Headpieces

For brides-to-be, finding perfect wedding veil designs that complement their dresses demands a little bit of patience and research.

So, what veil length is best suited for a short wedding dress? For an informal wedding, should the bride wear a veil with lace applique or just a simple blusher bridal veil? And what are the different styles and lengths of wedding veils available?

Beautiful wedding veil design - 1 tier Cathedral veil made from lace tulle fabric in ivory colour.

Blusher Veils

They are simple, yet stylish and cute. Blusher wedding veils are made to cover the eyes and extend down well below-the-chin and are a perfect match with sleeveless high-neck wedding gowns.

A blusher veil with lace and sparkling glitter applique edge.

Shoulder Length Veils

Shoulder veils extend down to the shoulder and measure between 18 and 20 inches long. They are considered informal and work best with knee-length or midi-length classic wedding dresses.

Elbow Veils

These veil types extend down to the elbow area. Elbow veils measure between 24 and 26 inches, depending on the height of the bride-to-be and whether she has long or short arms. They are perfectly suited for ball-gown dress style and end where the fullness in the skirt begins. They are also great for a full-skirted informal dress without ‘overwhelming’ the entire ensemble.

Fingertip Length Veils

The fingertip veil is one of the popular choices of wedding veils. It extends down to the fingertips and measures around 36 inches. This style of bridal veils will work perfectly for most dress styles, as long as it’s around ankle-length.

Chapel Veils

Chapel veils fall down onto the floor and are about 90 inches long. Though they sweep the floor lightly, they are shorter than the Cathedral Veil. The chapel veil is best worn with classic style bridal gowns with long trains.

Cathedral Veils

The Cathedral veil is by far the most formal of all wedding veils. It is the longest type, measuring anything from around 100 inches long to up to 120 inches and are meant to ‘sweep’ the ground way behind the bride. The Cathedral wedding veil works best with full length, classic style gowns.

2-tier white Cathedral bridal veil with lace applique on its edge and body.

 

Bridal Veils Edging and Trims

A veil will never look complete without an edging or special trim. Whether plain and simple or stylishly vintage-inspired, the edging of bridal headpieces can make or mar the style of a veil.

Different types of edging and trims include the following:

• Plain cut edging
• Satin ribbon trimming
• Cord edging
• Beading and faux stoning
• Pearled
• Sequined
• Silver or gold pencil edging
• Scalloped
• Threaded
• Lace applique
• Embroidered
• Horsehair braiding (Crinoline)
• Rippled edging

2-tier wedding veil with lace applique edging - Fingertip length

Wedding Veil Fabrics

Exceptional fabrics for wedding veil designs include the following and are the basic materials used to create wedding veils.

Chiffon - Chiffon veils are best made as single tier veils because it is weightier than tulle based fabrics. It is non-translucent, fluid, and soft-flowing.

Organza – This fabric is high-end and is a popular choice for top bridal gown designers. Organza is elegant, slightly stiff, and semi-translucent.

Silk tulle – Bridal headpieces made with silk tulle drapes down elegantly. It is a beautiful fabric but is not commonly used for making wedding veils because of its delicate nature. It is made of pure silk, available in several textures, and is virtually the most expensive veil.

Illusion tulle - This is the most commonly used fabric for most wedding veils and is made of 100% nylon of varying textures. Bridal illusion tulle is soft to the touch and is available in a good number of colours.

English net – This fabric is a favourite of many brides-to-be. It is made of polyester nylon, has a very soft texture and is transparent. Best made into single-tiered bridal veils, English net drapes down in a similar way to chiffon, but weightier because of its polyester blend.

Point D’Esprit – This material is patterned yet translucent with or without a criss-cross dotted pattern. It is a popular veil fabric for brides who desire a lace ornate wedding dress.

Swiss Dot – Veils made using Swiss dot fabric have become increasingly popular. The fabric is made of bridal illusion and features small felt dots throughout the fabric.

Most Popular Bridal Veil Colours

The colour of your veil will be majorly determined by the colour of your wedding dress. Colours of choice are white, ivory, and champagne. However, depending on the theme of the wedding, some brides opt for silver, black, and red.

For instance, black or red veils are the perfect colour choices for Gothic themed weddings.

Black wedding veil design for the Medieval style inspired bride-to-be.

To make the right choice of wedding veil designs, it helps if you understand all the different styles, fabrics, and designs available out there.
So, whether you are a younger bride or older bride, knowing the differences before choosing a veil for your special day gives a much better idea on how to get a bridal veil style that works best for your dress.

Gothic Bridal Veils for Medieval Inspired Weddings

Gothic-style fashion is for those who love the 'dramatic look' of darkness, mystery, and weirdness. And while many people still think gothic is associated with vampirism and satanism with secret members who wear mostly black clothing, have a pale complexion, jet-black hair and dark dramatic makeup, the wedding fashion scene think otherwise.

Dark and dramatic Gothic inspired bridal wear showing dresses, veil and bridal cape, and a goth-style wedding cake.

Goth-style wedding veils also referred to as vampire veils, are classic medieval styles that are now made with a modern twist and worn by brides who either desire a medieval themed wedding or a vintage/antique style bridal wear.

Gothic-inspired bridal veil - Black Cathedral length wedding veil with a scalloped-embroidered edge.

Gothic-inspired bridal veils can be made from tulle, lace, satin, velvet, and voile fabrics and can come in plain white, red, or black colours. They can also be made into flowing wedding capes (or church chapel head veil style) made from patterned materials like sateen, embroidered fabrics, illusion tulle, netting and silk. Colours can be a combination of black and red, black and purple, white and beige, or wine and purple.

Asides wedding ceremonies, gothic veils and medieval style dresses are popularly worn as party costumes for vintage-themed or other costume parties.


Further Reading
Cloche Bridal Veils and Headpieces
Bridal Headpiece for Older Brides

Vintage Cloche Wedding Veils (Bridal Headpiece for Young Brides)

Cloche hats and headpieces were first fabricated around 1908 by milliner Caroline Reboux. The style soon became the fashion rave of the 1920s when its popularity and impact on the fashion scene was at its peak. Close fitting and chic, they came in many variations and were made from a number of diverse materials.

From cloche style beaded lace bridal headpieces and Adora wool hats to sisal, felt, and the elaborately bejewelled cocktail/evening hats, its shape and form are one of the most popular classic forms of millinery ever, especially with its unusual bell-shaped snug fitting design.

Vintage style cloche bridal veil - A classy old-fashioned wedding veil that makes a great bridal headpiece for young brides.

Cloche (or cap) wedding veils are made with an elaborately beaded cap that fits snugly on the head with an attachment of soft tulle, chiffon, or lace fabric (as is shown above) which can be an elbow, hand, or floor length.

Typically vintage, the cap part is designed to be worn low on the forehead with the bride's eyes showing just slightly below the brim.

The cap, which fits almost tightly over the entire scalp can be adorned or encircled around the brim with any of the following accents:

• Fresh or faux flowers that complement the bridal bouquet
• Faux leaves that are woven around the brim
• Heavy embroidery 
• Appliques 
• Pleated satin
• Faux pearls
• White coral beads or other gemstones
• Elaborate jewelled brooches

Popular trimmings and decorations include satin details, velvet ribbons, with faux flower blossoms at the ears.

The veil piece falls gracefully from the back of the fitted cap and down over the shoulders. However, it looks best floor length or trailing (a great look for young brides). Veil materials include:

• Silk 
• Fine Lace 
• Silk Tulle 
• Net with net backing
• Embroidered fabric

Cloche hats and bridal headpieces soon went out of fashion around the mid-thirties but by the 1960s its reappearance brought on the second round of trend.

Great Ideas to Create Custom Cloche Headpieces for the Vintage Inspired Bride (Video)

Today you can make the cloche veil yourself or you can have it custom made for you. You can buy a close-fitting cap and transform it into a classic bridal headwear.

With an extra touch of art-deco decorating, you can transform the plainest cloche hat shape into a vintage classic work of art, a wedding veil befitting of a young bride.

Further Reading
Bridal Headpiece for Older Brides (Vintage Birdcage Veil)
Vintage Inspired Lingerie

Bridal Headpiece for Older Brides (Vintage Birdcage Veil)

Older brides look wonderful in classic vintage inspired bridal headpieces. There is no doubt about that. Rather than wear long flowing veils made from bridal illusion fabrics, layers of chiffon or organza, or veils made from yards of lace, brides over fifty should opt for classic vintage-inspired styles that will complement modern wedding dresses.

Birdcage Bridal Headpiece

Birdcage bridal veil, a wonderful style of choice for older brides

Simple but stylish, the birdcage veil made its first appearance in the post-war era of the 1940s. It is a popular choice for many brides and works well for both divorcees and older brides.

The birdcage wedding headpiece is flattering with a hint of the beauty of the face that lies beneath veiled face and can be worn with both formal or informal wedding apparel.

It can be subtle in style like the one in the image above, simple with rhinestone combs, ornate brooch, or flowers attachments, or quite dramatic if combined with a fascinator made with a plume of feathers.

The birdcage headpiece is also known as:

• Cage Veil
• Cage blusher
• Face bridal veil
• Net veil
• Pouffe wedding veils

You can make your own birdcage veil if you are a sewing craft enthusiast. They are quite easy to make and you can be as creative as you wish when you make your own bridal headpiece.

Further Reading
Vintage Inspired Lingerie for Plus-Size Brides
Suspenders and Garters

Vintage Cloche Wedding Veils (Bridal Headpiece for Young Brides)

Birdcage wedding veils still exude the chic sophistication of the past classics with its vintage quirk. It has become an increasingly popular alternative to the more common traditional headpieces like the chapel, cathedral, and shoulder, and floor length bridal veils.