Surely every bride when choosing a dress thinks, where did the tradition of wearing this or that element of clothing come from? Gloves, garter, closed shoes, veil… With each little thing, with each attribute associated superstitions and customs. In this article we’re going to talk about one of the key parts of the bride’s image – the veil.
Where did the tradition of wearing it come from and whether you should use it in your wedding attire.
In the past, the veil was a fairly dense and long piece of fabric into which the bride could be wrapped from head to toe.
As for the ancient Russian traditions, following them, the bride’s face was covered with a usual linen shawl. The meaning was that the bride, getting married, was considered for the others as if “dead”, and therefore no one should see her face.
Later, the veil began to be endowed with other qualities. The white veil symbolized the purity and chastity of the bride.
At the end of the wedding there was a rite of removal of the veil. In all countries it looked differently, but its essence is the same everywhere: the girl “remove” her carefree maiden life and change it is not easy married.
In some countries it is customary for the husband to remove the veil, which meant that the bride is submissive to him. In the case where the wife wanted to be on equal footing with her husband, she would remove her own veil.
After the wedding, it is customary to preserve and cherish the veil,
like the apple of her eye.
It is believed that it protects the family. It was often used to cover a sick child in the belief that it would help ward off evil spirits.
But nobody should wear your veil, not even your daughter. This is said to threaten quarrels in the family and other troubles.
Until now, the veil is endowed with a lot of almost mystical properties. It is believed that it acts as an energy shield that can protect the bride from unkind thoughts and sights that may appear in the guests.
Also a long veil is a kind of “antenna” that attracts positive energy, so the bride in a veil is less susceptible to bad thoughts and does not worry about minor things.
Now you can pick up a veil in absolutely different styles and styles: long, short, tiered, lace, embroidered patterns or embroidered with beads and pearls. Although, of course, the long veil is still considered a classic that has all of the above magical properties.
You have not yet decided whether the veil will be one of the elements of your wedding dress? We picked up a few of its pros and cons, weighing which you can decide.
Cons:
- YOU MAY BE UNACCUSTOMED AND UNCOMFORTABLE WITH IT. Especially with a long veil, which, of course, looks great, but it can be stepped on accidentally and break. The whole wedding you will suffer, tangled in the fabric. There is a solution – wear a veil at the registration, and during the walk and the banquet to remove it. Just take care that it was easy to do this, and the hair remains intact.
- NOT EVERY HAIRSTYLE WILL WORK WITH A VEIL. Your choices will be limited.
- Often an important part of a bride’s sophisticated look is an open back and neck. Owners of a graceful figure are unforgivable to hide it under several meters of veil. It would also be a shame to hide a part of the dress if you chose an outfit with embroidery or an interesting cut. However, you can choose a very transparent fabric for the veil or, as we suggested earlier, wear it only for the formal part of the wedding.
Pros:
- POSSIBILITY TO FOLLOW THE TRADITION, if it’s important to you and your future husband.
- With a veil YOU CAN FEEL YOU ARE A TRUE PRINCESS THIS DAY. So that it was like in childhood dreams, when you imagined yourself a bride, proudly strutting around with a tulle curtain, attached to the head with a lace ribbon. When the veil is especially long, it can be carried by small children during the ceremony, then your wedding will definitely look like a royal or fairy tale wedding.
- IF YOU’RE SURE, you’ll definitely feel more confident and relaxed with a veil, and isn’t that the most important thing on such an exciting day.
- A long veil will help to conceal certain flaws on the back of the dress, if any. For example, if you don’t really like straps or laces. Or you just don’t want your back to be too open.
- A VEIL IS A GIFT FOR THE PHOTOGRAPHER. With its help you can make a lot of interesting shots. And you will be delighted with wonderful photos!
If you decide that a veil is an important element for you and you don’t want to give it up, then take its choice just as seriously as the choice of a dress. The main thing is to follow the rule: an elegant, embroidered, ornate dress – a modest veil. Simple dress without a lot of ornaments – you can choose a luxurious veil, for example, with embroidery or choose an alternative.
Let you be the most relaxed, beautiful and happy bride on this day!