Wedding Veil Styles Help & Advice

~ What's the difference between your Ultra Sheer and Single Tier veils?

My ultra sheer veils (Ines, Prayer, Peace, Harmony and Charity) have a slight cascade/waterfall effect at the sides in order to be totally sheer at the comb; that means the veil is cut as a long U-shape, the top corners of the U are curved off, and then the comb is sewn to the very centre of the top of the veil with no gathering, leaving the two top curved edges to gently fall down at the sides. It gives a really beautiful effect.

The alternative to this is the classic single tier style (Catrine, Love, Beauty, Patience, Hope, Joy etc) which is a classic U-shaped single tier veil with straight sides, gathered all the way across the top and then sewn onto the veil comb. This style is equally stunning, and it doesn't have the super sheer and transparent effect at the top that the ultra sheer veils have, due to the gathering of the tulle onto the veil comb.

If you'd prefer a veil that has straight sides all the way down to the bottom curved end of the veil, but you still want it to be sheer at the top (with very little gathering), I can make a custom version of my ultra sheer veils, where I cut the veil with straight sides that taper diagonally upwards to the top where the comb will be sewn on. With this option, there will be a very small amount of gathering but the veil will still be very sheer and see through at the top, as the gathering will be minimal.

Go here to view photos of the two styles, to compare them. Please get in touch if you need help or advice!

~ Do I need a Pure White colour veil?

In over a decade of making thousands of handmade wedding veils for brides all over the world, I've only had requests for a small number of pure white veils. The vast majority of wedding dresses that appear quite white actually require an off white / pale ivory colour veil, (shades that are called Soft White or Pale Ivory in my shop). True pure white tulles are very stark, bright and cold, with almost a faintly blue-ish undertone - this colour is too starkly white for many wedding dresses.

You should order a Pure White veil if your dress really is a true, pure, cold white colour (very few actually are).

If your veil is substantially lighter or whiter than your dress, even by just a touch, I think it can make the tone of your dress appear almost "muddy" by comparison. In my opinion, it looks beautiful to have your veil the same colour or slightly deeper than your dress, but I find it visually jarring when the veil is a little lighter than the dress. Again, this is just my opinion - there may well be veil makers who disagree with me!

If you're unsure, please don't hesitate to send me pictures of your dress so I can share my thoughts; or better still, please order some fabric samples so you can compare the tulle fabric to your dress in person, to be sure of choosing the correct colour.

~ What's the difference between Soft English Tulle and Fine English Tulle/Fine Illusion Tulle?

Soft English Tulle (also known as 'English Net') is a very soft, silky, draping tulle with no stiffness, extremely fluid and airy. It's very similar to silk tulle, but at a much lower price. When you're standing still, it falls straight downwards, and when you move it flows around you. It is available in Ivory, Soft White, Pure White, Deep Ivory, Blush Pink and Rose Pink. Also similar to this tulle are my Italian Silk-style Tulle, and Ultrasoft Illusion Tulle.

Fine English Tulle and Fine Illusion Tulle are traditional luxurious tulles, very sheer, beautiful and lightweight. They have more 'body' and structure than the softer tulles, but still feel lovely and smooth against your skin - not at all rough or scratchy. When you're standing still they flare outwards a little, and when you move they hold their shape around you like a beautiful halo. Fine English Tulle has a hexagonal construction, and Fine Illusion Tulle has a diamond shaped construction. They are available in Ivory, Soft White, Pure White, Deep Ivory and Champagne. 

~ What's the difference between the Beauty, Hope, Joy and Love veils?

They are all exactly the same style, ie a simple raw edge single tier veil gathered onto one central comb, but they are each made out of a different type of tulle.

The Love veil is made of Soft Pure French Silk Tulle which is an exquisitely soft, delicate and drapey tulle that has no body or structure to it at all. This is the same tulle that Catherine, Princess of Wales' wedding veil was made of.

The Beauty veil is made of Soft English Tulle, which is a stunning "silk style" tulle offering a very similar look to real silk tulle at a much sweeter price.

The Joy veil is made of Fine English Tulle which is a top quality "illusion" tulle that has a good amount of structure and flare to it, offering more volume than the soft and drapey tulles.

The Hope veil is made of a very soft and sheer illusion tulle called Ultrasoft Illusion Tulle, that's made here in England.

~ What's the difference between a drop veil and a two tier veil?

Both styles are made of a continuous piece of tulle that also falls over the face, romantically veiling the face until the first kiss, traditionally. The portion of the veil that falls over the face is commonly called a "blusher".

I make two different types of veils that have a blusher - one is a drop veil, which has no gathering at all, and falls very flat and sheer over the head. It gives a beautiful effect, and is the style that Catherine, Princess of Wales wore when she married Prince William. The other type is a classic two tier veil - this veil is centrally gathered onto a veil comb, and the gathering creates a little bit (or a lot!) of lift and volume where the gathered tulle is sewn onto the comb.

So it really depends what effect you're looking for - if you'd like a bit of volume where the veil is attached to the hair, then go for a classic two-tier veil, but if you'd like the veil to be very sheer and for all the detail on the dress to show through, then go for a drop veil. (The gathering on a two-tier veil naturally makes the veil very slightly less sheer where the fabric is gathered.) Drop veils are a very timeless style, and have been extremely popular in the past decade, though they have never gone out of style - Grace Kelly wore one, and they've been super popular over the decades. Gathered two-tier veils were very popular in recent decades (especially in the 80s and 90s, with varying amounts of pouffiness at the comb!), and have had a resurgence lately too. Both styles look absolutely beautiful, so it totally depends on your own unique bridal vision 🩷

~ What's the difference between the Faith and Honour Juliet cap veils?

They're the same style, ie a raw edge Juliet cap veil that's gathered at either side of the head, but there are a few differences:

The Honour veil is wider, so it's a fuller, more dramatic looking veil - it's 100" wide (approx 250cm), whereas the Faith veil is narrower at 72" wide, which gives a slightly more understated look.

The Honour veil is made with a blusher that can optionally be worn over the face, so it's a two tier Juliet cap veil, whereas the Faith veil is a single tier Juliet cap veil (one layer, no blusher) - although there is an option to add a blusher to the Faith veil, by request.

The other difference is the tulle the veils are made of - the Honour veil is made of Ultrasoft Illusion Tulle, and the Faith veil is made of Soft English Tulle. It really comes down to the Faith being more drapey and silky, with no body, volume or structure at all, whereas the Honour is still very soft but it's not drapey or silky - it has a little bit more body to it. If you're unsure, order some fabric samples to experience the feel and texture of the tulle in person. 

~ What's the difference between Fine English Tulle and Fine Illusion Tulle?

They're incredibly similar, the only difference is in the construction of the fabric. The Fine English Tulle has a hexagonal construction when you look closely at the tulle, and the Fine Illusion has a diamond-shaped construction. Both have a beautiful amount of body and structure to them, and both give an equally gorgeous, airy effect.

~ What's the difference between Soft English Tulle and Ultrasoft Illusion Tulle?

The Soft English Tulle is the softest tulle I offer (along with the Soft Pure French Silk Tulle and the Italian Silk-style Tulle); it has a silky feel and a beautiful drape. The Ultrasoft Illusion Tulle is almost as soft, but it doesn't have the vintage-style drape of the Soft English Tulle, where it pools on the floor in soft folds - instead the Ultrasoft Illusion Tulle is incredibly lightweight and airy. The Soft English Tulle falls straight downwards to the floor, whereas the Ultrasoft Illusion Tulle flares outwards very softly.

~ Pure French Silk Tulle veils

I have two types of pure silk tulle available; the first type is a very drapey, soft and delicate type that's used for the Love, Prayer, and Eternity veils on my website. The other type is a more structured, voluminous type that's used for the Grace veil on my website.

The soft silk tulle is the same type that Catherine, Princess of Wales had for her wedding veil when she married Prince William; the slightly more structured silk tulle is the type that Meghan had for her wedding veil when she married Prince Harry. The softer type only comes in widths of up to 60"/150cm, so it's not suitable for very wide/full veils, it makes slightly narrower, very chic and elegant veils that (in longer lengths) best suit dresses without a very wide train.

The more voluminous type comes in wide widths of up to 118"/300cm, so it can be used to make any width of veil, up to the most wide and dramatic veils to suit dresses with very wide trains.

~ What's the difference between the Eternity and Grace silk tulle drop veils?

Eternity is made of a very soft and drapey silk tulle that has no body or structure to it at all, it falls straight downwards to the floor. It's the same silk tulle that Catherine, Princess of Wales' veil was made of, when she married Prince William. It's fairly narrow - just over 60" (150cm) wide.

Grace is made of a beautiful silk tulle that has a bit more body and structure to it; it fans outwards around your dress train and holds its shape more around you. It's the same silk tulle that Meghan Markle wore when she married Prince Harry. It's wider, meaning the veil has a fuller, more sumptuous look to it - it's 100" (250cm) wide.

Both tulles are stunning and ultra luxurious, but they give different effects. Order some samples to discover which French Silk Tulle is perfect for your bridal style. 

~ Can I wear a headdress or headpiece with my Juliet cap veil?

Many of my brides have worn their Juliet cap veils with various kinds of headdresses. Some of them are headdresses that are worn over the top of the veil, and some can be worn underneath the veil, with the veil placed over the top so that it can be pinned to the headpiece itself.

Some of my brides have actually stitched their headpiece and Juliet cap veil together with invisible thread at certain points, so they can be worn as one piece; that's certainly an option for many headpiece designs, and would ensure that they stay together when worn.

Bridal headpieces that can be worn with my Juliet cap veils include wedding crowns, tiaras, halos, circlets, floral crowns, headbands, and many more.

Please don't hesitate to ask any questions! If you can't find anything quite right, I've also had lots of brides wear hair jewellery and jewelled or floral clips, that can actually be attached to the front of the Juliet cap veil and into your hair. There are so many thousands of different options out there - if you're unsure, it's always worth reaching out to the designer of the item you're looking at; just send them a pic of your veil, and ask their advice about whether their piece would work with the veil. I'm always here to help! 

~ Should I get the Lola lace edge veil in the single tier style, or the mantilla style?

The Lola veil is available either as a single tier veil, or as a mantilla veil.

The single tier version is cut as a long U-shape that's gathered all the way across the top, and due to its fairly wide width (100"/250cm), there's quite a lot of gathering at the comb, which makes the veil fairly opaque as it falls down your back. It gives a luxe, dramatic effect that's absolutely stunning.

By comparison, the mantilla style (pictured below in chapel length) is cut as a perfect circle with no gathering at all, so it falls flat over the hair and is very sheer at the back, so that all the detail on the back of your dress shows though. It'll be attached to your hair via tiny clips, and looks amazing with both hair up and loose hairstyles. It's a beautiful style to opt for if you want to show off the back of your dress.