Can a Petite Bride Wear a Long Veil?

Perhaps one of the most common questions we are asked at OBridal.com is "I'm a short/petite bride and would like to wear a long veil, but should I wear a shorter veil because of my height?"

The answer is NO - you don't have to wear a shorter veil!  Brides of all heights can wear all different lengths of wedding veils.  Short or Long - the veil just needs to proportioned right for you!

A good rule of thumb is to look in the mirror (preferably in your wedding dress) and divide your body (from head to toe) into thirds.  It's best to wear a veil that falls into one of these sections.  Wearing a bridal veil that ends right at the 50% line can cut you in half - and make a bride appear shorter. *Of course, there can be exceptions to this depending on the wedding gown - but in general - this rule works very well!

Wearing a veil that ends in one of the thirds keeps the eye moving.  A long veil on a petite bride can actually elongate her overall look.  It keeps the eye moving from head to toe and even further to the end of the veil.  So her total length looks much longer.

The main trick here - is if you are a bride with a small frame as well - you don't want to feel overwhelmed by lots of material swirling around you.  So what is the answer to this problem?  At http://www.occanseydesigns.com there is an option for custom cut fullness.  

This is the perfect solution!

http://www.occanseydesigns.com/customcutfullness.html

When a bride has a long veil that is nice and wide at the bottom - she can request custom cut fullness at the top of the veil - so there is less material across her back and around her shoulders.  This makes the veil less overwhelming around the top part of her body - and also keeps the back of the gown and hair very visible!

Custom cut fullness is an option for all Standard cut veils at www.OccanseyDesigns.com -- and it's a Free option!

To view real brides wearing veils with custom cut fullness - we strongly recommend browsing the testimonials at OBridal.com

For example - the first bride on this page: 

http://www.occanseydesigns.com/testimonials2.html

is wearing a long veil that is the standard fullness (72" wide) - but the top is custom cut to 25".  So the top is very sheer, flat, and doesn't have lots of material swirling around her shoulders.  Creates a long sleek look.

Also look at Colleen on this page:

http://www.occanseydesigns.com/testimonials7.html

Long veil - sheer at the top - very beautiful!

Hope this helps any petite brides who love the idea of a long veil - but don't know if it will be flattering.  Worn the right way - with the right fullness - it will be!  

Please feel free to email us with any questions at occanseydesigns@windstream.net.

Mantilla Veils vs. Lace edged Veils

A wedding veil edged in lace can be so elegant and romantic. A common name for a lace edged veil is a Mantilla veil.  However, most don't realize that lace can actually be applied to any style of veil.

A Mantilla cut veil is a veil that is cut usually with very little to no gathering at the comb.  Therefore it creates a soft curve around the shoulders.  The curve may be high - near the elbows - or low - near the knees  - depending on the width of material used.

For example - here is a lace edged mantilla cut veil made from 54" wide material: 

http://www.occanseydesigns.com/Gallery3/photogalSPL15.html   - notice the curve hits at or slightly above elbow length.

Here is a lace edged mantilla cut veil made from 72" wide material:

http://www.occanseydesigns.com/Gallery3/photogalSPL16.html  -- notice that curve on the front of this veil hits more at around wrist length.

And finally, here is a lace edged mantilla cut veil made from 108" wide material:

http://www.occanseydesigns.com/Gallery3/photogalSPL33.html   - notice that on this veil, the curve hits around knee length.

If you want a lace edging on your veil - but aren't fond of the mantilla cut - don't despair!  Lace edging can be applied to Drop veils, Centergathered cuts, Standard cut veils, and Cascading sides.

A drop veil has no gathering at the top at all (it's "dropped" over the head) -- and traditionally you wear the front forward as a blusher.  However, if you prefer to wear it pulled back and not worn as a blusher that's possible too!  Here is an example of a drop veil edged in lace: 

http://www.occanseydesigns.com/Gallery3/photogalSPL10.html

A standard cut veil has gathering at the comb and the lace edging would typically run all the way up the sides like this: 

http://www.occanseydesigns.com/Gallery3/photogalSPL20.html

However, if you don't want lace along your face - you can have it customized to stop at a particular length.  Here is an example of lace stopping approximately 38" from the top of the comb: 

http://www.occanseydesigns.com/Gallery3/photogalSPL17.html

All of these styles can be customized using a different lace (one that would match your gown best).  They can also be customized to different lengths and fullness depending on your personal style.