Wedding Veils 101: What Colour Wedding Veil Will Match My Dress?
You’ve just found your dream wedding dress so now it’s time to accessorise! You’d think that finding the perfect veil to match would be a piece of wedding cake but think again. There are so many head spinning options out there when it comes to choosing a veil. What colour? Which style? Length? Am I a lacy lady or a sparkling princess?
It’s worth taking your time deciding and we’re here to help! So lets start with the basics – colour. It can be difficult to tell because bridal shops and designers tend to label their dresses whatever colour they see fit. The best you can do when shopping for a veil to match is make an educated guess.
First off, if you can…
…Ask Your Bridal Assistant
Now unless you’ve purchased your dress online or found the perfect gown on the high street, you’ll most likely have a guardian angel to guide you through this trying time – your bridal assistant. Any bridal assistant worth her/his salt will most likely have popped a few different veils on your head whilst trying on the dress. They will have discussed the pros and cons of the different lengths and be genuinely interested in what kind of wedding you’re having, whether it be church, registry office or outdoor as all these factors can determine what kind of wedding veil will suit you best.
They will advise you on the best shade of tulle to look for, even if you’re not buying a veil from them. If you are, however, making up your own mind and searching online for a bridal veil, it’s not so easy to know what colour your dress is, let alone what shade of white is right.
Are there different shades of white?
Yes! It’s probably the only time in your life that you’ve had to contemplate this crazy concept (unless you’re an artist or painter/decorator). Don’t feel silly if you thought that all veils are white, ordered one online and received a blinding, starkly coloured veil that does nothing for your dress. It’s an easy mistake to make and we usually contact any bride who orders a white veil to confirm, as most times, it’s the pale ivory shade they’re after.
Wedding dresses are rarely pure white nowadays as it’s a very hard colour to wear for most skin tones so not always flattering. Think of the classic communion dress that is so white, it almost has an icy blue tone to it and is sometimes referred to as optic white.
How Do I Know what Colour Wedding Veil To Buy?
Is my Wedding dress White or Pale Ivory?
Each bridal season, the fashion changes so it’s almost impossible to tell what’s going to be the most popular colour. When the 1920’s vintage look is in, usually we’d see more ivory veils being sold but recently, we’ve noticed a higher demand for the pale ivory shade as brides opt for a clean, contemporary look. It’s a softer alternative to the classic pure white and is also sometimes referred to as milk, silk, natural or diamond white. It’s basically an off white but without the creamy tones found in ivory shades.
If you are unsure whether your dress is pure white or off white, a quick test you can do is to lay it next to a cotton T-shirt in natural daylight and if your dress is pure white then it will definitely stand out. If you are still unsure about it then you can always order samples of our tulle here.
…or Ivory?
Ivory is a classic colour for wedding veils as it suits most skin tones so is very easy to wear. There are still many shades of ivory but the one we supply is mid toned with a lovely brightness to it. In certain cases we may dye it to a deeper tone to suit oyster or dark ivory bridal gowns so don’t hesitate to email us with a picture of your dress or ask for advice.
How about champagne?
Champagne is a colour that is as mysterious as love itself! It seems to be a name given to dresses from dark ivory to light yellow-y blush. It’s something that is open to interpretation by designers and bridal boutiques alike. Most veiling tulle suppliers don’t offer this shade so it has to be specially dyed for each order.
Our champagne veiling tulle is hand dyed and gives an antique or vintage look, with a richer, more golden hue than the ivory colour. We find that it tones in beautifully with most shades that are darker than the typical mid ivory.
If your bridal assistant tells you that your dress is dark ivory or oyster, rather than champagne, you can just let us know and we will adjust the shading accordingly.
We’d always recommend sending a photo of your gown to us if your thinking about ordering a champagne veil to get the best possible match. If you have already had you dress altered, you can ask for an off-cut from the hem, send us a sample of your dress fabric and we’ll match it as best we can.
Ah, Beautiful blush!
Probably the most obvious colour, if your dress tag says blush then you can be pretty sure you need a veil with pinkish undertones. Although, it can still be open to some interpretation. We’ve seen blush dresses with nude, peach and rose undertones.
Blush is a colour that is soft and feminine, it is a beautiful alternative to traditional wedding colours. It’s been most definitely in style for the last few seasons, especially for a spring/summer wedding. It looks amazing when combined with the 3D floral effect dresses which have increased in popularity of late. Like the champagne, we hand dye each veil to order so feel free to send us a photo or sample so we can match the tone perfectly.
So, does it really matter what colour wedding veil i choose?
When it comes to what colour wedding veil will best match your dress, there are really only a few rules to follow. Veiling tulle is super sheer and only really shows its full colour when scrunched or gathered together, so a slight variation in shade isn’t going to be all that disastrous.
The main thing to avoid is colour clashing, such as putting a pure white veil over an ivory gown. It may not be too noticeable under artificial light, but once outdoors or viewed in photographs, it’s going to look pretty awful. The bottom line is that one is going to make the other look dirty. Aesthetically, it just doesn’t look right, so can be jarring to the eye – ruining your overall look.
On the other hand, if you’re a more adventurous bride and maybe thinking about wearing a coloured veil for your special day, such as pink or blue, just make sure to provide an accent colour in your bridal bouquet or perhaps, match your veil to the appliqués in your dress. We can also provide custom colour veils, so don’t hesitate to ask.
The same advice goes for a lace veil with a two tone shading like our Claddagh Vintage Ivory Lace Veil, for example (above left). A statement veil like this looks its very best when complimented by a similar antique/latte shade somewhere in your bridal outfit or bouquet. Whatever your bridal style, just be sure it makes sense to the eye.
Getting the colour right is the first step but there are lots of other things to consider when buying a wedding veil. We discuss them further in our Wedding Veils 101 series of articles. If you have any questions before you order your veil, you can always send us a quick message. We’d be only too happy to advise and remember, no question is a stupid question when it comes to bridal.
We offer a sample service, so you can order colour swatches of any of our tulles or lace. Our handmade bridal veils take around 3-5 business days, depending on the season and within Ireland, delivery is usually next day, so you could have your wedding veil in just one week.
View our beautiful collection of handmade Irish bridal veils here