What is a Chapel Veil for Weddings?
Wedding veils vary in length, material, style, and color, all stemming from different traditions and changes in fashion. The chapel veil comes from a Catholic tradition, and are often called Mantilla bridal veils. Chapel veil also refers to a particular length of a veil itself, trailing through the cathedral or ceremony with a long train.
What Makes a Chapel Veil Unique?
Depending on how the veil term is used, chapel wedding veils can refer to several unique features, differentiating them from cathedrals and fingertips for modern and classic weddings.
- Length: When referring the length of a bridal veil's train, this wedding veil length variety falls between what is known as the finger-tip veil and the cathedral veil. The fingertip wedding veil's tulle tends to fall just past the bride's hip while the chapel wedding veil often includes about 90 inches of lace or tulle. The Cathedral veil goes the furthest, trailing far behind the bride.
- Material and Shape: When not referring to the length, mass veils refer to a triangular or circular piece of lace or beaded and embroidered fabric that is worn as a bridal veil or in church for holy reverence. It is often called a lace Mantilla.
- Colors:Since these veils are used for non-bridal purposes at times, they also come in several colors outside of the range of traditional white hues. This may include ivory, gold, deep reds, and black.
What Are the Major Types of Wedding Veils?
Though there are many types of bridal veils, each veil is unique.
- Cathedral Veils: The longest of the bridal veil, cathedral veils create a sense of drama in the mass or ceremony. Larger combs and beaded tiaras secure these cathedrals.
- Fingertip and Blusher Veils: Often called by other names, such as birdcage veils or elbow veils, these can be tulle or lace. They often cover a bit of the face or layer completely to the waist. These feature more of a vintage look opposed to the classic cathedral veil.
- Chapel: Slightly shorter the cathedral veil, this bridal favorite is a happy medium between drama and simplicity. In a religious sense, the veiling of the brides head is most appropriate in some churches, chapels, and cathedrals depending on bridal and family preferences.
What Are Some Tips for Wearing a Chapel Veil?
Small accessories and tips for the wedding day keep things running smoothing when both donning the bridal veil and removing it for the reception.
- Securing the Wedding Veil: Since most chapel veils sit straight on the top of a bride's head, opposed to bunching fabric into a comb, these wedding veils can be lightly secured using bobby pins or small hair clips.
- Alternative to a Train: Wedding dress trains can be cumbersome come time for the reception. A chapel or cathedral-length wedding veil simplifies this issue, providing a train during the ceremony that is easily removed before dinner.
- Catholic Traditions: Since the Mantilla variety of chapel veils contain significant history for Catholic women, consider how to wear the veil properly when wearing it in a church ceremony. The tradition includes head covering for modesty, reverence, receiving Eucharist and writings from canon law.