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Origins of the Wedding Veil

A bride is always somewhere between 'very pretty' and 'absolutely gorgeous'. Veiling the bride is a symbolic way of tantalizing the groom by concealing her beauty until he becomes her husband and is permitted to see her. The lifting of the veil was often a part of ancient wedding ritual, symbolizing the groom taking possession of the wife, either as lover or as property, or the revelation of the bride by her parents to the groom for his approval. The wearing of a bridal gown and veil is one of the big days in a woman's life--Choose what you feel comfortable in and enjoy your special day!

Author: Georgina Clatworthy
Date: Sep 20, 2009 - 11:22:17 PM

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Wedding veils are a common site at weddings and are often chosen by brides who are planning a traditional and formal wedding.

The origins of the wedding veil date back many centuries and are deep rooted in many cultures across the world. One of the first dates back many centuries when it is said the groom would ‘capture’ his bride by throwing a blanket over her. Other origins have the veil covering the bride’s face so that she couldn’t be seen before the wedding ceremony and was common in arranged marriages. Probably the most popular and familiar story relating to wedding veils is they were worn to protect the bride from evil spirits.

Historically wedding veils were symbols of submissiveness and a promise by the bride to obey her new husband. Only after the ceremony would the veil be lifted to reveal the bride for the first time. This may seem outdated by today’s standards but for many brides there is something very beautiful about lifting back a veil to reveal the blushing bride beneath.

But you may be wondering why wedding veils are made from sheer fabric? Apart from the fact if it was opaque the bride wouldn’t be able to see, the reason goes back to biblical times. If you are familiar with the bible then you may recall the tale of Jacob marrying the wrong girl. Jacob wanted to marry Rachel but as the veil was opaque he couldn’t see through it and instead married her sister Leah. It is believed that from this point onwards veils were made in sheer fabrics so the groom could at least see an outline of the bride’s face and be able to recognize that this is the girl he intends to marry.

Throughout history veils and headpieces have varied. Some bride’s preferred tiaras or crowns with the veil attached at the back. Others preferred a headband of silk or fresh flowers.

Veil lengths vary greatly as well. The cathedral length veil is the most formal which will trail along behind the dress train. Chapel length veils touch the floor, elbow length veils are just that - elbow length and are worn with floor length gowns, whilst shoulder length veils are worn with gowns with an elaborate back so that they can be seen.

Wedding veils are not for everyone. Some bride’s feel the look is over fussy or don’t want something sitting around their face. But there can be little doubt that a veil is the perfect finishing touch to a formal wedding gown and makes a beautiful addition to any wedding outfit, whatever length it is.

Georgina Clatworthy is a dedicated full time writer who composes informative articles related to wedding favors and wedding . She is connected with 1WeddingSource, today’s leading wedding social networking planning site.

View all articles by Georgina Clatworthy

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