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A Veiled Attempt Crafty brides can create their own cover-up to suit any style 
When some brides blush under their gossamer veils perhaps it’s because they can’t believe how much money they saved. Instead of paying as much as $200, savvy brides can make their own wedding veils for a fraction of the price. Of all the potential do-it-yourself projects a bride can undertake, creating a veil is one of the easiest and most rewarding. “Veils and headpieces are great projects for any bride,” says Claudia Lynch, who used to own a wholesale headpiece business. Making a veil isn’t simply a way to save money. It’s way to add a personal touch to the bridal ensemble, according to Lynch, author of “I Do Veils – So Can You!” (Harpagon Productions, 1996). When you don a handmade veil you’re getting a perfect fit, says Linda Neubauer, editor of “Veiled in Beauty,” a guide to making your own wedding veil (Creative Publishing International, 2002). You can tailor your veil to match an heirloom wedding dress, flatter your skin tone and reflect your taste. For example, if you love embellishment, add a sprinkling of sequins to the veil; if you want to be swept down the aisle on the scent of lilacs you can weave the floral clusters into a headpiece. Even if you’re a bride who skipped sewing class in high school you can whip up a beautiful creation with little more than a wire frame, fabric and a glue gun, say the authors. Before you get started, skim through a few bridal magazines to get a sense of the styles. A “blusher” veil usually just touches the shoulders and is lifted for the first kiss of married life. A “flyaway” veil touches the shoulders and may cover them. The standard length is 24 inches. Elbow length averages 30 inches but can go longer or shorter to hit your elbow as you’re standing; fingertip is 36 inches or longer to graze the tips of your fingers. You can also make veils that hit the mid-calf or trail behind you by at least 12 inches, as the Cathedral length does. You’ll find fabric and other veil supplies in many fabric shops. Bridal illusion, or illusion is the traditional veil fabric, says Neubauer. The name refers to very fine nylon netting that usually comes in white or ivory in 72- and 108-inch widths, enough to grace any bride. You can find it in most fabric stores. You can also find illusion fabric made from very delicate and expensive silk. Craft stores sell such components as pearl sprays, silk flowers, tiaras, combs and glue guns. You’ll also find patterns for headpieces and veils in craft stores and many fabric shops. Start with the headpiece, says Lynch. Then add the veil at the end of the preparations so you don’t damage the fragile fabric. |
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