Cathedral length veils and their slightly shorter counterparts, the chapel length veil, take an already feminine bridal ensemble and make it dreamier and more romantic. Dramatic and elegant, bridal veils of length typically only appear at very upscale and/or very large weddings. Why? Read on for the answer as well as tips on wearing and making the most of a chapel length veil or cathedral length veil.

At anywhere from 108″ to 120″ or longer, long veils play a starring role in the bridal ensemble. While a bride can wear a cathedral length veil with almost any wedding dress other than a very short gown or a ballgown, the longest veils are properly worn with wedding dresses with extremely long trains. In fact, the end of the bridal veil should extend six inches or more past the end of the train. Cathedral veils pair well with wedding dresses that are embellished simply, but if you decide to pair an ornate gown with a long veil, be careful of hiding a beautiful dress behind one or more layers of lace or netting.

While I wouldn’t suggest a bride try for a world record, part of the fun of wearing a cathedral length veil is letting it trail gracefully behind one’s wedding dress as one glides down the aisle. That means that the bride considering the cathedral veil should take her accessory choices to heart when choosing a ceremony venue. The cathedral length veil looks best in an expansive space — like a cathedral — where it can take up space without bunching up or getting caught on things. Big weddings and cathedral veils and trains go together like chocolate and everything.

Many accessories hobble women in the name of beauty and femininity, and cathedral veils (and chapel length veils) are no exception. The longer the veil, the harder it will be to maneuver gracefully around oneself at the wedding ceremony. Forget about wearing a cathedral veil at the wedding reception. Unlike veils that can be flipped behind one’s head and forgotten while one boogies down to We Are Family, the longest bridal veils need to be removed before it’s officially party time so they’re not stepped on or torn by sharp heels.

As far as I’m concerned, wedding photographs are *the* reason to wear a cathedral length veil. The most romantic and dramatic wedding photos all seem to feature brides in long flowing veils. Bonus points go to those brides who just happened to get married on extremely windy days. For perfect veil photos, choose one made of lighter, finer material that will billow and float in the softest breezes. And if there’s no wind, the bride can twirl until her cathedral veil whips around resembling something akin to a waterfall… or waterslide.

Or the bride and groom can use the cathedral veil for a little kissing camouflage!
So how much do the longest bridal veils cost? Brides who want to add to the drama of the wedding day or become the princess at their very own fairy tale weddings should expect to spend at least $100 for a very basic veil, and that’s a fairly low price. A prettier, more elaborate veil or an extremely well-made veil might cost $200 or $500, though my research has shown me that about $175 will buy a very nice (and sometimes custom made) cathedral length veil.
Photos via Project Wedding, Misty Dawn Photography, Raw Photo Design, Scarlett Lillian, and Preloved
I’m sorry, whenever I see these long veils, I think of that scene in Singin’ In The Rain where Gene Kelly is dancing with a girl (I forget whether it’s Debbie Reynolds or Cyd Charisse, because I forget when it is in the movie) and she has a scarf on, and as the scene progresses the scarf magically grows. and grows. and GROWS. It goes from a little wispy scarf to this epic … THING that blows out behind her.
I get the giggles every time I see that scene…
Cyd Charisse
Wow, how gorgeous is that bride in the first picture?
Great blog! And thanks for featuring one of our photos!
I love long veils… When my sister was married earlier this year, she had a long long veil even though her dress had just a little sweep train. It was what she wanted and it looked really lovely. She was lucky enough to have a blustery-yet-mild mid-March day and the photographer got some really nice shots.