What Makes a Great Bridal Veil for Wedding Portraits
Many of our brides dream of an epic “veil-blowing-in-the-wind” photograph on their wedding day, and they’re some of my favorite portraits to create! In my decade-long career as a wedding photographer, I’ve worked with so many veils, some of which are perfect for this type of photo op, while others aren’t. I want all brides who dream of these portraits to have them, so I’m sharing the two main factors of what makes a great bridal veil for these shots!
LONG BRIDAL VEILS VS. SHORT BRIDAL VEILS
Long bridal veils (think cathedral-length) will always be my favorite! Due to their length, they also make the best ones for creating epic portraits. They’re easier to toss up in the air and will look much more elegant as they float down in the breeze. Shorter bridal veils, such as fingertip-length, make it harder to make the veil fly in the wind when it’s tossed, or have a “swooping” (for lack of a better word!) look to it like in the photo above. Just remember longer veils = more material to work with and shorter veils = less material to work with.
CONSIDER THE MATERIAL & EMBELLISHMENTS
These are also two important key factors to consider when you’re shopping for your bridal veil! Make sure the material (fabric) of the veil is soft and light, like fine tulle. You also don’t want too much lace or a ton of embellishments, such as heavy beading. While these are beautiful, they will weigh down your veil so it will fall to the ground much quicker, rather than floating to the ground. I’m certainly not telling you to avoid lace, because I love what it adds to a veil! Just make sure it’s on the lighter side.
The photo above is one of my all-time favorite “veil-blowing-in-the-wind” portraits I’ve ever taken, however, it was actually a little difficult to accomplish due to how much the lace weighed down the bride’s veil. Luckily, we were working with an amazing wedding planner that day who didn’t mind doing a few extra veil tosses for us!
I hope you find these tips helpful as you search for a wedding veil and pull your bridal style together! Are you looking forward to an epic bridal veil portrait on your wedding day? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below!
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHERS
Shaina Lee Photography is a husband and wife photography team serving Connecticut, New York, and beyond. We specialize in timeless, elegant, and romantic weddings while celebrating all couples in love.
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