When brides are putting together their wedding look there are a few staples that always seem to make the list. The stunning dress, the extra jewelry, the perfect shoes and more often than not the VEIL!!! I knew from the get go that I wanted a long and flowy veil on my wedding day but after trying it on before the big day I couldn’t imagine wearing it the ENTIRE day. So when should you wear the veil?

Many brides choose to wear a wedding veil for at least a portion of the day. That could be from the first look through the ceremony or from the ceremony into the reception. It is entirely up to you! After all, if you love your veil, you should wear it as long as you want. However, what most brides may not realize is that veils are a PAIN to maneuver! They usually only stay in as long as they absolutely HAVE to, unless the veil is smaller and light weight!

So shen is the best time to wear the veil? Here’s my opinion and why this option is amazing for photos!!

If my bride is planning to have a first look and doesn’t necessarily want to wear the veil the entire day, I recommend not wearing the veil until she is walking down the aisle!

Here’s why you should save the wedding veil for the ceremony:

• The veil gives her groom something he hasn’t seen. Plus it makes the bride look EXTRA bridal as she walks down the aisle!
• It guarantees that we get a small portion of time for some just married photos. And the beautiful veil fluffing shots we are known for!
• Veils photograph BETTER in the evening than during mid day for the first look!
• It keeps the veil from getting wrinkled or dirty before the ceremony.
• The bride gets TWO different looks on her wedding day aka twice the portraits!

And my absolute favorite reason for saving the veil until the ceremony…

• We have seen TONS of grooms freak out during the first look. Think tears and huge bear hugs. Which leads to them accidentally pulling the veil without realizing it is firmly attached to the back of their bride’s head! OUCH!!! And that definitely doesn’t lead to the romantic first look you always dreamed of!

I know most of these things you have probably NEVER thought about. But they make a big difference for us as photographers on the wedding day! If you are debating on what to do with your veil, know that no matter what you decide your day is going to be amazing! It is your day so you can do whatever you want!!!