Your Guide to Selecting the Right Veil Lengths for Your Wedding Dress

If you choose to wear a wedding veil on your big day, there are a number of styles and veil lengths to choose from. “When selecting the best veil to pair with your gown, be open to trying many different styles to see what works best,” advises bridal stylist Maradee Wahl of Dear Maradee. “Ask your bridal stylist or a friend to help by taking pictures from the front, side, and back, and repeat this process with or without a blusher if you may include one. Take a video walking so you can assess the view everyone will see as you’re walking down the aisle!”

If you’re stuck on what kind of veil might coordinate well with your ensemble, we’ve put together some suggestions for length based solely on the silhouette of your bridal gown. Your dream veil – for example, many brides love cathedral veils – may be a great option for one type of bridal gown but not for another, so if a long veil or cathedral veil length is what you've always desired, it's important to pair the length you desire with the right gown.

Find out which length of veil is the right choice for your wedding gown:

If Your Wedding Dress Is a Ball Gown… 

-  You will be channeling your inner princess with the classic, full skirt. If you’d like to further enhance this romantic motif, consider the fingertip-length veil (40 to 45 inches). This wedding veil reaches about down to your fingertips and would blend perfectly into a full tulle skirt, giving the illusion of a veil with a longer length without covering any of the skirt detail.

- If your ball gown does not feature a tulle skirt, a thicker chapel veil (90-inch length) would bring a dramatic flair to your feminine look. 

-  If the back of your dress – bodice – is particularly low or generously embellished, a shoulder veil (19 to 22 inches) would allow you to show off the details you desire.

If Your Wedding Dress Is an A-Line Gown… 

-  A-line gowns are incredibly versatile; many different wedding veil lengths can work very well with this particular silhouette. You’ll really have to consider the back of your gown and then elements you’d like in full view. 

- If the back features intricate beading, appliqués, or an interesting design, we recommend a thin elbow veil (24 to 30 inches) or a thick shoulder veil. 

-  If you want to add a boldness to the back of your gown, longer veil lengths would provide you with a healthy dose of drama. Longer veils – cathedral length (108 to 120 inches), chapel length, or even – if space and general awareness permit – a royal or regal length veil (over 120 inch length) will stun your guests.

If Your Wedding Dress Is a Modified A-Line Gown… 

-  Slightly different from the classic A-line, the modified version is more fitted on the hips, eventually flaring out around the top of the thigh. With such a dramatic jet-off, you’ll want the bottom of your gown to be in full view, so a mid-hip veil (33 to 36 inches) will likely hang just above the start of the skirt. 

-  Shorter veils such as the elbow veil, shoulder veil, and flyaway veil (20-inch length) will give your gown room to shine while simultaneously drawing attention up to your face.

If Your Wedding Dress Is a Trumpet Gown… 

-  The trumpet gown lies right between the modified A-line and the mermaid in terms of a flared skirt. The dress will be fitted close to the body until about mid-thigh, where it jets out. 

- If you’re following the same pattern from the modified A-line, a fingertip veil should fall right around the origin of the flare and coordinate beautifully with the eye-catching skirt. 

-  To contrast the flare, a very short veil, such as the flyaway veil or even a birdcage veil (9 to 18 inches and typically covering the top of your head) would add a cheeky element to your attire and show your playful side.

If Your Wedding Dress Is a Mermaid Gown… 

-  The same theory applies. Mermaid dresses generally flare out around the knee, so a semi-waltz length veil (61-inch length) or a waltz-length or knee veil (70 to 75 inches) would hit your lower legs in just the right spot, depending on your height, making your ensemble cohesive. 

- Additionally, mermaid dresses jet out close enough to the ground to get away with an even longer wedding veil. If you’re looking to bring a regal element to this playful silhouette, consider a thin chapel or cathedral veil as well.

If Your Wedding Dress Is a Sheath Gown… 

-  For a narrow dress that stays at a consistent shape from neckline to hem, you have your choice of bridal veil styles. Depending on the intricacy of your full ensemble, most any veil style will look stunning – decide how much of your gown you’d like to show off, and select your veil based on this. 

-  If your dress is very simply bedecked, take the opportunity to get a thicker, or more heavily embellished veil. Similarly, a layered veil adds volume to your bridal look.

If Your Wedding Dress Is a Tea-Length Gown… 

-  For a dress with a hemline that falls between your knee or ankle, you might be looking to exude a vintage, time period-specific look on your big day. If this is the case, we recommend a stylish birdcage veil – available with a variety of small to large appliqués and embellishments. It will embolden your classic look! 

-  To layer your wedding attire, consider a chapel veil to give your ensemble a “high-low” concept or an elbow or mid-hip veil to add an element of traditional bridal charm to your avant-garde look.

If Your Wedding Dress Is a Mini Dress… 

-  So you don’t believe you can wear a veil with your shorter dress – in which the hemline falls above the knee – for your wedding? Think again! Chances are, your heart is set on a more casual look for the big day: a style that typically works well with a shorter veil. 

- A flyaway, shoulder, or even elbow veil would give you an extra boost as far as the “classic wedding” motif is concerned, while having the correct length for a minidress. 

-  A birdcage veil is also a unique, causal accessory for this particular style of dress. Since the frock won’t create as much drama – fabric-wise – a large, even colorful veil can be your offbeat statement piece for the “I dos.”

Choosing a Veil Based on Your Wedding Dress Materials

- Brides who have a minimalist dress may choose to add to the look by selecting a more embellished veil, while a detailed dress may be better complemented with a simple style. However, that’s based on personal preference – there’s nothing wrong with a beaded dress paired with a sparkling veil or a crepe sheath with a classic fingertip tulle selection. 

- Lace gowns can be trickier, as you don’t want a lace-trimmed veil to clash with your dress; though a lace dress paired with a lace veil may help to create the classic look you invision.

- “A clean cut edge veil works with many different gowns, as the line will disappear and give a diaphanous effect. This is a great choice for brides when the gown designer doesn’t offer a ‘matching’ ensemble veil,” bridal stylist Maradee Wahl of Dear Maradee explains. 

If You Want a Long Veil, What's the Right Veil Length?

- Cathedral veils have become incredibly popular in recent years, and it’s no wonder why. Even the simplest style evokes a sense of beauty and drama, and there is no doubting that a long, flowing veil makes for some stunning photographs. 

- There can be some variance in how long a cathedral veil is, which at first glance can make it hard to know which is the right choice. And if you have an especially long train, you might even need to go the custom route. So what’s the right length? 

- For a standard rule of thumb, “A long veil that ends 12 to 18 inches past the end of your train works with most styles and silhouettes!” reveals bridal stylist Maradee Wahl of Dear Maradee.