Many brides question whether to wear a veil and headdress of some form such as a tiara, headband or decorative slide. Some of the more traditional-at-heart brides would not dream of leaving off a veil, while some more modern brides would find a veil overkill and choose to opt simply for a decorative hair comb placed strategically within their ‘do’.

For the most part, veils are still firm favourites and can be hired or custom-made. You may wear a veil only once in your life and you may find the dress dictates the choice of veil. For example, a very ornate veil would be too much with a heavily decorated or patterned dress, or if you have a gown that has very pretty details down the back, you may not want to choose a long veil which would cover it all.

For some, the choice of veil may come before the dress – in this case, it’s best to try on lots of different styles and fabrics to find the one that works best for you, as there are a range of lace edged, diamante encrusted and different colours available.

Styles of veils include:
Blusher – This style of veil comes to just beneath your chin, or the top of your chest, and can be combined with a longer veil for a more dramatic look.
Chapel – This style of veil flows down the back of your dress, just over your train.
Cathedral – Think Lady Di and Kate Middleton, this style of veil extends beyond your train for an even more formal and dramatic look. However, make sure the dress is just as dramatic to stand up to this style.
Mantilla – This is a Spanish-influenced style of veil which drapes just over the head and usually has a scalloped edge trimmed in lace.
Whether you go for a veil or not, most brides do like a bit of sparkle, whether it’s in the form of a princess style tiara, a more simple headband or an understated hair comb decorating your wedding hair do. You may be the bride who has know exactly what she has wanted since the grand old age of five, if not, don’t worry, simply try a few head accessories on with your dress and discover which look you like best. The style of head piece you go for may also determine how to wear your hair. So it’s wise to take any head piece you have chosen along to your hairdresser so they can play around and work out styles you like which incorporate your tiara, headband or hair comb.

You will also need to think about your bridesmaids – although they certainly won’t require a veil, you may want to allow them a little head sparkle so they stand out. Your choice of bridesmaids dresses will most likely determine how detailed you want to go and whether you want to introduce the theme colour to the bridesmaid’s hair accessory. However, don’t choose headpieces that are larger or more prominent than your own, as this would look a little odd in the photographs if all your bridesmaids wore tiaras, while your dainty hair comb was hidden at the back or side of your head out of view.