06/02/2026
Will Miss Madeline be wearing a short or a long veil this weekend?
Veils
Brides have worn veils since ancient Greek & Roman times. In some cultures the veil was thought o protect the bride from evil spirits. Early Roman veils were “Flame Red.” Colonial American brides wore no veil. Many Asian grooms saw their wife’s face for the first time when the veil was lifted at the wedding.
Until the mid 19th century, the veil was only decorative, hanging down the back of the head. It was not until the 1860’s or 1870’s that the bride actually wore the veil over her face during the ceremony to cover her virgin modesty. The veil remained over her face until her husband lifted it in their own room or home later that night. Subsequently, the bride kept the veil over her face for the entire wedding, putting it back only for the bridal supper. The custom for the bride to wear the veil over face at the church and then back afterwards evolved in the latter part of the nineteenth century.
