4 things I love about Kate Middleton’s iconic wedding veil (and 1 thing I don’t!)
CELEBRITY WEDDING VEIL ANALYSIS
Back in 2011, when I watched Prince William marry the then Kate Middleton, I immediately knew her wedding veil would become one of the most iconic of all time.
The thing that really stood out to me was just how simply elegant, timeless, and classic it looked. But what made it so special?
01
IT’S A DROP VEIL - A FEATURE I’VE NOTICED ACROSS MOST ROYAL WEDDINGS
A drop veil means it doesn't have a gather of tulle onto the comb. And it means that it gives a really lovely silhouette of the head, without any bulking or bunching up at the back.
What's really beautiful about her veil is that it's attached to a very thin lining at the bottom of her tiara, so it's invisible. She doesn't have the comb in her hair, so it all acts as one piece rather than two.
Now that doesn't mean if you don't have a tiara, you can't wear a drop veil! It's simply attached to a comb instead and it gives a near-invisible look. It gives a clean way of attaching your veil without needing to worry about hairpins and how skilled your hairdresser is on the day!
02
IT’S MADE OF PURE SILK, WITH AN INTENTIONALLY WEIGHTED EDGE
Her veil was made of pure silk - perhaps unsurprisingly! - and it was embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework. Each little floral motif will have been drawn out, and then hand-embroidered around the edge.
The nice thing about that is it just adds a little bit of weight, and when you look at some of the photos, the wind beautifully catches the silk. If it didn't have any weight on the edge, the veil quite probably would have been flying away and she'd have been having to fight it, which would not really go with the whole luxury royal wedding vibe!
03
THERE WERE MEANINGFUL TOUCHES WITH THE BLUSHER
The blusher is the front part of the veil that covers the face, and is then lifted, after which it sits at the back. That’s why a veil with a blusher is known as a two-tier veil.
With Kate’s veil, there are some really small bits of floral lace placed so that when the blusher is forwards, you don't see them. In fact, they actually sit right over her heart. And I imagine it was a subtle but beautiful way of representing someone who wasn’t there.
One of the nice details about a two-tier veil is that it gives you the classic waterfall effect at the back - that lovely cascade of tulle. It’s particularly beautiful when that's edged, as is the case with this veil.
Going for the more traditional two-tier look was also a touching reference to Princess Diana’s bridal look, and in a way that wasn’t quite so 80s.
Aside from the blusher design, I thought it was a really special moment when her Dad lifted it. It’s quite an intimate moment because it's that final ‘reveal’ of the bride - often it’s the groom or a bridesmaid that lifts the veil, but I loved the fact she wanted her Dad to do it.
PURE SILK VEIL
DELICATE LACE EDGE
SENTIMENTAL LACE
04
THERE WAS SO MUCH LOVE AND CARE THAT WENT INTO IT
I estimate this veil would have taken around 100 hours of work. 10 to 20 hours of sketching out the designs of each individual piece, and sampling them in silk thread. And then around 80 hours to embroider, possibly more!
With royal weddings - and big celebrity weddings - I also know that they have a 20 minute hand washing policy. Anyone working on the dresses or veils has to wash their hands every 20 minutes, just to make sure that there's no oil or dirt on their hands.
05
ONE THING I MIGHT CHANGE
There is one thing I would change! I will always be a long veil girl. I feel that if you're going to wear a veil, it's really nice to have a length that doesn't interrupt the silhouette at the waist - which I think Kate’s veil does, looking at side profile pictures. It interrupts the line of the dress - and particularly in an A line dress, it’s key that you get that clear view of your waist being the smallest part.
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THE SILHOUETTE
IF YOU LOVE KATE’S CUSTOM VEIL, OR WANT TO INCORPORATE SOME OF HER FEATURES INTO YOUR BRIDAL LOOK, WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR IDEAS!