5 Things to Know Before Picking Out A Wedding Veil or Hair Accessories

Here at Embellish, while we are whimsical, we are also part practical. Therefore, we want you to be armed with information when it comes time to pick out the perfect, eye-catching wedding veil or hair accessory for your Big Day. 

These are not all the things to consider when picking out a wedding veil or hair accessory; that post will come later. For now, here are things you should know before picking out a wedding veil or hair accessory for your Big Day: 

1) KNOW THE LOCATION OF YOUR WEDDING. Is it on the beach, where wind might continuously blow a longer veil in your face throughout the ceremony? Or perhaps in a chapel or cathedral that calls for a long veil to drag the floor behind you reminiscent of royalty?

2) KNOW THE TONE OF YOUR WEDDING. Is it black tie, playful, hippie, fairy tale, etc? Keeping everything in the same tone will help make for a seamless feel throughout the wedding festivities.

3) FIND THE DRESS. This probably goes without saying, but the dress will help drive the shape, length and embellishments your veil should have. More considerations involving the dress to come in that later post I mentioned earlier.

4) KNOW WHAT YOU PLAN TO DO WITH YOUR HAIR. It doesn't have to be the final version, but at least have an idea: up? down? half up? curlicues? You get the picture.

5) KNOW YOUR BUDGET FOR BRIDAL ACCESSORIES. The last thing you want to do is fall in love with a veil outside your budget. If you have X for your budget and have picked out a necklace and earrings that total Y, your veil must equal no more than X-Y; but you already knew that. Just remember to remember it.

So those are my top 5 things to know before picking out a wedding dress or hair accessory. Hopefully this was helpful. I'll do another post shortly on specific things to consider when picking our your wedding veil.

Rules, what Rules?

As someone who lives her life by the rules, I love it when there are none! Therefore, my favorite thing about wedding veils is that there are NO rules! It's all based on preference, your preference. Or your mom's, if she's paying! :)

So, instead you consider the style of your gown, your personal fashion style, the location, decorations for the day, it's all fair game. Perhaps you want a red ribbon edge to match the red sash of your gown and red ribbon on the invitations? Do it! Maybe you are going to get married at the beach and don't want your veil blowing in groom's face, so you choose a birdcage veil? Go for it! Maybe you're getting married in a church with red carpet, so you want a cathedral length veil with your monogram trailing behind you? Perfect! (That was my shout out, I hope I get to see pictures!!) Maybe your fashion style is retro or hippie or prep, well, there are veils for each!

So, throw the handbook out the window, put on your happy shoes and choose whatever veil tickles your fancy!

Fingers Crossed

Along the way, each piece of this ginormous small business puzzle has made me feel legit. The first time a bride went down the aisle (and every one since!), the first time I sold a veil to a stranger, first logo, first business card design, opening a bank account, starting this blog, first photo shoot, first consultation with a bride ...

But this month is the first month where it seems like I just might make it. I have three veils due this month (including one to go down the aisle on a friend), my first consultation at Vocelles, my first birdcage veil sold, two requests for an estimate and at least two orders from Vocelles are on their way.

I'm trying to keep realistic, which means that this volume won't keep up due to the flow of the wedding seasons, but fingers crossed anyway!

R & R

This past weekend, I went to Seagrove Beach with the family for some much needed R & R. But when one has two part time marketing jobs and is starting up their own wedding veil company, there is no rest for the weary. So, the first bag I packed carried tulle, needle, scissors, thimble and thread!

The first morning, we got up early, all went out to the balcony and I began sewing ribbon onto the edge of a veil. I was quite relaxed, apparently TOO relaxed. As the next time I picked up the veil, I was shocked to see that I had been sewing the wrong side and would have to start over!!

Needless to say, from then on out I kept the veil in a safe place and focused on the beach ...

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Lee!

As expected, Brenna was absolutely gorgeous on her Big Day! And Nick didn't look too shabby either. ;) A beautiful wedding, a fabulous couple, a packed church and a veil by Embellish. Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Lee!

Close-up of the lace:

2nd Time's a Charm

Tomorrow, my (ahem, Embellish's) second wedding veil goes down the wedding aisle!! You've met my friend Brenna a handful of times on my blog and it's her Big Day tomorrow. Woohoooooooooooooooooo!

This might be my favorite part of this business: literally watching my dream become a reality as the bride emerges in one of my wedding veils.

Now the only question is: what am I going to wear??

Love At First Sight

This Saturday, my friend Lindsay, who you met in the post on July 17, will walk down the aisle in MY custom-made wedding veil! Words can hardly describe how special this ceremony will be as my dear friend is the first to walk down the aisle in an Embellish Wedding Veil. Secretly, I hope the wedding guests, specifically those yet to be married, fall in love at first sight and enquire about my handy work! Since I cannot wait to reveal pics from Lindsay's Big Day, keep your eyes peeled for a post come Sunday or Monday.

You've seen a pic of Lindsay and me from our first week of college, 2001, so here is a pic from my last day of college. All the best to you, Lindz!

Ideas into Tulle

Tonight I'm feeling optimistic. Optimistic from the past and optimistic about the future. As noted in my description, my first line of wedding veils is quite traditional. But I'm excited to start experimenting and see what develops for my next line.

Question is how well my ideas will translate into tulle. But the only way to tell, is to create. So let the games begin!

Lessons Learned

I promised to share my sucessful walks down the aisle of design or my stumbles. Well, as could be expected, there has been a bit of both. I've shared the successes with you: I have wedding veils hanging in TWO bridal shops, am working with 5 brides, and have sold 1 veil through the Tallahassee bridal shop.

What I have not shared with you are the stumbles. That changes tonight. No one likes to share the stumbles (as they feel like failures at times), but luckily mine have been bearable, though terribly frustrating.

Let's see, there was the wedding veil that was ruined after it was finished. Lesson learned: beware the HOT iron and ALWAYS test a scrap piece of tulle! Then there was the veil that was started 3 times because I just didn't like the look I was getting. Lesson learned: begin well in advance of the due date! Oh, and the veil where the lace edging was abandoned (after it was sewn around the entire veil!). Lesson learned: one must consider the shape of the veil, the length of the veil, the extremeness of the curves, and the shape of the lace. Side note: since this veil, I have found a lace edging that is simply GORGEOUS!

For those of you who know me, you know that I love "silver linings" or more appropriately: lessons learned. If you have to go through an unpleasant experience, you might as well learn from it so you never go through it again. And now you know my wedding veil lessons learned.

Embellishing Lindsay's Day

Lindsay was my college roommate both freshman and sophomore year. She is a woman after God's own heart. And so is her man! I cannot wait to celebrate their love and commitment come mid-August! I wish them all the best as they start their new life together.

Lindsay's dress is ABSOLUTELY beautiful!! I am very honored (and super excited!) to be making her wedding veil. Thank you, Lindsay, for letting me Embellish Your Day! XOXO

Here's a picture of us from the first week of college in 2001!

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue

Something Old: My grandmother's sewing machine. Okay, well, it's not all that old, but she did buy it a few years back and has passed it on to me. So sweet! I use the machine for the gathering at the comb, while the wedding veils' embellishments are hand-sewn. Here's a pic of "Maw-Maw's" sewing machine:


Something New: Lots of things. :)

Something Borrowed: My mother's embroidery machine.

Something Blue: Embellish's logo.

Final Fitting

So far, my favorite part of designing wedding veils is the interaction with the brides (and the sneak peaks of their gowns). To date, I've met with two brides in person (seeing them in their gorgeous gowns!!) and I've met with two brides via email (getting to see pictures of their gorgeous gowns!!).

Today was one of those days. Brenna (whom you met in my post on June 8) invited me to accompany her besties to the final fitting! What a great group of ladies, it was such fun! Her wedding veil is SO close to being done, I just have one minor change to make.

I cannot wait to start posting the pics of these brides from their BIG DAYS!!

Embellishing Nance's Day

Today marks the first day that a wedding veil has left the shop on its way to the bride!! It won't be delivered for a while, but it is in route! Nance, a friend of my sister's from Nashville, has given me the opportunity to Embellish Her Day.

I am yet to meet Nance but I can tell from her emails that she is just precious. I wish her all the best as she plans her Big Day in October. Look for pictures following the ceremony!

Detail Pictures

As a single lady, I am always taking notes of wedding day ideas as they pertain to the cake, the dress, the band, and of course, the groom! But I had no idea how many times I would change my notes for the wedding veil. First, I wanted my sister's veil: hip length with a ribbon edge and monogram. But then I put on a hip length with no edging and it took my breath away: it was so simple, so sweet. And then I tried on a chapel length which made me feel so important, so proper.

So, while I continue to take notes, here are a few detail shots of my veils:

No Edge

Pencil Edge

Ribbon Edge

Lace Edge

Rhinestones

Monogram

Comb Embellishment

Falling in Love

My love affair with tulle began during my sister's engagement. She tried on dress after dress, but she didn't try on a wedding veil until she found a dress that moved her. Until this point, she was just a pretty girl trying on pretty dresses. But when she put on that wedding veil, she instantaneously became a bride!

That was over a year and a half ago, but my adoration of tulle has not subsided. In fact, it has exploded all over my mother's dining room and it is a gorgeous sight! I have been making wedding veils for over a month now and cannot wait for my first line to debut this summer!