As with most wedding details, an item’s price does not
always correlate with the difficulty of its construction. Even the most inexpensive retail veils I
considered – the White by Vera Wang line at David's Bridal – ranged from
$108-$198. Bridal boutiques begin there
but long veils (chapel, cathedral) often start at $300 while custom couture
looks can cost as much as $3,000.
Where to turn when you stumble upon a too-risky DIY? Etsy – the home of crafty folks like yourself
who have perfected such projects.
Kasey at Fascinating Bride is one such craftswoman, with
100% positive feedback (mine included) since she opened two years ago. Her story starts with tutus: she was
making the tulle dresses for her one-year old daughter for photo props; when a close friend got engaged and
discovered how expensive veils were (despite the cost of tulle), she asked
Kasey to try to create a cathedral veil – which she did with great
success. Kasey is currently based out of
her home in a suburb of Seattle and will be showcased this fall at the Seattle
Wedding Expo. We caught up with her to
talk French netting, what inspires her and what’s next.
How many veils have you made?
I would estimate around 300 veils in the last two years.
What are your veils made out of?
My veils are made of mostly bridal illusion tulle because
it is soft and flowy. I have also used other materials such as French netting
to make birdcage veils, or the ever expensive silk tulle. Which I was surprised
was not as soft to touch as bridal illusion, however it hangs beautifully.
However, it is $50 a yard for the fabric so the price goes up 10 fold for that
style, it’s the same fabric Kate Middleton used for her veil when she wed
Prince William.
Speaking of Princess Kate, what’s trending right now with
bridal head pieces?
There are a lot of lace orders coming in; lace dresses
are back in style and gorgeous cathedral veils lined with lace has been my
biggest hit.
What’s your favorite thing to create?
I love making custom items. It’s exciting for me to try
to create something someone else has dreamed up. The result is very satisfying
if I can give them just what they were looking for but were unable to find!
Where did you learn to make veils?
Well, I bought a pattern from Joann’s fabrics. That was a
TOTAL bust. Then, I started trying to free cut them myself, this worked so much
better and now that is all I do. They took me a while to get the hang of, but
now it’s second nature. I can cut and sew a veil in about 20 minutes.
What colors are your veils? Sizes and shapes?
I can make the veils in almost any color, but the most
popular are white, ivory, and champagne. Sizes/shapes can vary greatly. From
short birdcage veils to long cathedral length veils with trains as long as 10
feet behind the bride! Shapes can be a traditional “A” line to a circular veil
that has no comb and simply falls from the bride’s head.Does a veil have to match the dress?
Because there are about a thousand shades of
white/ivory/champagne for wedding dresses, this is probably the most asked
question. There are not very many shades of these colors in tulle available.
The reason is that it’s not very important for the veil to match the dress
exactly in color, but more in color pallet. Tulle is so sheer that it tends to
take on the shade of the dress. As far as the style, you want to keep it in the
same realm as the dress, but it’s your wedding and your veil so whatever makes
you happiest is the right choice for you.
