Why Does The Bride Wear A Veil?
The tradition of a veil covering the bride is as ancient as the Roman Empire. Brides of this time period wore a bright red veil to signify becoming a matron with the obligations of a married woman. The wedding dress, itself, was often red up to the Victorian era when white became the preferred color.
Rather than a sheer veil, in Latin Christian ceremonies, approximately 300AD, a silk cloth was placed over the head of both the bride and the groom to signify laying on the “burden” the newlywed couple were taking upon themselves to fulfill their marital commitments.
The bridal veil of fine tulle, traditional today, came about after the Renaissance in Europe. Some stories say that this tradition came as a result of the Biblical story of Jacob. Jacob was tricked into marrying the older sister, Leah, instead of his true love, Rachel because Leah was covered with an opaque veil during the ceremony. In order to view the bride through the veil, sheer netting became popular.
Today, brides often choose to use flowers instead of a veil, or a veil down the back, yet not covering her face. Traditionally, the veil covers the brides face until her new husband lifts the veil to kiss the bride. The bride is free, today, to choose any combination of head adornment which pleases her.
