A Tradewind Tiaras Silk Tulle Veil on Style Me Pretty!

I just stumbled on one of our silk tulle veils on a spectacular post on Style Me Pretty on Tuesday!

Check out the absolutely amazing wedding, the incredible photography by We Heart Photography, and of course, our absolutely stunning bride, Kimberly.  Oh yeah, and the silk tulle veil.  ;-)

New Veil Edging: Embellished Pencil Edge

Silk tulle veils are absolutely gorgeous.  The fabric flows and drapes like nothing else in the world.  But that incredible softness and flow does behave very differently than standard bridal illusion veils, and sometimes edgings that work brilliantly on one fabric just aren't great on the other.

As a designer, you have to work with the fabric.  Understand its strengths and its limitations.  And figure out ways around the issues.

One such example is our pearl and crystal veil edging.

Now, I love the pearl and crystal edging.  I love it so much that I wore it for my own wedding (that's me!).  But as fabulous as it is with a bridal illusion veil, it just doesn't work all that well with silk tulle.  The pearls and crystals are just a little too heavy for the oh-so-soft and delicate fabric.  

So I started brainstorming ways to develop a new edging that would have a similar effect, but would work with the silk tulle.  The result is our embellished pencil edge.

The pencil edging gives a bit of extra structure to the delicate silk tulle fabric.  Just enough to be able to sew on an embellishment.  Shown here with all Swarovski crystals, it also looks spectacular with the same pattern of pearls and crystals on our pearl and crystal edging.

We can do this with any pencil edging, but I especially like the silver pencil edging.  The silver defines the edge lightly, but because it reflects the light more than a white or ivory edging would, the effect is actually much more subtle.  And that lets the pearl and crystal embellishments really shine.

So you want a silk tulle veil?  You want some sparkle and dazzle, too?  This is a fabulous option that takes advantage of all that silk tulle has to offer.

Kate Middleton Silk Tulle Veil Replica

Kate Middleton's silk tulle veil was absolutely exquisite, and introduced millions to the concept of silk tulle veils.  Most salons don't carry silk tulle at all, because it's a very expensive material (can't have an 8000% markup on silk tulle!) and notoriously hard to work with.  But it's gorgeous--nothing moves and drapes like silk tulle--and we at Tradewind Tiaras think it's worth the effort.  We're one of very few designers in the world who work with silk tulle, and we've been making silk tulle veils for years.

Kate Middleton's Silk Tulle Veil

I just finished up a model shoot showing off our Kate Middleton replica veil, and had to show it off today!

We use only the finest European silk tulle (the domestic silk tulle suppliers' quality didn't come close), and the Kate Middleton Replica veil is edged in Alencon re-embroidered lace.  We don't have the Royal Academy of Embroiderers at our disposal, but gorgeous, high-end Alencon lace comes very, very close!

Just look how gorgeously the silk tulle drapes and flows!

Alencon Lace embroidered trim on a silk tulle cage veil.

Do you want to buy your very own Kate Middleton replica silk tulle veil?  We'd be delighted to make one for you!  It's not on our main website yet (have to wait for my husband/web designer to get home from the JASIG conference), but send us an email and we can step you through exactly what to order to get this look.  

Kate Middleton's Silk Tulle Veil--True Elegance!

Did you watch the Royal wedding last night?  Are you completely in love with Kate Middleton's veil?  She looked stunning, classic, elegant--in a word, regal.

Clearly, this woman is going to be a fashion icon.

Do you want Kate's veil for your own wedding?  Silk tulle veils can be incredibly hard to find, but we at Tradewind Tiaras are one of the very few makers of silk tulle veils in the world!  There's absolutely nothing like the flow and drape of silk tulle.  No wonder it's been the choice of royalty for centuries, and continues to be now, even when most veils are made out of bridal illusion.

If you want a veil just like Kate Middleton's, you need to order a silk tulle cage veil with lace edging, 72" diameter (fingertip length) size.

Edit:  Here's a link to our most recent post with pictures of our Kate Middleton silk tulle replica veil.

When Should You Order Veils and Accessories?

We're heading into the busy season for wedding businesses--all those recent engagements over the holidays, all those upcoming summer weddings!  Planning a wedding can be overwhelming at times, especially if you (like most brides) have never planned a large-scale event before.  So many details to keep track of and consider!

The timeline for wedding planning is pretty flexible, really, but there are some things you should do before you start considering a veil and other accessories.  Before you come to Tradewind Tiaras looking for the perfect accessories, you should first:

• Have the venue picked out--or at least be sure you know what kind of venue you want.  A beautiful field and a tent?  A gorgeous cathedral and grand ballroom?  The venue can really set the tone for the whole wedding, including what you wear.  This isn't an absolute, obviously, but it's a very good place to start.
• Have the dress picked out.  You might have always thought that you'd wear a white dress on your wedding day...until you went dress shopping, and discovered that pale ivory really suits your complexion much better.  Don't even think of ordering a veil until your dress is chosen and ordered.  It's a good idea not to buy your other accessories until the dress is chosen, as well.  You might think you'll wear silver jewelry...until you find the perfect dress with gold embroidery.  Or you might end up wanting a custom tiara design based on your dress detailing.  The sparkly stuff is fun, but the dress needs to come first.

One those two elements are in place, it's the perfect time to talk accessories.  Our standard turnaround time is approximately two weeks, but sometimes we need to special order a component, or are overwhelmed by last-minute rush orders.  We always do our best to accommodate rush orders at no additional cost, but it's much, much better to order well ahead of your wedding.   Several months ahead, preferably.  Place your order as soon as possible, and check that item off your list.  Worried about storing your veil?  It's easy--just check out these tips and all will be well.

Happy wedding planning!

How to Get Wrinkles Out of a Veil

The dress has been altered.  The accessories ordered and arrived.  Every detail is in place and it's the last few days leading up to your wedding.

Then you take the veil out of the bag where it's been sitting for the last several months.

And it's wrinkled.  Really wrinkled.

Never fear!  There are a number of easy ways to get the wrinkles out of that veil so you'll look perfect on your wedding day.

The first thing you can do is prevent the wrinkles.  When you get your veil, remove it from the bag and hang it in the closet.  The comb can easily be attached to a hanger (with safety pins, clothes pins, even paper clips) and the veil will be safely and perfectly stored until the big day.  Any wrinkles that did occur during shipping should easily hang themselves out by the time you need to wear the veil.

If there are a couple stubborn wrinkles, or you left the veil in the bag for a few months, try these steps to get the wrinkles out of the veil.

1)  Steam the veil.  If you have a steamer, great!  That's the fastest way to get the wrinkles out of a veil safely.  Don't own a steamer?  No problem.  Hang the veil in the bathroom and take the hottest, longest shower you can stand.  The smaller the bathroom the better.  Usually, even that amount of steam will smooth out any creases.

2)  Iron.  On LOW.  Really, really low.  Silk and English netting veils can take higher heat, since they're natural fabrics, but bridal illusion is a man made fabric, and will melt if it gets too hot.  It's better to spend more time going over a spot a few times than risk melting your veil right before your wedding.

3)  Tumble dry.  This is a last resort option, and is risky.  Toss the veil by itself in the dryer, on the very very lowest setting the machine is capable of.  Check the veil every thirty seconds or so.  Again, don't even try this unless there is no other option.

There.  You look gorgeous and wrinkle-free.  I told you not to worry.

Does My Veil Need an Edging?

Simple answer:  No!

1/8 inch ribbon edging

Ok, Let me explain.  Tulle (whether it's bridal illusion, silk tulle, or English netting) is an interlock fabric, not a woven fabric.  What that means (at least the meaning that's important for a bride to know) is that it doesn't fray.  No edging is necessary to protect the integrity of the fabric.

Really.  I promise.  I've seen vintage silk veils from the 1920s that still look as perfect as the day they were made.  My mother's cut edge silk tulle veil (made and worn nearly 40 years ago) is still in gorgeous condition.  Sample veils that we've made and used for years, and have been tried on by hundreds of brides. still have a perfect cut edge.

I personally love the simple look of a cut edge veil.  It's clean, light, modern and classic at the same time.  A cut edge never goes out of style.  I think that a cut edge looks especially spectacular on silk tulle wedding veils, with that incredibly flowing, soft drape.

Don't get me wrong--cut edge might be my favorite, but I also love the way edgings look.  It all depends on the dress, the personality of the bride, the overall look of the wedding.  An edged veil can look absolutely exquisite and perfect.

Bottom line, if you love the look of an edged veil, go for it!  Just don't think that you have to.

Pencil edged veil.

Veil with 1/8 ribbon edging.

Lace edged veil.

What is Special about Silk Veils?

There's just nothing in the world like a silk tulle veil.

Just look at that drape!  You can't get that with bridal illusion!

No man-made material--though also lovely--comes close.  So what makes a silk tulle veil special?

The Feel of Silk Tulle:

Silk tulle is so much softer than bridal illusion.  The way it flows, falls, and catches the wind is truly unique.  We import all of our silk tulle from Europe at Tradewind, because none of the domestic suppliers matched the quality of what we could purchase overseas.  We searched the world for the finest silk tulle for your veil, and we know you'll love the difference.

The Look of Silk Tulle:

Don't like a puffy veil?  Silk tulle is a fabulous option.  It drapes and flows gorgeously, and doesn't create that waterfall effect that bridal illusion veils sometimes can.  A simple, elegant, classic cut edge shows off the unique qualities of the silk tulle the best.  

The Legacy of Silk Material:

Silk has been, for millennia, the very most luxurious, high-end fabric around.  It has adorned pharaohs, kings, queens, captains of industry--the leaders of the world who have demanded the very best through the ages.  And it's no wonder.  It's incredibly soft, rare, and enduring.  Because it's a natural fiber, it ages much better than synthetic bridal illusion veils.  If you want a veil that will truly be an heirloom that can be passed down for generations, silk tulle is the best choice.

The Price of Silk Tulle:

There's no doubt, silk tulle is expensive.  It's always been pricey, but in the last two years, the cost of cocoons has gone up over 100% while productivity has decreased 15%.  It's rare, and rarity costs.  Fortunately, at Tradewind Tiaras, even silk veils are a fraction of the salon prices--if you can even find a silk veil in most salons!

Photo Courtesy of Erik Anderson Photography

To learn more about silk tulle, check out the tulle information page on the Tradewind Tiaras website.  Want to see this incredible fabric for yourself before making a decision?  Email us your address and we'll be happy to send you a free sample!

One Reason to Wear a Veil: The Flying Veil Shot

Despite the fact that I was a veil and tiara designer when I got engaged, I originally didn't want a veil.  It just didn't fit with my mental image of Me As Bride.

Then I found THE dress.

And I tried on a veil.

And I was hooked.

There's something that feels so incredibly special, so incredibly bridal about wearing a veil.   You might have other opportunities to wear marvelous dresses, fancy jewelery, hair accessories, heart-stoppingly-amazing shoes.  But a veil?  That's really a wedding-only deal.

And by far, once of the things I love most about veils is the opportunity to get those fabulous photographs of veils caught in the wind.  The fabric--whether it's bridal illusion or the finest silk tulle--is so light and ethereal.  It might be a gust of wind or a bit of the craft of a skilled photographer,  but a veil caught in the wind can elevate a moment into dramatic capture of the fleeting, effervescent joy that is a wedding.

Here are just a few examples of what I mean.

From the brilliant Ed Pingol, a true master of light and these types veil shots:

Ok, so this last one from Ed isn't actually a veil, but it's an amazing shot, and it demonstrates the same principle!

From the amazing Craig Carpenter of Luster Studios, check out these photographs from Abby and Sean's wedding.  Aren't the moments just stylish, crisp captures of absolute joy?

Or these dramatic, artistic shots from photographer Rene Gaviola:

Short or long, silk or nylon, it doesn't matter.  I never get tired of seeing the unique drama that a veil can add to a wedding.

The Right Way to Wear a Veil

On top of your head?  At the nape of your neck?  That's all up to you, and anything you think looks good is good.  I'm talking about how you physically put the veil on your head.

I see brides putting the veil on upside down/backwards quite often when we're at bridal shows (we have a very fun and popular booth for dress-up!) or when I'm assisting wedding photographers (something I do for fun, and to learn more about photography).  If you put the veil on the wrong way, you'll end up seeing the gathering on the comb, not the nice, finished side.  You'll also end up with the wrong layer on top on a multi-layer veil, and it just doesn't look right.  But worst of all, you'll be putting the veil in in a perilous way, one leaving you vulnerable to the comb being pulled out with every exuberant hug (and you'll get a lot of those!)

Just remember:  the teeth of the comb should always point either down or back.  Never toward your face, never toward the sky.  Even if you're wearing the comb under your up-do.    If you're wearing your veil at the back of your head, it can be tremendously helpful to take the veil with you to the salon and let the stylist place the veil.

If you're wearing an extremely low chignon, and there simply won't be any room beneath the hair to place the veil, a far better option than wearing the veil upside down is using bridal loops rather than a comb.  Bridal loops aren't quite as secure, but your veil will look better and will be more secure than if you try to wear your veil backwards.