How Do You Match Your Veil to Your Hairstyle?

Matching your veil to your desired wedding day hairstyle isn't difficult; there's a beautiful look for every style.

All Swept Up

The formal updo, with its clean lines and timeless elegance, is a favorite wedding day look that works well with a variety of veils. If you've got your heart set on an updo, remember:

• When choosing a hairstyle and veil, take your face shape into account. If you have a rounder face, sleeker styles with longer veils will look best on you. Fuller styles and veils flatter narrow faces. Talented stylists can adapt most styles to suit the shape of your face.
• Veils that hang longer than your waist, like the fingertip, chapel, and ballet styles, are heavy. Tighter styles hold up better under all that tulle, so if you're wearing a long veil, choose a coif with less volume up top. A chignon, where the hair is gathered into a roll at the nape of the neck, is a good bet. Another option is the Juliet topknot, where the hair is twisted into a tight coil at the top of the head.
• Do you love the drama of intricate updos with lengths of hair woven into an elaborate creation on the crown of your head? This style CAN work with a longer, heavier veil -- instead of covering your hair with the veil, consider piling your hair on TOP of your veil. The veil will cascade down your back, adding romance and sweetness to your style.
• The French twist, where the hair is gathered into a low ponytail and then swept into a roll along the back of the head, is a classic and versatile look. Brides who choose the French twist are in luck -- this style looks gorgeous with any veil length.

Letting Loose

If you've decided to leave your long locks down for a more romantic look, remember that tousled shouldn't mean tangled. Be sure to set your hair and use either hairspray or gel to give it structure and prevent flyaways. Hair left down can work with almost any length of veil, but the rule of thumb is that your veil should always be longer than your hair.

Also, remember that the longest veils may be too heavy for hairstyles with lots of body, so try a sleek look if you're wearing a long veil.

Updo or Up Don't?

A good compromise between the sweetness of hair left down and the elegance of updos is any of several in-between styles, where the hair from your crown is swept back and the rest of your hair is left down. Whether you gather the hair from your crown into a bun or pull the top layer back with twinkling combs, an in-between style is a lovely compromise in the great debate between up and down. And if you're still undecided, remember that more and more brides are wearing an updo to their ceremony and taking their hair down for the reception.

Chic Short Cuts

Styling is key for brides with short hair. One look we love for cropped cuts: tiny crystal-tipped hairpins strategically placed throughout the hair to add sparkle.

Brides with shorter hair look especially lovely wearing short veils. But don't think a smaller veil is your only option -- cascading veils can look fabulous too.

Topping It Off

Tiaras are still the hottest accessory for bridal hairstyles, but combs, clips, barrettes, jeweled hair sticks, and hairpins are popular as well. All accessories can look great with a variety of hairstyles and veils, but remember to use them sparingly.