I wore a veil at my wedding. It was my mom’s, beautiful, and each of my sisters had worn it before me. But for some, the decision is more complicated. As an affordable Los Angeles wedding photographer, I’m very close to many brides on their wedding days, and I hear and see the advantages and disadvantages of a veil. So, here are a few things to think about.

Is your wedding traditional?

Look into the traditions of your culture. Is a wedding veil traditional in your family? Do you even want to be traditional?

Did you like a veil with your dress?

Not going to lie, there have been more than a few times when I’ve mourned a veil because it covered exquisite dress details in the back. Typically, if you go into a wedding dress shop, they will let you try out a few veils with your favorite dresses. Take advantage of this to get a feel for a veil and how you would feel wearing one.

Large veils are a bit of a hassle

I know many of my brides say they are worth it, but if you’re a super low-maintenance bride, you might not want the extra hassle of ONE MORE bit of white clothing hanging off your body. Especially long or heavy veils are a pain in the butt. Even short ones can end up being crazy if you’re outside with wind. At one amazing outdoor wedding, there was a lot of wind and the veil flew off at least 3 times. By the third time, a bridesmaid just collected it and kept it.

Consider how you will wear it

Will you let it flow behind you? Put part of it over your face? How will it integrate with the hairstyle you want? I’m not a hair stylist, but in all the chaos of a wedding day, a veil that is securely in place, but easily removed, is THE BEST. However, that requires a hairstyle/veil that will cooperate.