What Is the Meaning of a Bridal Veil?
The meaning of the bridal veil depends on the historical time period and cultural and religious beliefs of the bride and groom. At various points in time, veils have symbolized both protection against the supernatural as well as opulence and grandeur. For modern brides, the veil is largely viewed more as a fashion accessory that complements the dress, the spirit of the bride and the style of the day and less as an object of deeper meaning, according to wedding-veil.com Does this Spark an idea?
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Protection Against Evil Spirits
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While today's brides might worry about figurative demons like seating charts and invitation lists, in ancient times, brides and their families were worried about literal supernatural devils interfering with the big day, according to veilubridal.com.
In ancient Rome, people believed evil spirits would be especially attracted to the bride, according to the veilubridal.com. For these familes, the veil meant protection. The veil would hide a bride's features, which would confuse these evil spirits and thus keep her safe from unearthly beings with nefarious intentions, according to the website. Roman brides often wore red veils to represent fire, which was considered a deterrent to demons, according to pibweddings.com.
Insurance For Arranged Marriage Ceremonies
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Another popular theory is that the veil provided some assurance for nervous parents that a groom in an arranged marriage would not get too long of a time to make a decision about a bride based on her physical appearance, according to veilubridal.com. Since most grooms did not get a chance to meet their intended wives until the ceremony, masking the bride's features meant that the groom wouldn't decide to bolt at the altar after getting a good look at his betrothed, according to the website.
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Submission and Modesty
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Bridal vows have also been considered a symbol of the bride's modesty and submission to her groom, according to gagirl.com. Lifting the veil also has meaning. If the groom lifts the veil, it reinforces the idea of his dominance, but if the bride lifts her own veil, she is asserting more of her independence, according to gagirl.com.
Elegance and Prosperity
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By the mid-20th century, weddings had grown smaller, and many bridal veils smaller only covering the eyes, according to myweddingfavors.com. In the 1990s, weddings began to grow bigger and more elaborate, which was reflective of the decade's strong economy, according to myweddingfavors.com. For these brides, the veil, often long and glamorous, was more a symbol of wedding elegance, according to the website.
Length
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Although many modern brides have sidestepped this rule, the length of the veil relates to the formality of the ceremony, according to myweddingfavors.com. The cathedral veil, the longest wedding veil, should be used only in the most formal of settings, according to myweddingfavors.com. Brides taking part in less formal ceremonies like a chapel or outdoor setting should wear fingertip (36 inches) or chapel length (90 inches), according to myweddingfavors.com.
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References
- Photo Credit Brides Veil image by Kevin Cooke from Fotolia.com
