For something to be “timeless,” it must have stood the test of time without major changes. In the context of a bride’s wedding outfit, we can think of a few examples. Modern wedding veils, for instance, are more or less the same as their predecessors in centuries past – free-flowing soft tulle with ornate embellishments bringing out a woman’s elegance.
Pearl veils are no exception. Some might think that they’re a recent invention, but adding pearls onto wedding veils goes back way earlier. This is partly because pearls have been adorning people’s appearances, notably nobles, since the ancient Greeks. In this article, we’ll explain the things that make pearl wedding veils timeless.
Pearls are Timeless
If we may be technical for a moment, pearls are timeless because the shellfish (mainly molluscs like oysters) that make them have existed for hundreds of millions of years. By comparison, harvesting pearls didn’t come until at least 8,000 years ago, with the proof being the Abu Dhabi Pearl, recognised as the world’s oldest natural pearl.
While we can’t find any historical accounts of wedding veils with pearl embellishments during ancient times, we can assume that pearls weren’t entirely out of the question in making beautiful bridal veils. Cost limited their use to the wealthy, as harvesting pearls from molluscs was difficult. You had to dive to the seafloor to collect them from the molluscs.
As soon as the practice of pearl culturing became widespread in the early 1900s, pearls became more readily available. Pearl wedding veils became more practical to make, and even if cultured pearls aren’t au naturel, generations of brides still found them beautiful.
Today, most pearls in the market are cultured pearls, including the ones used in wedding veils. However, they’re still grown by shellfish so they closely resemble natural pearls, making them genuine pearls in every way.
Representing Happiness
As people started putting pearls on everything, it didn’t take long for them to draw up some symbolism. As far as Greek mythology goes, pearls are believed to have been formed from tears of joy shed by Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. Though not to be mistaken as the goddess of marriage, as that title belongs to Hera.
Do you know what else makes people shed tears of joy? The sight and feeling of the bride and groom tying the knot. As such, many people believe that pearls symbolise happiness.
Of course, like other symbolisms, pearls in weddings have different interpretations. In one instance, some brides believe that adorning their wedding outfits with pearls can aid them in resisting the urge to cry during the ceremony. How you react to your special day is up to you, but shedding tears of joy while tying the knot is nothing to be ashamed of.
You might also come across claims that pearls symbolise misfortune, as their association with tears suggests they symbolise mourning or sadness. However, the fact that we still get plenty of orders for pearl wedding veils (as well as other veil designers) suggests that pearls remain a fashionable ornament amid such superstitions.
Making a Pearl Veil Work
Now that we’ve discussed what makes pearl wedding veils timeless, we’ll go over how to make a pearl wedding veil work. There are several things to consider, primarily due to the weight each pearl exerts on the soft tulle.
One tip comes from this thread on r/wedding dress. The top comment is from a wedding photographer who witnessed a bride having trouble with her pearl wedding veil during a windy outdoor ceremony. The pearls tangled up on the bride’s hair, forcing the bride’s dad to drape her veil with his arm as they walked down the aisle on her wedding day.
Normally, we’d recommend a plain veil if the wedding will be held outdoors with a chance of a strong breeze. But if you insist on a pearl wedding veil (or a veil with heavy ornaments), a viable workaround would be to make the veil shorter. You can also ask your hairstylist for advice on keeping your hair from getting messed up in the wind.
On the matter of veil length, longer bridal veils can accommodate more pearl embellishments per square inch of soft tulle but can get heavy quickly. Being weighed down by your pearl veil for the whole day isn’t exactly pleasant. On the other hand, a shorter veil length means fewer pearls but is more comfortable. It boils down to finding the ideal balance.
Another tip worth remembering is that a pearl veil shouldn’t draw people’s attention away from the centrepiece of a bride’s outfit, which is the wedding dress. As such, pairing pearl veils with plain wedding dresses or vice-versa isn’t advisable. If you must have pearls for your veil in this case, consider a pearl border veil instead.
The good news is that a professional pearl veil maker knows a thing or two about the right layout of pearls across the veils. We explained this in one of our previous posts, but here’s a quick rundown of several examples.
- Scattered: the most basic yet popular layout, can be dispersed or clustered
- Patterns: examples include one or two-tier edges, floral, vines, and geometric
- Cascade: pearls grow more dense as they approach the bottom of the veil
- Ombre: pearls are scattered but with varying densities
- Coloured: uses pearls other than the typical white hue
- Combination: combine pearls with other accessories like sequins or lace
Above all else, have fun with mixing and matching ideas, but do remember to keep some sense of practicality. A wedding veil – pearl or otherwise – should enhance a bride’s beauty as she walks down the aisle, rather than hinder her movement on the wedding day.
Wrapping Up
Pearl veils are as timeless as the dozens of pearls that dot their soft tulle surface. The pearls alone have a long, rich history of being a symbol of wealth and, later, a representation of the bride’s unbridled happiness. There’s a long list of ways you can pull off a stunning look with these bridal veils; it all boils down to striking a balance and working with a professional.
