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The cathedral wedding veil is the longest commercially available wedding veil length, stretching at almost or a little over three metres. It trails alongside the wedding dress’s train, adding an elegant layer on top of the already dramatic ensemble. While not practical to keep on for the whole day, a bride’s choice of a veil is often more on fashion than function.
That said, if you keep up with our blog regularly, you’ll know that it isn’t the longest bridal veil length out there. Some designers push the envelope by offering longer or bespoke veil options. And while we’re on the topic, we at Madame Tulle accept custom length/width orders. Contact us if you need the perfect wedding veil longer than cathedral length.
With that out of the way, here are some veil choices that outstretch a cathedral-length veil.
Royal (also called regal) and queen are long veil options that aren’t as common as others but short of being custom-made. Royal length veils are around 305 to 366 cm long, while queen veils stretch up to 500 cm. In some cases, royal and queen fall under one category.
Unsurprisingly, there’s no such thing as a “king veil.”
These veils are made for brides who really want to make a statement while walking down the aisle. They leave a train that’s as long as or longer than the bride’s height and best go with dresses with longer trains. The term is a nod to tradition to royals and other influential women who donned equally lengthy wedding veils throughout history.
Due to the weight of the extra veil fabric, designers and bridal experts usually recommend keeping designs simple. Studding the veil with crystals and pearls isn’t as common as embroidery or a lack thereof.
Furthermore, their vast dimensions warrant ample ceremony space to avoid the veil from getting caught onto something. This is especially the case for outdoor weddings, in which the elements can pose a risk to your dramatic veil.
While you can get away with wearing a cathedral length veil during the reception, that’s less likely with these veil styles. We advise taking it off after the ceremony or get a second shorter veil, preferably elbow or shoulder length.
Past the royal or queen veil lies the realm of tailor-made formal wedding veils. At this point, brides are free to go big (or long, in this case) to their heart’s content. That’s how the world got the Guinness World Record holder for the longest bridal veil.
The length? Close to seven kilometres.
Yes, kilometres. Not metres.
The reasons for wanting such a veil transcend fashion and function. For the record holder, Maria Paraskeva, it’s a childhood dream realized. Not to mention it was quite the logistical feat, recruiting dozens of volunteers to lay down and secure the veil. Just as surprising was that she found a veil designer who was willing to rise up to the challenge.
The next few examples are nowhere close in terms of length but are no less fascinating.
In 1981, then-Lady Diana married Charles III while donning a GBP£9,000 (over AUD$70,000 in today’s money) tulle veil that’s 140 metres long. Its designer was bold enough to dot the tulle with thousands of micro-pearls of sequins. Her wedding veil became the inspiration for Meghan Markle’s veil almost 40 years later, which was far shorter at just five metres.
Assuming the veil is fully stretched, it’d take a minute and a half to walk from the tail end to the wearer herself. That’s a lot of tulle – and ornaments.
Tying the knot to the then-Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956, Grace Kelly sported a tulle veil measuring 82 metres in length. Practicality was taken into account for all of Europe to see her look, so the design made use of lace appliques. The veil, along with the rest of the ensemble, was a gift to her from MGM Studios where she worked for a long time.
The Indian actress’s wedding veil for her marriage to Nick Jonas in 2018 was supposed to be slightly longer. In an interview, she told Harper’s Bazaar UK that she wanted a 50-foot (15-metre) wedding veil but the renowned designer Ralph Lauren proposed double that. Like any successful negotiation, the two parties met halfway at 75 feet (23 metres).
Including the other examples already discussed in previous posts, wedding veil lengths outside of commercial standards don’t seem to be widespread. The reasons for having such veils typically revolve around the desire to make a statement.
Let us answer that question with a question: “Why not?”
If you’ve considered everything from cost to practicality, there isn’t really anything stopping you from wearing a bridal veil beyond royal or queen length. That said, you’d want to get an equally long head start to get the veil ready in time for the big day. Like many aspects of a wedding, the right type of veil boils down to personal preference.
