Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Wedding Wednesday: Veil (and a Giveaway!)

When I started planning my wedding, a veil didn't factor into my mental images.  I mean, I threw tulle (or a towel or a tablecloth) over my head when I played bride as a child, but I didn't imagine myself wearing a veil when it all stopped being abstract.  They're lovely, of course, and I know that there are tons o' cute modern and less formal options out there, but they always make me think of church weddings à la The Sound of Music.  Since we're having a civil ceremony in a barn, I just didn't picture myself wearing a veil.

That changed with my first dress fitting, when I told my mother and seamstress that I didn't want one and they both gasped in horror.  Honestly, I didn't feel strongly one way or another - but they clearly did, so I said I'd consider it.  As the weeks passed and I started looking into options, the idea became more and more appealing.  I still wanted to keep things simple, though, and, since our wedding is somewhat formal and traditional, that ruled out a lot of the current trends in bridal headwear.  (TheKnot.com has some terms and tips, if you're unfamiliar, as does Martha Stewart Weddings.)

Now, if you remember, there were four pieces of heirloom bling that I talked about using to accessorize my gown; two that made up a buckle and would serve as the focal point of the sash at my waist, and two clips that would sit at the top of my shoulders.  However, the buckle ended up having the wrong proportions for the sash and the shoulder clips looked incongruously vintage against my bespoke dress, so we axed both of those ideas and decided to turn the buckle into a comb for my hair!

It turns out that my mother's coworker, Nina, is an amazing craftswoman who makes, among other things, bridal headwear.  She's got two fabulous Etsy shops - one specifically for brides called CIAOsposa and one for every day special occasions called CIAOnina - and even had one of her pieces featured on Gossip Girl!  She very kindly offered to make my veil for me, so we passed along the buckle and, a few weeks later, received this:


It's gorgeous!  The veil is simple tulle without any edging and comes down to my elbows, curving around at the bottom in the front and dipping down a little lower in the back.  The magical thing, as you can see from Nina's Instagram above, is that it's detatchable from the comb!  I'll wear the whole veil for the ceremony and (some of) the photos and then can take off the tulle to just wear the comb for the reception.  Brilliant, right?  Nina is a magician.

And so, as a wedding gift to all of you from me, I'm giving you a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to either CIAOnina or CIAOsposa!  She doesn't just make headpieces, though that's what I've included in the collage below because I have a one-track mind right now - there are tons o' fun things in her shops for all ladies regardless of bridal status!  Check them out on Etsy and then come back here to enter this fantastic giveaway.  A winner will be announced next Wednesday.  Good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

46 comments:

  1. Either the Ribbon candy fascinator or the as seen on gossip girl one. I do love fascinators.... xx

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  2. I did have a veil (or a headpiece) but I sure do love seeing them on others. Yours looks beautiful! I'm getting so excited to see everything come together for you Betsy!

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  3. My mum didn't have a veil when she got married, so when I did, I never really considered one... I just wanted flowers... then I forgot to organise flowers so I just had a few silk ones pinned in. No regrets though... except when I see pretty veils like these ;)

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  4. Oh so pretty! To me, wearing a veil is just that finishing piece that makes you feel so very much like a bride. Yours sounds gorgeous. Mine also had a raw cut edge and was two-tiered, and wearing the blusher over my face as I walked down the aisle, and having my Dad lift it, was one of the most special aspects of my day. I'm glad you decided yes to the veil!!

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  5. Oh and I love those fascinators she makes. I wonder if I'd be brave enough to wear one to an American wedding??

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  6. haha you'd be at the forefront of fashion! she does do other things, too - these bobby pins are so sweet http://www.etsy.com/listing/60546788/something-blue-bobbies?ref=shop_home_active - but any excuse to wear a fascinator is a good one in my book :)

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  7. I couldn't do a blusher because I'd sob when my dad lifted it. I'll cry anyway, but I'd weep. It's just too poignant! (oh man. there's no hope for me! haha)

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  8. The clip is so pretty! I am thinking about having a bespoke dress as well (should the day ever come) from a place in DC (http://www.etsy.com/shop/TingBridal) - I was shocked at how inexpensive it can be to have a custom dress, it seems like a much better option than dropping a bunch of cash on something you'll need to tailor anyway!

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  9. Oh, and I would get the pearl and bow earrings, they're adorable :)

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  10. I think it's gorgeous! Also, I'm not getting married obviously, but I still see cute things in the shop I could wear!

    I wanted a veil when I got married, but I wanted it to be very simple and NOT cathedral. My mom kept trying to get me to do a cathedral length, but I just felt it was too much for me. Now I totally wish I had done cathedral length. :) I did get married in a church though. I guess moms know best.

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  11. I should have read your rafflecopter before I commented. I would get the something blue bobbies if I won.

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  12. I would get the Laguna Beach wedding headpiece and wear it to my rehearsal dinner. Love it!

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  13. Headpiece #14 is so cute on Ciao Sposa!

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  14. Uh hi. I want the Frida floral headband. GORGEOUS.

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  15. Love that you're incorporating an heirloom piece in your veil... makes it that much more personal :) At this stage I'm not sure whether I'm going to wear one - Jurgen really wants me to, but before this I was leaning towards walking down the aisle sans veil. We shall see!


    xxx
    Jenna

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  16. Gorgeous! I love the buckle on there.


    Thanks so much for linking up!

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  17. Wow that is so amazing! I love your unique touches and the veil really is magic! Thanks for linking up!

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  18. It's all so beautiful! I would probably save it til I actually get married, and then use the $25 towards a custom hairpiece.

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  19. haha I expect many years of "oooh why didn't we do that at our wedding?" ahead of me :P

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  20. that Etsy shop looks fab! I'd definitely recommend my seamstress too if you want more suggestions :) working with her was the best decision of the wedding!

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  21. haha who says veils are just for brides? no, but really... there's tons of stuff in there that's just for fun!

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  22. haha it's okay! blue bobbies for the win :)

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  23. it's so funny what the boys set their minds to about this, isn't it? Jon cares about some things I never imagined he would but doesn't even think about the thinks I thought he would. (Did that make sense?)

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  24. aw yay thanks! and thanks for hosting again :)

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  25. Beautiful! Looks like it will be easy to transition from wearing the veil to just wearing the headpiece, which is super important that day so you don't completely mess up your hair.

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  26. How gorgeous! I wanted desperately to use my Mother's veil when I got married as I couldn't fit in to her dress, which was my original plan, however, we didn't count on how badly damaged it would be after being in storage for twenty seven years! I ended up with a standard cathedral veil and had a tiara custom made by a friend.

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  27. If I won, I would use it for a pair of Ciao Sposa's vintage earrings (probably number 4) :)

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  28. What an awesome giveaway!!! :) I'd love to win a headpiece!

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  29. Jens Ken LundstromAugust 7, 2013 at 6:31 PM

    Thank you for this beautiful giveaway!

    I love this item:

    http://www.etsy.com/fr/listing/123159545/bridal-boutonniere-no4-vintage?ref=shop_home_active

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  30. Right now I'm not doing a veil for my wedding in April. I aagree with your initial thought that it feels more appropriate for a church wedding. I love how you are getting heirlooms incorporated into your look.

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  31. My grandmother actually made my veil. And while I thought about taking it out for the reception, I wound up leaving it in. Honestly though, by that point I had forgotten I was even wearing it, plus it meant it was in all the photos.

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  32. What a great use for the broach and the detachable veil is brilliant. I love the fascinators on the Ciao Nina page.

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  33. oh no! we took out my mother's veil, too, since we knew I wouldn't be able to fit into her dress (she's 5'3" and I'm nearly 5'11") but it was SO discolored :(


    I don't think there's anything "standard" about a cathedral veil though! so elegant :)

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  34. I haven't quite decided about a veil yet. I'm leaning towards no but who knows - maybe I'll change my mind as well!
    I would love the silver and bow earrings!

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  35. I am in love with this fascinator - soooo lovely!

    Wedding Headpiece -Laguna Beach- CIAO SPOSA original design

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  36. This is so beautiful! I love that it is detachable. I love the Vegas headpiece.

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  37. I love the Wedding Headpiece -No. 12- Woodland wedding vintage flower crown veil!

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  38. i like the
    Something Blue Bobbies

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I love reading your thoughts and suggestions! Please do leave a comment so we can get to know each other better.