Any non-veil brides out there?

[ChargerGrrl]

I''m in the very early stages of my planning, and have begun to think about my attire/accessories.

Note that I haven''t actually gone to try dresses on yet (I''m kinda dreading it). Anyway, I''m thinking a very simple, elegant dress. I really don''t want to wear a veil. Instead, I want some kind of headpiece that I can wear with either my hair down, or half up/down. I have shoulder-length thick hair that can be worn straight, or with a bit of curl. To complicate things even more, I''m really not keen on something too tiara-y (that has a peak/points up in the middle). I''m thinking more of a headband, or crown-type headpiece- that can be seen well from the front. I''d like it to be kinda blingy, as the dress will be simple. I love the idea of flowers, but I''ll be using roses in my wedding, and I don''t think they''re ideal hair flowers.

I was able to try a couple of pieces on at a bridal show this past weekend, and noticed that the headband gets a bit lost. I liked the style of a crown, as it sits higher up. I would definately wear my hair half up/down with that. I think I just need to go to a real bridal salon and just try a ton on, and correctly. I don''t know how well I did at the bridal show. it was hard to get a good idea in that setting.

I''m running into issues finding pics online of REAL brides. The usual websites have hairstyle pics, but the majority of them are updos, that are meant to be worn with a veil. Or else a ton of the headpieces are meant to be worn with updos.

AGGH- I''m more worried about my hair-headpiece than the dress! I know that many of you wore/wil be wearing a veil, so i''m in the minority. Any ideas/advice/help?

 

[monarch64]

I didn''t wear a veil, just a tiara with my hair in an updo. I''ll try my best to scan some wedding pics and post them for ya. The headband you are talking about brings to mind one Natalie Portman wore to an awards ceremony in the past--it was thick enough that you could actually see it. I agree, non-veil wearing brides seem to be the minority. I tried a few on with my dress while my mom was with me, and her reaction was "you are just not a veil person!"

 

[monarch64]

Here''s a quick pic of no veil...hope this works.

 

[monarch64]

One more

 

[SoonIHope]

I wasn''t planning on wearing a veil (& still might not), but I mentioned that casually to my fiance who was SHOCKED because he had always imagined his bride coming to him in a veil...so I think I''m going to have to reconsider.... I was originally thinking just a single flower, or perhaps a headband (no tiara!). I''d love to see the crowns you''re considering though!

Also, monarch your pictures are GORGEOUS!!! I especially adore your dress! Who''s it by?

 

[monarch64]

AS you can see, my dress had enough going on with the train in back, which happened to be detachable. I think I looked pretty bridey without the veil!

 

[monarch64]

Whoops, I am getting all post-happy! The dress is a 2003 Mon Cheri...thanks for the compliment!

 

[LaurenThePartier]

I think I''ll end up being a no veil bride. I have a comb that I''m wearing either as a small tiara in a half-up half-down scenario, or as an updo adornment on the side. I ended up buying a chapel length veil from Ebay, but I don''t love it because it seemed to catch on everything and I was worried about it ruining the satin of my dress. I may have my seamstress cut it to fingertip length, but probably not.

 

[MINE!!]

Nothing for me... I am going to put some miniature gerber daisies in my hair.. half up half down.. kinda that curly messy romantic princess look..

 

[Rebemdee]

I have really long curly hair...it''s almost down to the small of my back. There''s no way I could put that much hair into an updo, and fiance likes it down, so I''m putting the sides up with sparkly clips to get it off my face and will wear it long in the back. I may get some little sparkly hair jewels to put in it. I think a beautiful updo or long hair can look as lovely as a veil.

 

[BrightSpot]

I won''t be wearing a veil to my beach wedding. I really wanted to wear a tiara for a while, but I think I might wind up putting my hair up with flowers in it.

Monarch, your pics are just beautiful!

 

[ChargerGrrl]

You gals are great- I''m gone for one day, and there''s a whole slew of ideas!

Like I mentioned before, I''m kinda ahead of myself as I haven''t even tried on dresses or "properly" tried on headpieces. I better get cracking!

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Date: 1/31/2006 1:35:40 PM
Author: monarch64
Here''s a quick pic of no veil...hope this works.

I LOVE it! Now I''m reconsidering an updo.

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Date: 1/31/2006 2:15:08 PM
Author: LaurenThePartier
I think I''ll end up being a no veil bride. I have a comb that I''m wearing either as a small tiara in a half-up half-down scenario, or as an updo adornment on the side. I ended up buying a chapel length veil from Ebay, but I don''t love it because it seemed to catch on everything and I was worried about it ruining the satin of my dress. I may have my seamstress cut it to fingertip length, but probably not.

Pretty comb, LTP! if you wear it half up/down, would you place the comb near the top of your head, or in the back?

I really want my headpiece to be seen from the front, since I''m thinking the dress will be so simple.

 

[LaurenThePartier]

Date: 2/1/2006 5:15:24 PM
Author: ChargerGrrl
Pretty comb, LTP! if you wear it half up/down, would you place the comb near the top of your head, or in the back?

I really want my headpiece to be seen from the front, since I''m thinking the dress will be so simple.

It will definitely be on the top, in front of the "up-do" part . . . I just don''t know how far back the up-do will be right now. I need hair ideas!

 

[lovemybug]

i wore my hair down too with no veil. it was pulled back on the sides and curly and i got many compliments. i originally was going to do flowers but ended up going with a tiara. i know you said that your flowers are roses and that they probably wouldn''t work for your hair, but have you thought about stephanotis''s? they are very small and plain white and very pretty. i don''t know how you would feel about them not matching your bouquet flowers exactly. what color are your roses going to be?

 

[Rebemdee]

Date: 2/1/2006 6:07:01 PM
Author: lovemybug
i wore my hair down too with no veil. it was pulled back on the sides and curly and i got many compliments. i originally was going to do flowers but ended up going with a tiara. i know you said that your flowers are roses and that they probably wouldn''t work for your hair, but have you thought about stephanotis''s? they are very small and plain white and very pretty. i don''t know how you would feel about them not matching your bouquet flowers exactly. what color are your roses going to be?

My cousin did the Stephanotis in her hair, no veil, and the florist put a pearl inside each Stephanotis. It was wrapped around her ringlets with wire covered with florist tape. It was absolutely beautiful.

 

[ChargerGrrl]

Date: 2/1/2006 6:07:01 PM
Author: lovemybug
i wore my hair down too with no veil. it was pulled back on the sides and curly and i got many compliments. i originally was going to do flowers but ended up going with a tiara. i know you said that your flowers are roses and that they probably wouldn''t work for your hair, but have you thought about stephanotis''s? they are very small and plain white and very pretty. i don''t know how you would feel about them not matching your bouquet flowers exactly. what color are your roses going to be?

I know which flower your''re talking about. They''re very pretty!

My bouquet will be dark red/black beauty roses, so I don''t know if the stepanotis would work. I''m really leaning towards something blingy and sparkly, since the rest of my attire & accessories will be simple (my only jewelry will be 1c diamond studs- something borrowed!)

I''m not totally adverse to the tiara, just don''t care for the "peaky" ones. UGH- I just need to go try on a ton of headpieces and figure out what looks good on me.

 

[monarch64]

Excuse my need to practice scanning and posting pics, please...

I thought I''d show you my "inspiration magazine page" for my updo, and how it actually turned out on me. There''s obviously some difference, but I think we got it pretty close to what I wanted. Here''s the magazine photo:

 

[monarch64]

And this is a closer up of how it actually turned out...the updo ended up quite a bit tighter than I wanted, but in order to have it stay in place all day and not deflate it was necessary. There were about a thousand pins digging into my scalp and DH and I had a terrible time removing them later, especially with the shellac my hairstylist called "hairspray."

 

[E B]

I''m not planning on wearing a veil! They seem so antiquated to me. I''ll probably be wearing my hair half up, half down with some sparkly combs.

 

[Shay]

I am not wearing a veil. I''m either having a french twist with flowers on one side and slightly to the bottom, or I will wear my hair down and have a small circlet of flowers. Haven''t decided yet. But then I''m not wearing a white dress either so my look is not very traditional.