Wedding Veil Care

This post is aimed at brides who already have their veil at home and are looking for storage and care instructions. If you’re yet to choose your wedding veil and are looking for veil-buying tips and info, check out our incredibly in-depth wedding veil guide here: The Ultimate Wedding Veil Guide.

So you’ve got your wedding veil. Wahoo!

It’s arrived, and now you’re probably wondering about how to care for your wedding veil at home and at your fittings so it’s still 100% pristine on your special day.

You might also want tips on where and how to store your wedding veil at home, how to repackage it to take to the venue and perhaps some tips on travelling with your veil if you’re taking it abroad to get married.

And possibly, you might want to know if you should steam your veil to remove any creases or wrinkles that occurred in transit, and if so, how to do it.

Well, you’re in luck! Because in this post we’re going to go over ALL the dos and don’ts of wedding veil care, including home or dry cleaning tips.

Wedding Veil Care Tips

In this post we’ll go over:

1. General advice on handling delicate tulle veils
2. Unboxing and trying on your veil at home
3. Steaming your veil safely
4. Repackaging your veil for fittings & appointments
5. Travelling with your veil
6. Spot cleaning your veil
7. Wedding veil storage pre-wedding
8. Dry cleaning and preserving your veil for future generations

The Delicate Nature of Tulle: Handle With Care

As an integral part of your bridal ensemble, your veil deserves careful attention to maintain its pristine condition.

Tulle is an incredibly delicate and lightweight fabric. It’s much more fragile than other bridal fabrics like satin or crepe.

Tulle’s fine mesh structure makes it prone to snags, tears, and stretching if not handled with the utmost care. Unlike heavier fabrics that can withstand a bit of rough handling, tulle requires gentle treatment to maintain its ethereal appearance.

Whether you’re unboxing, steaming, or storing your veil, always handle the tulle with care. By giving this delicate fabric the careful attention it deserves, you ensure that your wedding veil remains flawless and ready to wear on your special day.

Opening Your Veil, What To Expect

When you first receive your veil you’re bound to be very excited and will want to try it on immediately.

I certainly don’t blame you for that!

What we’d suggest first, and this goes especially for long veils, is to make sure you’ve got a nice clear area in which to unfold your veil.

Then have a quick check around for anything that could catch on your veil. Anything sharp or spiked in your immediate surroundings.

Also watch out for things like Velcro. Velcro will love your veil more than you do, and not in a good way!

Lastly, if you are a much more glamorous lady than I and have lovely long nails, be careful with those too.

Veils and nails aren’t friends.

Trying Your Veil On Carefully

Now that you’ve secured the scene, so to speak, you can try on your veil.

Bear in mind that at this time, it might not be looking it’s absolute best since it’s just come out of a box. But don’t worry, we’re going to show you how to give it a quick blast of steam below which will transform it almost instantly for you.

For now though, you probably just want to get a general sense of how it looks and whether it suits you.

Steaming Your Veil At Home

Can you steam a wedding veil? Yes, you can! I actually love steaming veils. It’s like magic! Very therapeutic. The wrinkles just melt away!

First of all, actually, I should point out that if you have loads of time and steaming your veil makes you nervous in any way, you could just hang your veil up for a few days instead and possibly by doing so be able to skip this step. The creasing from transit does tend to fall away on its own given enough time.

Otherwise, steaming is definitely the fastest way to get your veil looking its best, and is also more effective on stubborn wrinkles.

So assuming you are going to steam your veil, here’s how it’s done.

Now, it might depend on the type of iron you have as to the results you get, or at least how quickly you get them.

We use the type of iron with a big tank of water underneath to steam our veils. These give a huge blast of continuous steam that will give you a free facial at the same time.

If you don’t have a continuous steam iron like ours, you should be able to achieve the same results we do with a more typical iron a long as it produces a decent amount of steam or has a steam shot function. You might just need to give it a few more goes and let it hang in between.

How To Steam Your Veil

Step 1.

Start by hanging your veil up. You may want to hang it near your ironing board and let the bottom of it drape over that. This will keep it up off the floor if it’s a really long veil, and away from your walls so you can steam it without also steaming your wallpaper. You could hang it from the top of a door, a picture rail, a high cupboard handle, a curtain rail. I’ll trust you to find a good spot for it in your home.

Step 2.

Start steaming your veil. Get the steam going on your iron and wave it in front of the veil to allow the steam to pass through.

DO NOT, and I repeat, DO NOT LET THE HOT PLATE OF THE IRON TOUCH THE VEIL. We are steaming only. We are not ironing, and you’ve likely got the temperature of your iron much higher than wedding veil fabric can stand in order to generate lots of steam, so definitely don’t let it touch the veil. Keep a good 30cm away at all times. You cannot iron your veil.

Step 3.

Gently spread out your veil to encourage the steam to pass through. It’s easier to see the vertical wrinkles softening if you spread the layers of tulle out as you steam.

Step 4.

Once you’ve steamed your veil it will be warm and possibly a little damp. Leave your veil hanging up until it’s dry once again. If your veil has beads attached, do not vigorously shake your veil while it’s in this warm state as the glue may have softened slightly.

Step 5.

If your iron doesn’t produce a very impressive amount of steam, leave your veil to dry and repeat these steps again.

Repackaging Your Veil

To repackage your veil, and again I’m thinking specifically about long veils here because they’re always trickier, start by laying it out on a clean floor or table. Fold over starting from the bottom at a size just smaller than the box. Then use your tissue paper to help tuck the sides in as you pop it back in the box.

Travelling With Your Veil

If you’re packing your veil up for a flight, it might make more sense to pop it in with your dress to keep them both safe together, rather than purchasing an additional veil storage box.

We provide a clear garment cover with every veil so it could be put inside that and laid on top of your dress bag, and then into a large wedding dress storage box.

How To Clean Your Veil At Home

Cleaning your veil at home is a simple process that helps maintain its beauty and longevity. Begin by gently shaking off any loose dirt or debris from the veil that you may have accumulated on your Big Day while out taking pictures outside. Next, look for any mucky marks on the veil. If you find any, use a baby wipe to carefully blot away any stains or marks. Alternatively, you can dampen a cloth with lukewarm water and add a small amount of mild soap. Gently dab the affected areas, avoiding vigorous rubbing to prevent damage to the delicate fabric. Once you’ve cleaned the veil, allow it to air dry completely before storing it away.

Wedding Veil Storage Tips

If you’ve got a long time until the Big Day, then leaving your wedding veil hanging up the whole time might not be viable. Unless you’re really lucky and you’ve got a spare bedroom (or someone else does that will let you use theirs)!

In which case, you’ll probably want to repackage your veil. You’ll also want to do this if you have to take the veil to your dress fitting or hair trial.

It’s going to get a little bit creased again but you can always re-steam. Or you could leave the steaming until closer to the wedding altogether and just do it once.

Closer To The Date

If you’ve had your wedding veil in a storage box for a while, then closer to the date it’s ideal if you can get it out, give it a steam following the steps above, and hang it up somewhere for a couple of weeks before the wedding.

Again, if someone has a spare room where it can hang undisturbed away from sticky fingers, pets and prying eyes, then that’s the best possible situation.

From talking to brides I find that mum’s house often becomes unofficial wedding central, so perhaps it could go there if you ask really sweetly?

On The Big Day

So you’ve made it to the Big Day, your veil looks immaculate and you’re the most beautiful bride the world has ever seen.

But it would be nice if the veil could also last for future generations as well, wouldn’t it? Keeping your veil as an heirloom piece, or even just for your own future reminiscing is a lovely idea. So here are some more tips for caring for your veil on the day itself.

As with our wedding veil care tips above for when you first try your veil on, it’s a similar concept on your wedding day.

Look out for sharps that may catch on your veil. In fact, not just your veil, all these tips go for your dress too. Especially if it’s also made of delicate tulle.

This time, though, it might be things like spiky bushes when you’re out having your photos taken. Or jingly jewellery on your wedding guests as they come in for a hug.

Those little clawed diamantes on bracelets are my personal nemesis.

It’s really just a case of being aware — which will be hard on your wedding day, so don’t beat yourself up if something happens to your dress or veil. Think of it as a sign of a good time being had by all!

After the Big Day: Preserving Your Veil

So assuming your wedding veil did make it through intact, there are ways to clean and preserve it. One way would be to get your veil dry cleaned.

You can often get your veil dry cleaned for a vey low cost when you get your wedding dress dry cleaned at the same time.

However, we have noticed sometimes with veils that have been dry cleaned, the tulle fabric has changed consistency after cleaning. So we’d suggest only getting your veil dry cleaned if it really needs it, for example if it has lace that’s been dragging on the floor. And even then, perhaps consider asking them to just spot clean the lace and leave the tulle as it is.

Heirloom Storage

After cleaning, prepare your veil for long-term preservation by placing it in a breathable fabric garment bag or wrapping it in tissue paper inside a storage box.

Store the box or bag in a dry, cool environment to keep the veil in excellent condition. Proper heirloom storage helps ensure that your veil remains a treasured keepsake for future generations.

Can I Store My Veil In The Clear Garment Cover It Came With?

If you bought your veil from us you’ll have received a complementary garment cover. Before the wedding, assuming it would only be for a few weeks or months prior, you can use this garment cover to protect your veil while you have it hung up at home.

However, our garment covers are eco-friendly and bio-degradable so are not suitable for long-term storage as they literally disintegrate after a while!

Will My Veil Discolour If Stored For A Long Period?

If stored properly via the methods above and kept away from exposure to direct sunlight to prevent any fading, and from moisture to avoid mildew, your veil should store well – ready for the next generation!

Consider Getting A Veil Clip

Our final wedding veil care tip would be to consider getting one of our veil clips. You’ll have noticed that the veil needs hanging up quite a bit at various times and these little guys are designed for exactly that.

They’re a single hook hanger with a sort of padded, rubbery tip that will hold your veil without pulling, plucking or damaging anything. They’re so handy, getting one might just be the best £5 you’ve ever spent!

Conclusion

By following these detailed tips on wedding veil care, storage, and preservation, you can ensure that your veil remains in perfect condition for your wedding day and beyond. Whether you’re preparing for the big day or preserving your veil as a cherished keepsake, proper care will help maintain its beauty and significance.

And if you haven’t bought your veil yet, well what are you waiting for? Check out our extensive veil collections here: All Wedding Veils or “build” your own plain or beaded veil here Custom Veil Designer or get in touch with us about a bespoke lace veil.