Veil Alternatives – Bridal Headpieces and Accessories

A few years ago a veil was an essential part of a brides look but nowadays lots of brides are opting to pass on this bridal accessory. I did a post a few months ago on bridal flower crowns, but some women think there are enough flowers in their day what with the bouquet and the decor, without adding it to their outfit so.. What do you think of these headpieces as an alternative?

(Images by Chic Vintage Brides, Twigs and Honey and Pinterest)

Celebrity Wedding Hairstyles

On your big day, your hair is just as important as your dress and make-up and with so many styles to choose from, it can be hard to pick out just one! I love the loose, casual half-up dos that seem to be seen more often nowadays, rather than the tight chignons or buns than used to be the only style you could go for, but each bride must be faithful to her own personal style.. Here are a few of some great celebrity hair dos from the last few years for a little inspiration:

Kate Moss chose a simple hairstyle which combined touches of vintage and romance and added a stunning Juliet cap-style veil made of woven lace and sequins completed her look.

Reese Witherspoon complimented her pink custom-made Monique Lhuillier gown with a simple, straight do.

Alyson Hannigan wore her hair in a very simple half up-do with locks of hair framing her face.

Lauren Bush went for a vintage look with a headpiece around her forehead. Her hair was woven into a simple bun over which a veil made of antique tulle and hand-embroidered with beads and pearls fell.

Kate Middleton complimented her diamond Cartier tiara with a “demi-chignon”.  Strands of hair were pulled back from each side of her face and tucked into a bun with the rest of her hair worn down in long cascading curls.

Hilary Duff went for a chic look with her hair in a high, tousled, voluminous bun.

Gwen Stefani wore an antique lace veil over her glamorous, plaited up-do, complete with a bouffant.

Avril Lavigne kept her look simple and surprisingly classic, abandoning her rocker chic persona for her special day with her hair in loose, soft curls.

Halloween Weddings…

Fancy throwing a wedding with a twist? Looking for something non-traditional and still incredibly beautiful? Look beyond the carved pumpkins and cobwebs, a Halloween wedding is very versatile and can be so stylish! You can go for a dark, goth-inspired event or go for a brighter look with orange or red settings and little bags of treats.. Incorporate elegance with pure holiday fun!

Antique dress details: A slim fitting dress in the Mortica (Addams Family) style would work nicely, go for ivory silk for a more modern look or red or black (think Vera Wang) for a more gothic one. Try touches of color and antique embellishments, think a dark-hued sash cinched at the waist on the ivory dress, or lace gloves and an embellished brooch for the dark one.

Different up-dos: Try a mussed-up, Victorian style up-do or long, flowing curls pulled back with a bejewelled hair accessory.

Bouquets with a flair: Bouquets of dark red flowers with plumes of black feathers to add drama, day lilies in light shades of orange or orange-hued roses mixed with autumn leaves and other flowers will complete your look.

The bridesmaids: Slim fitting black, red, purple or orange dresses with high necklines will look great!

The man of the hour: Have the groom wear a black tuxedo with a red cummberband or try a swallow-tail coat with a top hat. Red and black stripey socks can add fun to this look.

Beautiful table settings: You can either go for thick dark materials such as velvet in plum tones for the tablecloths with black charivari chairs with padded seats and old-looking candelabras that hold different sized candles as centerpieces, or keep the tables cream or ivory with orange sashes on the chairs and fill apothecary jars with black and orange Halloween candy for a more light-hearted look.

Apple appetizers: Serve your guests apple martinis, rum apple cider topped with whipped cream or apple (or pumpkin) margaritas while they wait for you to arrive at the reception.

Pumpkin-ize your menu: Try mini pumpkin tarts as appetizers or pumpkin cheesecake bites for dessert. Serve with red wine or punch to keep in with the Halloween look.

Spooky wedding favours: You have a very wide range to choose from here. Try little bags of sweets such as black M & Ms, mints and eyeball/finger/pumpkin shaped candy, packets of pumpkin seeds to plant, scented caramel, apple or orange candles or, my personal favorite, cookie cutters in Halloween shapes, because we are “cut out for each other” 🙂

Dancing the night away: You can go for all the old favourites such as Thriller, Ghostbusters, and the song from The Addams Family to be played on the dance floor, but I would also suggest having an organist play at your ceremony and a pianist play solo during the dinner.

The cake: You could choose to serve a red velvet, carrot or pumpkin spice cake along with the more traditional vanilla and chocolate flavors. Have it frosted with decadent cream cheese frosting decorated with black or red ribbon bands to coordinate with the rest of your wedding day details. The topper could include pumpkins or autumn leaves alongside the bride and groom.

Those little extras: For the reception, you could hire a magician to entertain the kids or a fortune-teller to set up in one corner and give readings to your guests. Hire a photographer to take pictures of your guests on a spooky photo set. Use a velvety curtain for the backdrop and deck out the set with old furniture and fake spider webs. Include easy-to-wear props for your guests like hats, gloves, and boas.

Remember, if you want your Halloween wedding to be chic, the most important rule is that of simplicity.. adding too many Halloween elements may leave your wedding looking more like a costume party and less like an elegant event. If you want to go full on however, glowing candles, grinning pumpkins and a moonlit night are a great beginning for a Halloween wedding theme 🙂

The perfect Halloween wedding may take a bit of planning but it will be worth it as it will be on everybodys lips for years to come!