Pride of a Spanish Bride: The Mantilla Wedding Veil

Are you still pondering about what to wear atop your head that will add that perfect finishing touch? Would you like it to be something more unique, perhaps cultural to enhance your status as a woman of the world? If so, Wedding Fashion Files has just what you are looking for. Something that will add style, elegance, and even a bit of mystery to your wedding day look: a Spanish mantilla wedding veil.

Although traditionally Spanish, the mantilla is quickly gaining popularity in other countries and among non-Spanish designers. Brides from all over the world have seen the charm and sophistication that a mantilla veil adds to a wedding gown and have readily opted for this chic choice.

Origins
The mantilla veil has been a form of traditional Spanish dress for centuries, but it was Queen Isabel II, being very fond of the accessory, who brought it into high society in nineteenth century Spain, making it what it is today: a symbol of an elegant and distinguished Spanish woman.

The Spanish mantilla is usually made of silk lace, that lace many times being Chantilly lace, but often handmade in Spain. But these days we also find mantillas made out of tulle with a decorative silk lace border; a less-expensive, more transparent option that shows off more of the wedding dress than a lace mantilla would.

How to wear a mantilla wedding veil
There are several ways to wear a mantilla, as there are several ways to wear a veil. One of the most common ways is to lay the decorative border across the top of the bride’s head and allowing the rest of the lace to fall down her back.  A beautiful way to keep the mantilla in place is to gather it with a decorative clip.

The mantilla, just like other wedding veils, can be as long as the bride wants.  The traditional rule that the mantilla can’t go beyond the hips is really only used now for the three point mantillas (mantillas shaped like a triangle). Modern brides are able to choose many different lengths and styles from many different designers, and a hot Spanish trend among modern brides is to choose a mantilla that extends as a long train. There are even short mantillas like the one designed by Victorio & Lucchino in the shape of a handkerchief.

A more traditional way of wearing the mantilla is with a peineta; a large, decorative comb. The peineta is placed at the top of the bride’s head and the mantilla is draped over it.

Not just for brides
The mantilla and peineta is not an exclusively bridal accessory, being worn by other female members of the wedding party, such as the mother-of-the-bride or mother-of-the-groom.  The exception is that they would wear a black mantilla, not white, as the black mantilla symbolizes a woman who is already married, and older women almost always wear a mid-lenght mantilla accompanied by the peineta in a traditional fashion.

The mantilla is just another choice among the many for modern brides, but one that adds a sense of worldliness that other choices don’t. For the bride that is looking to add a bit of culture to her wedding day the mantilla is an enchanting choice.

Images of a modern bride wearing a mantilla (c) Leigh Miller. (Leigh is beautiful photographer who travels to weddings worldwide, I recommend checking out her site, and blog.)