How to Make a Center Gathered Wedding Veil Tutorial

Last week, I shared a tutorial for how to make a basic, classic wedding veil.  But what if you want a two layer veil (top layer can always be used as a blusher), but you don't want the poof of a standard veil?  Especially if you add a second layer?  A fabulous option is the center-gathered veil.

The materials for this veil are the pretty much the same as for any veil:

• 108" wide bridal illusion
• rotary cutter and self-healing mat
• metal comb
• strong white button thread and a needle

Decide how long you want each layer to be (see this post for the wedding industry standard veil lengths).  Cut the tulle into a big oval.  The longest dimension of the oval should be the length of the two veil layers added together.  For example, if you want an elbow length veil, the longest layer will be 30" long, and the top layer is generally a couple inches shorter than the bottom layer, so 28" (the top layer for a chapel or cathedral length veil is typically 30").  30+28=58.  The width of the veil will be the width of the tulle you've purchased.  This is generally 108" wide for a center gathered veil.

You can get away with using 72" wide bridal illusion, but 54" wide will NOT WORK.  Let me explain.

To make the center gathered veil, fold your oval of fabric mostly in half.  I say mostly, because the top layer should be just a couple inches shorter than the bottom layer.

Now it's time to figure out how much to gather in the center.  Take the length of your top layer (in our elbow length example, 28").  Measure 28" from the left side of the folded veil and mark with a pin.  Measure 28" in from the right side of the veil, and mark with a pin.  Gather the fabric between the two pins using the button thread and needle and a simple whip stitch.  

28+28=56, so we can't use 54" wide bridal illusion.  We'd be gathering negative space in the center of the veil.  And we're talking about a short veil here--elbow length.  

The center-gathered veil is a great way to get a gorgeous, flowing veil without adding a lot of poof on the top of the head.  It's a little fussier to make than a standard cut veil, but it's not difficult at all.  And for a few dollars in materials, you can have an elegant, salon-quality veil at a (very small) fraction of the price.