Hi, my name is Mindy and I’m your new Real Weddings intern! I felt it wouldn’t be proper to take this position without also sharing the story of our own real wedding.
My husband Tim and I were married at the Disneyland Hotel in May 2012. I had always dreamed of a fairy tale wedding day at Disneyland but was scared of the price tag. I knew if we were going to make it happen, I would have to get very creative and do a lot of DIY projects. Projects we (yes, my husband helped out a ton!) did ourselves for the wedding include making almost all of the floral ourselves out of fabric (the only real floral we had was the floral Disney used to decorate the ceremony gazebo and rose petals on the aisle), our stationery, card box, vases, confetti, and photo booth props. I even DIY’d my earrings, shoes, and veil. The veil was my first DIY idea and also the one thing I was most concerned about, because it’s a bit untraditional. I was pleasantly surprised at how many compliments I received on my veil during our reception!
I loved my ribbon veil so much, and it was so easy and cheap to make, I thought I would share my tutorial with you all. First I have to give credit to the inspiration behind this project, which is Ariel from Offbeat Bride. She wore a ribbon veil on her wedding day and I fell in love with the look, but she wore hers with buns and I wanted my hair to look a little more traditional. So I decided to make mine with a hair comb.
Ribbon Veil Tutorial
Project cost – $30 (but only because I used some fancy ribbon. This can easily be a $10 veil and still look great.)
First decide on your colors. Our wedding colors were pink and orange, so I chose various ribbons in shades of these colors, along with ivory to match my wedding gown. (side note – Get a swatch of your gown color from the bridal shop, or if you are getting your gown altered see if they can snip off a piece to carry around with you. I kept a little piece of my gown in my wallet so I always had it with me when I went to craft stores.)
Decide on the length you want your ribbons. I wanted mine to my waist, so my husband helped me measure the approximate length. Double up on the length you want and then cut the ribbon. Repeat as many times as you need to cover the comb.
Next, find the midpoint of your ribbon strand and tie it in a knot between the teeth of the comb. I wanted a really full veil so I tied a ribbon between each tooth of my comb.
Flip the ribbon over the comb so it covers up the actual comb. That’s it! If you want, you can vary the lengths of the ribbon to create a bit of texture. And the nice part is, if you cut too short and aren’t happy with it, it’s easy to replace the ribbon strand.
(All wedding day photos by Root Photography)
I really loved my ribbon veil and it might just be my favorite part of my entire wedding day ensemble. What do you think? Would you rock a ribbon veil on your wedding day?
This is awesome, Mindy! I’ve never seen anything like that before. Very beautiful! And congrats!
Thanks so much!
Mindy, all of your DIYs are absolutely incredible but I think this is my most favorite. So pretty and fun!
Thank you very much, Faith!
How unique, pretty and feminine. And veils being SO expensive, this idea is a huge budget saver. Congrats!
Oh yeah! I forgot to put in the post that this cost me around $30, and only because I used some fancy ribbon. Thanks, Heidi!
$30 really beats $250 for a veil in a bridal shop. Yours is totally unique and went so well with your dress! I loved it and it was one of my favorite things you wore that day.
I know – why are veils SO expensive?? They are just cheap tulle! Thanks for the compliment! :blush:
I love it! I want to use this idea for a bachlorette party one day. 😀 Thanks for sharing Mindy.
Jeanette! What a great idea! This would be a perfect and inexpensive project for a bridal shower or bachelorette party. Thanks for your comment! 🙂
You pulled that veil off flawlessly! Thanks for sharing such a creative DIY.
Thanks Amanda!
Captivating decor but mostly the effect was from the bouquets
Thanks! I’m pretty proud of those bouquets
wow! that veil is awesome!!!! great idea :X love
Awesome Information….. thanks for share…………….
Absolutely love that veil you made! Nice job!
Thank you very much, Keri!
Your dress and veil are so unique, creative and whimsical. I also love the complimentary orange color in the groom’s suit and his boutonniere. I hope you’re living your happily ever after 🙂
Hi Jamie! Thank you very much!
I have to say at first I was like what in the world is a ribbon veil and then after seeing the finished product I have to have one!!!!!!!!! My wedding colors are pink and orange and my dress is a floor sample Oleg Cassini gown from Davids Bridal that I got at a great price. I love the idea of a veil for my DIY backyard wedding that is made with ribbons instead of spending a couple hundred on that dream veil. I am already changing the idea on my flowers from real ones to do an assortment of burlap, fabric, ribbon and paper flowers. I am also going to be making the dresses for both of my bridesmaids. My son’s ringbearer pillow is even handmade. Now if only I could find a cheap way that looks nice for tableclothes…? Any ideas?
Hi Charlene! I just have to say, I love your wedding colors! 😉 For tablecloths, you can get nice fabrics at Joann Fabric or other craft stores, and since it seems you’re handy with sewing, you can hem the edges so they look nice. Then you can get a nice lace overly (also from Joann or craft store) to drape over it. Good luck with your wedding plans!