The bride wearing a veil stems from the tradition we all know of that says it's bad luck for the bride and groom to see each other before the wedding. This old adage itself comes from the days when marriage came by purchase. There was little or no courtship allowed at all. This was a precautionary measure that kept the bride or groom-to-be from balking at their pre-arranged nuptials should one of them happen to glimpse the other beforehand and cry incompatibility.

If you go back to ancient Greece and Rome, a veil was usually a bright color like red or yellow- and shrouded the woman from head to foot! It was a custom that basically denoted subordination to the male as he lifted the veil at the end of the ceremony. A bride who lifted her own veil was, in a sense, presenting herself to her groom- which showed a bit more independence on her part.

For the present-day bride, a veil is mostly an optional and decorative accessory to her wedding gown. It is said Grace Kelly's 125 year old veil of silk tulle reportedly held over one thousand pearls.