Modern brides have lots of questions they need to ask themselves when putting together a wedding. One of the biggest is how traditional they want to go. When we’re talking about the bridal look, one of the most traditional elements is of course, the veil. So, when should you wear one, when is it inappropriate, and what to do if one of you wants to wear one, and the other doesn’t.

You should wear a veil when you want to. I’m assuming most women don’t regularly attach pieces of tulle to their head, so it might feel weird at first. If you’re on the fence, or even thinking you don’t want one, try a veil on with your dress. You might be surprised at how much you love it and “completes the look”, and if you don’t like it, no one can argue “but did you even try one on?”.

Veils are as varied and interesting as dresses, but in general go for something with less fullness at the comb (where the veil goes into your hair) for a sleeker, more modern look. You’ll also be able to see more of your dress through the veil is it isn’t super full and thick.

Try different lengths and see what you like. A long veil might be simpler because it frames the whole back of the dress, or you may find yourself really loving a more vintage birdcage look… so try it, nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

If you’ve decided that one of you wants to wear a veil and one a tux/suit/pants, I usually don’t recommend doing a veil. Or if you want something in your hair, think of great flowers or hair pins, just remember that real flowers, while beautiful, will wilt and you may want to get a fabric piece that you can hold onto after the wedding.

Veil images and designs copyright Denver designer Sara Garbiel.