08/26/2026
Early last month I received a vintage Hispanic wedding veil, which had been cut in half and was torn beyond repair. The customer had sent pictures and a detailed video for me to for me to evaluate the possibilities. I was confident I could transfer all the components of the veil onto a new piece of 10’ tulle and recreate the original. So I spent some time online to learning about Hispanic wedding attire and customs. Veils are mostly beige or light brown and often other significant cultural markers, such as florals or horsehair (representing an equine connection to ancestors) are incorporated on the veil. Working on the 2 cut halves of the original veil, I carefully removed the embroidered section, which included brown horsehair with the embroidery floss. I transferred the embroidery to a new 10’ piece of tulle and rounded out the corners along the train and the head section, using the original veil as the pattern. Then I carefully removed and trimmed the original beige Chantilly lace border and reattached it to the new veil, making it meet in the center of the head section. Then I removed the remaining (some were lost) brown horsehair dots from the original tulle and spaced them a little further apart on the new veil. The upper section is simply held by a comb above the bride’s forehead and covers her shoulders and arms.
Both the customer and I were pleased with the outcome, and this family heirloom is ready to be used for many more generations. The original torn and cut up tulle will be used to wrap the bride’s bouquet, which is a lovely way to use every bit of the original veil.
