This week I had the honor to ask wedding veil designer Lonnie of Veils and Beyond all about her wedding veil designs.
Here is what she had to say. . .
Please tell us a little bit about Lonnie.
I’m married, have 2 daughters, 2 grandchildren and 1 on the way. In my spare time, I love to spend time with my family, putter around the garden, read and cook. I have always loved to work with my hands – dresses for my daughters growing up, all the window coverings in my house, just about everything that can be made homemade, I’ve done. And when I'm working on something, I can hardly wait to finish to start on something else.
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How did you get started creating custom veils for brides?
When selecting a veil, what tips can you share that you would only share with a close friend?
What other time in your life are you ever going to get to wear a veil? Some gals never pictured themselves walking down the aisle with a veil, but it's funny how sometimes they get all giddy when they see the full ensemble, dress, shoes, jewelry and yes, veil. You must be comfortable with your veil and it must match the venue and the overall feeling of your wedding day. If your dress has a lot of detail around the waist or hips, you shouldn’t choose a veil that ends at the waist or hip area – you need to either go above it or below the area where the detail is. I encourage the bride to try on different veils with her dress – she may think she wants a elbow length veil but if she were to try on a cathedral length veil, sometimes it adds the drama she thought she was going to find in her jewelry. Look thru bridal magazines, try on veils at the bridal shop.
What makes your designs unique and special?
Every stitch is by hand – nothing by machine. I love creating a veil from start to finish. When I get the first contact from a bride asking for a custom order that I’ve never tackled before, or a bride that has no idea what she wants and has no idea what would look best with her dress, or a bride that wants a veil that is so totally wrong with her dress. When there’s time, I like to send samples of the tulle I use as well as some of the lace I have in stock that I think would match her dress. I can add sequins, pearls and Swarovski crystals to a veil. I use only bridal illusion tulle and genuine Swarovski crystals.Can you tell us what veil trends have been popular in 2011?
What are your predictions for veil designs in 2012?
I see the return of the classic cathedral veil soon - although it’s worn by so many brides every year, I think it’s going to make a huge comeback and be the latest trend. Also, I think the drop veil is going to be huge because of Kate Middleton, but not every dress is suited for a drop veil (sigh).
Have you already had requests for orders in 2012?
Yes, I have several pending order already on the books. When the bride chooses her dress, she will start dreaming of her accessories soon after that, but most of the time the order is not completed until the dress has come in and we want to make certain the color is going to match. There are soooo many versions of "ivory".
Any parting words?I really love love love what I do. I wish I could personally hand deliver each veil so I can see the look on the bride’s face when she first tries the veil on.
Have you already had requests for orders in 2012?
Yes, I have several pending order already on the books. When the bride chooses her dress, she will start dreaming of her accessories soon after that, but most of the time the order is not completed until the dress has come in and we want to make certain the color is going to match. There are soooo many versions of "ivory".
What are the first steps a bride should take in order to request a custom veil from you?
Let me know how she wants to look on her wedding day....does she want romance, classic, cutting edge or even totally way out there. Take into consideration what the overall feel of your wedding is - if you are having a beach wedding with a flowy silk dress, a cathedral length mantilla may not be for you. Generally, if all she wants is a simple fingertip length or even a cathedral length veil, I can usually ship it out within 48 hours – but if a bride wants something more detailed, like a cathedral length mantilla veil, then I’d need a couple of weeks to complete it. But I take the first request for a veil, I consider what I currently have on my books – right now, I’m running at about 10 weeks backlog…so I’d need at least that much time to complete a custom veil. I currently charge a flat rate of $8.00 to mail anywhere in the US and $20.00 outside the country.Any parting words?
Thank you so much for speaking with me!
If you would like a beautiful custom veil for your wedding day please visit Lonnie's page on Etsy.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Veilsandbeyond
