Wedding Hairstyles With a Veil, and Where the Comb Goes

Almost any wedding hairstyle works with a veil. What changes is where the comb goes. With an updo or a bun, the comb sits just above or just below the bun. With half up, half down, it goes into the gathered section at the back. With hair down, it needs a small hidden anchor. The higher the comb, the more height and drama the veil has. The lower it sits, the softer it looks.

Where the comb goes: a quick guide

Hairstyle	Where the comb goes
High bun or top knot	Just under the bun
Low bun or chignon	Above the bun, or tucked under it
Loose updo	At the crown, into the pinned section
Half up, half down	Into the gathered twist at the back
Hair down	Into a hidden anchor under the top layer
Short hair or a bob	A small comb, pinned well

The classic updo

An updo gives a comb the most to hold, because the hair is already gathered and pinned. Most veils will stay put in one with two bobby pins across the comb and nothing more.

For height, put the comb at the crown, in front of the updo. This is where a two tier veil looks its best, because the blusher needs a high comb to lift back over your head without flattening.

A low bun or chignon

You have two choices with a low bun. Above the bun, the veil frames it and the bun shows through the tulle. Under the bun, the veil falls from beneath it and the whole hairstyle stays on show. Brides ask us which is right. Pick the one you like better in your trial photographs. Both hold well.

A low bun is also the classic partner for a mantilla. The lace sits at the crown and frames the face, with the bun underneath. Our guide on how to wear a mantilla veil goes through it step by step.

A high bun or top knot

Put the comb just under the bun, so the veil falls from below it. A comb above a high bun tends to sit on top of your head and look like an afterthought. Choose a veil with some fullness, so it has shape from that lower point.

Half up, half down

Ask your hairdresser to make the gathered section at the back firm, with a few pins hidden inside it. The comb slides into that twist, and the loose hair falls over the veil or under it.

A bride who wrote to us about this style was weighing a barely there veil against a classic one. Barely there tulle is so fine it can disappear against loose hair. A single tier cut edge veil in traditional or silk style tulle shows up better and still looks soft.

Hair down

Hair down needs one extra step, because smooth hair gives a comb little to grip. A small hidden ponytail, backcombing or crossed bobby pins under your top layer make an anchor for the comb. We have a whole post on wearing a veil with your hair down, with photographs of each method.

Short hair and bobs

Short hair can hold a veil, but choose a light one. A long or heavy veil on a short crop pulls the comb loose however well it is pinned. Short veils and birdcage veils are made for it. Use several pins and backcomb under the comb for grip.

Adding a hair vine or comb

A hair vine pinned around a bun or across the comb of your veil adds a little sparkle and extra hold. It also means your hair still looks finished if you take the veil off for the evening. Pin the vine after the veil, so its pins catch the comb too.

Try it at your hair trial

Take your veil to your trial, or a sample of the tulle if it has not arrived yet. Your hairdresser can build the anchor in the right place, and you will see the veil with your real hair. Our step-by-step guide on how to put on a wedding veil covers the morning itself.

All our wedding veils are made in Bath on a silver plated metal comb, and our wedding veil guide explains each style.

Sarah Jane x