Our story
Handmade wedding veils & accessories, from Bath, England
An old house in a much older city
We are Sarah Jane and her team. We make every piece after you order it, one at a time, and send it to brides all over the world.
4,761 reviews across our site, Etsy, Google and Trustpilot. On our site, 97 in every 100 give five stars.
A short history
Bath is a Georgian city and a World Heritage Site, and people still live in its honey-coloured houses. It was dressing brides long before we arrived. Here is the city's story first, then ours.
The city's story
1749
“ Suits of Wedding Cloaths for the Ladies, from far and near.”
The architect John Wood, on what the shops of Bath were always making. The lace on them was sold as Bath Lace, and much of it was made in Devon.
Source: Trevor Fawcett, Bath History, vol. 3
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1760s
Fashion shops reach Milsom Street
Millinery is one of the few shop trades in the city run mostly by women.
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1816
Fine net comes to Devon
John Heathcoat moves his net-making machines to Tiverton. Tulle for veils is still made there today.
Source: Britannica, Heathcoat Fabrics
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1840
Queen Victoria marries in a veil of Honiton lace
It is worked by hand in Devon. White with a veil becomes the ideal.
Source: Royal Collection Trust, V&A
All of that is the city's story, not ours.
Britten began in 2007. We are an old house in a much older city, making veils and accessories for brides from far and near.
Our story
- 2007
Sarah Jane founds Britten and makes veils at a small scale from the start.
- 2011
We open on Etsy.
- 2016
Sarah designs the barely-there veil.
- 2019
We make a veil for The Crown, series 3.
- 2024
Vogue's sustainability editor buys a silk veil from us.
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Today
Sarah and her team, for brides in 28 countries this year.
Before you buy
What brides ask before they order
Will it arrive in time?
In the US, making and delivery together take an estimated 10 to 15 working days, or 4 to 5 with rush. All duties and taxes included.
Check both against your wedding dateCan I see it first?
We post fabric samples, so you can hold the tulle against your dress in daylight.
Order samplesCan I send it back?
Most veils, yes, within 45 days with the tag left on. We cover the cost. These can't be returned: veils made with materials sourced per purchase, veils made to a length you give us, veils with personalised embroidery and lace veils cut to your order. Not sure about a piece? Its product page always says if it can't be returned. If a piece arrives faulty or damaged, we'll replace or refund it.
Returns in fullWho will I be talking to?
Our small team, by email, so you have everything in writing. Most emails get a reply by the next working day.
Can I come and see you?
We are a workshop, not a shop, so we can't offer visits or fittings. Samples and a photo of your dress do the job.
Who makes your veil
I didn't wear a veil at my own wedding. I wished I had.
I started Britten in 2007, making veils at a small scale, and opened on Etsy in 2011. Today I design every piece, and my team and I make each one in Bath after you order it.
Sarah Jane
Founder and designer
How it is made
How your veil is made
Everything is made in Bath, by people, one veil at a time. Here is what happens to yours.
- 1
You order. Nothing is cut until you do.
- 2
A maker cuts your tulle by hand, to your length.
- 3
The comb is sewn on by hand. Lace joins and pearls are finished by hand.
- 4
It is folded in tissue with a note, then sent tracked and fully insured.
Tulle from Devon and Italy. Lace from Cluny in Derbyshire, at work since 1845, and Solstiss in Caudry, France.
In their words
What brides wrote afterwards
“I was nervous about spending so much on a veil I hadn't seen in person but the brilliant returns policy put my mind at ease.”
“I was able to order some samples to decide on the color, texture, weight and details of my veil.”
“The packaging was beautiful and the veil was so fine and soft.”
Vogue. In June 2024, vogue.com reported that its sustainability editor bought a handcrafted silk veil from us.
The Crown. We made the veil for Camilla's first wedding, series 3, episode 9.
Also in HELLO!, Harper's Bazaar, Brides, Martha Stewart Weddings, The Knot, Hitched and Rock My Wedding.
The plain facts
- Company
- Britten (UK) Ltd, no. 06236908, founded 3 May 2007
- Made in
- Bath, England
- What we make
- Wedding veils, bridal jewellery, hair accessories, belts and garters
- Founder and designer
- Sarah Jane
- Visits
- None. We are a workshop, not a shop.
- help@brittenweddings.com
- Check us elsewhere
- Trustpilot, Etsy, Google, Instagram