How to wear a wedding veil with short hair (…or NO HAIR!)

In our modern era, you'll find gorgeous, sophisticated, short-haired women and nonbinary folks everywhere. We're not just talking about the female CEOs or the busy parents, but modern femmes from all walks of life have embraced and will rock a short hairdo. From the teeny-weeny afro to the pixie cut and everything in between, nearlyweds rocking short hair are everywhere! But how do you wear a wedding veil with short hair? Or even NO HAIR, like the beautiful bald brides who've been featured on Offbeat Wed?

Unfortunately, wedding fashion is still steeped in tradition and has not caught up with the times. That beautifully swept updo is a bastion of bridal wedding looks. Almost all veils are affixed to combs and therefore require a long hairdo for attachment. So, what is a fabulous short-haired hottie to do? What follows are three simple options that will allow any bride to find a traditional veil-look to elevate her elegant bridal beauty.

Do It Yourself wedding veil for short hair

Making the perfect veil is likely easier than you’d think. A crafty bride can make a veil from scratch, but for the less crafty brides, there are simple DIY options. What types of hair adornments do you usually use for your hair? Attaching an existing veil to a hair adornment you already know how to use with your hair can be a simple fix.

How to DIY your short hair wedding veil:

1. Go to David’s Bridal (or whatever big bridal store is near you) and pick the veil you like.
2. Carefully remove the combs.
3. Hand stitch the veil to a headband or glue to alligator clips.

This could be a super fun option because you will get to shop not just for a veil but super fun accessories. Imagine using a large chunky bow attached to an alligator clip. Or dainty flowers on two snap clips. You can sew a veil to a ribbon for a tie-on headband. You can gently affix a veil onto bejeweled jaw clips. Or how cute would a veil be attached to a padded headband? Whatever accessories you like can be turned into a veil if your heart is in it, sky's the limit here.

Go for a custom-made wedding veil for short hair

Wedding planning is a lot to do. If you don’t have the time or energy left to DIY a veil, then a custom-made veil should certainly do the trick.

My favorite place for custom wedding wear is Etsy. There are many artists out there who have encountered similar wedding problems to other brides and set out to solve that problem and share these solutions with the world. You can find a classic veil on an alligator clip in mere seconds on Etsy and a moment later you will come across sophisticated headband veils.

Additionally, since many items on Etsy are custom-made, you may find the perfect veil attached to the traditional comb, however, you can certainly ask the seller if they would be willing to make the same veil attached to a clip. Many Etsy sellers are excited about accommodating those kinds of easy changes.

Another option when searching for a custom-made veil is to work with a local seamstress or craft-maven. Bring them a veil and the type of clip you need, and they can easily throw together a veil for you with the professional quality you may not have achieved if you did it on your own.

Try a veil alternative: caps, capes, and headbands!

Your third option would be to explore veil alternatives. There are lots of headdress options when it comes to weddings. Depending on how funky your personality is, you may want to explore some really eclectic options and the Offbeat Bride features several ideas. These to posts are good places to start your search for eclectic headwear:

However, if you are still looking for a veil for short hair that combines alternative with traditional, my favorites are:

• cap veil
• long tie-on tulle headbands
• cape veil (pinned to your dress, not your hair)

These options give you the delicateness of a veil with a short-hair-friendly contemporary twist.

Final tip: Don’t wait until the last minute!

For a long-haired bride, it's easy to pop into a bridal store the week before your wedding and find a quick veil. For a bride who will need more thoughtful attachments on her veil, you need to be more planful. With time, any veil is an option for you. But if you do find yourself in the more last-minute group, find a veil and a crafty friend to DIY it. Good friends are often willing to help with the last-minute details that make a wedding perfect.

If you are a short-haired bride looking for veils, don’t get discouraged. There are lots of options out there for you. You can fairly easily get that perfect veil with attachments that work for your particular coiffure if you just take a minute to think creatively about it.