When Exactly Should You Take Off Your Wedding Veil?

You can't stop thinking about your wedding veil, right? We don't blame you. But here's something you may not have thought about yet—when exactly you should take it off after your ceremony. Deciding when to remove your veil is ultimately a personal preference, but there are some practicalities to consider before choosing the perfect moment. Here are four great options for when to take off your veil.

1. Right After Your Ceremony

If you only want to wear your veil during your ceremony, remove it right after walking back up the aisle. Have your hairstylist show one of your wedding party members how to take it off carefully without messing up (or pulling) your hair. This is the best of both worlds—you'll have tons of ceremony photos with it on, then get to take your portraits, mingle at cocktail hour and dance the night away without worrying about it.

2. Post Portraits

Want to give your wedding portraits a more bridal vibe? Keep your veil on for photos between your ceremony and reception with your new spouse, wedding party and families. This is the perfect opportunity to get a romantic shot of your veil flying in the breeze, by the way.

3. After Your Reception Entrance

Not ready to stow it away quite yet? Don't! Make your reception entrance, and even do your first dance, wearing your veil—as long as it doesn't hinder your moves. Want to shake things up? Cut your wedding cake early on (as in right around your entrance and first dance) so you can capture all those great moments in your veil before taking it off for the night.

4. Never

If you're absolutely in love with your veil, feel free to rock it during the entire reception—when else will you get the chance to wear it? Just make sure it doesn't getting ruined, dragged or stepped on. If your your headpiece is particularly long or ornate, we recommend trying a multi-layered version with a fingertip-length top layer that can be worn on its own during the reception.