Where Did Wearing a Bridal Veil Begin?

In today's society brides wear a veil to compliment their gown or to as a decoration. This was not the case, though, as to how the wedding veil began.

In ancient societies, dating back to Biblical days, when marriages were pre-arranged, the groom was not allowed to see his bride-to-be until the wedding ceremony. The couple was not allowed to see each other until the wedding day. This tradition kept the bride and groom-to-be from balking about marrying each other due to their looks. Up until nearly the end of the wedding ceremony, the bride remained veiled. The groom was allowed to unveil the bride at the end of the ceremony.

The veil was, also, worn as protection from evil spirits that were thought to plague the wedding service. The bride wore a veil as a disguise so that the evil spirits would not recognize her. As superstitions went, the evil spirits were jealous of the brides and their happiness. If the veil was not worn, the evil spirits would make all sorts of trouble for the bride at her wedding.

In some cultures the veil was so long and big that it wrapped the bride like a shroud. The veil was then put away and only brought out again when the woman was buried in it.

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