"Maybe one out of 50 girls will wear the veil over the face," said Jenn Ferreira of Jenn and Jill's Bridal Boutique in Acushnet. "That was the tradition. When the father pulls the veil (back) over the face, he's unveiling the daughter to the new guy," said Jenn.

The search for the perfect wedding veil begins with the dress.

Typically made from tulle that matches or coordinates with the dress, the veil often has details that tie in with the design of the dress.

"The trend is to have something on them, whereas before they were very simple," said Jenn. "Now the girls are doing rhinestones or pearls or crystals scattered on them. They're a little more ornate."

The more ornate the veil, the more the piece will cost. A simple veil can cost as little as $50. More elaborate designs can run several hundred dollars.

While shimmery accents can help tie the two pieces together, Sue Ferreira of Gilda's Place of Bridals in Fall River cautions brides about overpowering the dress with the veil.

"If your gown is more exquisite or more elaborate, you want to go simple with the veil," said Sue. "You want your day to focus in on your face, not the thing you have on your head or around your neck."

From a one-tier elbow length to a trailing, 15-foot cathedral length, at one time the veil made a social statement.

"The longer the veil, the more elaborate the dress, the more money they had back in the Renaissance era," said Sue. "It was more of a status symbol."

"I love the elegance, the simplicity, the virginity of the cathedrals," said Sue. "It's a look that will last a lifetime."

Bridal fashion is returning to the classic look, but in a way the bride can easily manage. Many brides opt for two veils, one formal, long veil, and a shorter one to replace it at the reception.

"Or, they'll wear the veil for the ceremony and the photos, and just take it off and get ready to party," said Sue.

The length, style, and even the presence of a veil depends not only on the dress but also on how formal the wedding is. A more casual ceremony might prompt a bride to choose a simple tiara, headband, or flowers to adorn their hair.

"My mom was adamant about me wearing the veil," said Sue. "She said, 'A bride isn't a bride without a veil.'"

The length and style of the bride's hair is also an important consideration.

"Usually a girl with short hair looks better with a cascading veil, one that comes over the shoulders," said Jenn. "Girls with long hair have many more options. When they come in to shop for veils, they should have their hair up the way they'll wear it for the wedding."

Mismatched shades of white can be a disaster on a day where details prevail. If possible, the dress and the veil should be compared inside and outdoors to be sure the colors match in all types of lighting.

"A lot of the wedding gown ivories come in five or six or seven shades," said Julie Ferreira of Julie's Bridal Boutique in New Bedford. "We match the color of the veil with the color of the gown."

While that may sound simple, white, diamond white, oyster, champagne, ivory, and cream are all distinctly different colors to a dressmaker.

Ideally, the only way to have a perfect match is to bring the dress or a swatch of the dress fabric to shop for the veil. Better still, simply buy the veil from the same merchant as the dress.

"It's a hand-in-hand cooperation," said Sue. "If you sell bridal gowns it would be silly not to sell the veils. You can buy it right off the rack or you can special order."

Once a bride has found the gown of her dreams, the veil seems to fall into place.

"It's not really a tough choice," said Jenn. "The toughest thing is to choose the dress."