Inside The History Of The Bridal Veil

Evidence shows that the concept of marriage has been around for over 4,000 years, according to The Week. As weddings changed over the centuries, different traditions were established — including the veil. 

The veil can be traced back to weddings in Ancient Greece (via The Knot). Brides would cover their whole face and in many cases, shroud their whole bodies as they walked down the aisle. Susan Waggoner explained to Brides that veils "wrapped brides from head to toe to represent the delivery of a modest and untouched maiden." Let's be honest, delivering a bride pre-packaged like that Amazon box you've been waiting for doesn't sound super romantic.

Back then, marriage was not often about love, but about an exchange of property, money, or titles (per Brides). The Week reported it was also a way to ensure that any children a woman birthed were linked to their biological heir. Because of this, arranged marriages were the norm in most cultures, according to Richmond TImes-Dispatch, so the veil served as "a method of shielding the bride's face from her future husband." You know, just in case the groom saw his bride before the ceremony and was not attracted to her, noted Brides. Totally rude, but it happened!