Why do so many brides continue to wear veils at their wedding?

[Houseplantmad]

Seems a bit weird and antiquated in this day and age ie being “revealed” to a prospective husband at the alter, having been “given away” by your father. Why do so many women continue with it?
in fact, so much of traditional wedding rites are just plain odd in this day and age.

What's wrong with wanting to be a princess for a day. I loved it. Don't be such a killjoy!

Oh get over yourself.

For the same reason women continue to give up their own surname and take a man’s name. Embedded sexism.

I love the intelligent nuanced debate you find on this site😂

Because they like how it looks and like the tradition?
I didn't wear one (it would have looked odd with my knee length dark green dress I think) but its not beyond me to imagine that other people like the tradition.
Same as being given away - I wasn't, for various reasons. But I don't think anyone who was genuinely believes their father owns them and is giving them to their husband, they just like the idea of a nice traditional father/daughter moment.

Don't like veils? Don't wear one. This isn't the 'I'm a Better Feminist than You' races.

Because it looks good and bridal.
The being revealed thing is something you are putting into it.
And the old rites.... well, they can do whatever they want, because they want to.
You do it your own way and mind your own business.

To be fair, cringey superiority like yours isn’t uncommon here either

P.S. I agree with others - just do want you want at your own wedding, that’s what I did! We kept what we wanted and got rid of the rest.

Stop judging every single thing a woman chooses to do. Men just get to turn up and nobody seems to angst over what they’re doing, but all the things a woman might do are examined in great detail.

I had a cathedral length one (ie really long) I was channelling my inner Maria from the sound of music. Fabulous.

I wonder if theOP dyes her hair?

The answer is obviously embedded patriarchy. People think it looks beautiful because we've been conditioned that it looks beautiful. But that doesn't mean they didn't love how it looked on their wedding day.

My hair is greying and I still dye it. I know I dye it because patriarchy has conditioned me that grey is only suitable for women past menopause who are useless to men for breeding. But knowing that doesn't stop me feeling better about myself when you can't see my roots...

When my daughter was tiny and watching William and Kate get married on tv she saw the veil and said 'oh no, he trapped her'!

Because I wanted to get married rather than be civilly partnered. As you say, they are essentially the same.

I was married in Hawaii, in a lodge full of Buddha statues, with no witnesses and no religious vows. I'm sure "God" was suitably horrified.

Because they choose to. Nothing to do with being given away.

Why shouldn’t they? Most people see it an optional part of the outfit not anything tied to tradition. I didn’t have one because I had a dress it wouldn’t have gone with, but I like them and there are so many variations that they look nice. I rarely see anyone have them over their face, but if they did I wouldn’t bat an eyelid. Tradition can be nice. If you don’t like it, don’t do it. Simple.

Yep.

Claiming to want intelligent nuanced debate when making snarky remarks suggesting women wanting to wear a wedding dress/veil are motivated by the desire to pretend they're princesses or cinderella and 'It's an odd way for adult women to behave' is just being a sneery dick.

I had a birdcage veil on a headband for the very simple reason that I've always liked the way they looked. If I lived in the right era I would wear pillbox hats with veils every day.

I agree about the embedded sexism, there is so much of it around marriage. I tried one on, it was beautiful but it was so not me (I've been fairly tomboyish all my life and had very short hair at the time) and I didn't like the symbolism. My dress was more cocktail dress style than traditional wedding gown so didn't need one to look finished. I wasn't given away, don't use Mrs or DH's surname. But I do have an engagement ring which I wear all the time. So I don't judge anyone else if they choose to wear a veil, we are all affected to a greater or lesser extent by the patriarchal society we live in.

I'm fairly sure I wore one because I watched a lot of old movies as a child and so my idea of a bride was big dress and veil!
My Mam didn't wear one, borrowed her wedding dress and still doesn't own makeup so it wasn't anything to do with my upbringing or tradition in a family/the society I grew up in sense.
@AlligatorPsychopath I love a birdcage veil and am always on the lookout for an occasion to wear one. Have not managed it yet, but one day!

I had a veil but didn't put it over my face. This was 15 years ago right enough. But my veil was my favourite thing. It was so beautiful.

Those are such common threads aren't they - why doesn't he propose? When will he propose? Obviously a lot of people like those old traditions.

You should totally go for it! I love that look.

The tradition of wearing a veil goes back to the story of Jacob in Exodus in the Bible. He worked for seven years in order to be allowed to marry Rachel but was tricked into marrying a veiled Leah. He then worked a further seven years in order to marry Rachel. In a traditional Jewish wedding ceremony the bride is veiled in front of both sets of parents in order to ensure that the groom is getting the right bride.

I think you should wear the hats!

Because they're beautiful. Head drapes usually are.