Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas tied the knot over the weekend with a whirlwind of events and elaborate outfit changes. But one of the stand-out moments was Chopra's ceremony look, which featured a gigantic 75-foot veil.
The Bollywood star’s Ralph Lauren wedding dress took 1,826 hours to make. Her custom tulle veil was hand-embroidered with eight personally chosen words and phrases, including "family," "hope," and "compassion."
Chopra isn't the first bride to understand the impact of a super-veil - over the years royals, celebrities, and socialites have embraced the all-out drama of a long veil on their wedding days.
Chopra’s longtime friend Meghan Markle's veil didn't stretch to 75 feet, but the beautiful Givenchy piece she wore still made a dramatic impact on the steps of Windsor Castle. Markle’s veil, which ran to 16 ft, was embroidered with the signature flowers of all 53 Commonwealth countries, along with a California poppy to symbolise Markle's home state.
The royal family love a power veil. Queen Victoria was the first royal to get married with a veil, while Queen Elizabeth - despite wartime clothing rations - still managed to wear a long tulle number on her wedding day in 1947. Her sister Princess Margaret also brought the drama to her Norman Hartnell wedding dress with a 'Cathedral length' veil on her wedding day in 1960.
And who can forget the impact of Princess Diana's veil, which ran to 183 yards, extending beyond the train of her famously maximalist Elizabeth Emanuel wedding dress.
Hollywood stars and socialites have also embraced the impact of a super veil, with Gwen Stefani, Kim Kardashian, and Nicky Hilton all going big on their wedding days.
But sometimes, the absence of a veil is just as impactful. When Princess Eugenie got married earlier this year she decided against wearing one for a very personal reason.
"I had an operation when I was 12 on my back, and you'll see on Friday, but it's a lovely way to honour the people who looked after me and a way of standing up for young people who also go through this" she told ITV ahead of her wedding, "I think you can change the way beauty is, and you can show people your scars and I think it's really special to stand up for that."
