Bridal headpieces and birdcage veils made to order in the London atelier, colour matched by hand to your dress and finished by Monika Perlinska herself. Allow one to four weeks from the first conversation. The pieces below can be bought today, in ivory, cream, blush, celadon and pale blue. Everything else in bridal is designed around one dress and made once.
Read how a bridal commission works or tell Monika about the day. She replies within one working day.
Choosing yours
Three things that decide a bridal piece
Confirm the dress, then the headpiece
Colour is matched by hand against your own fabric, so post a swatch or bring the dress in. Ivory and white shift a long way between silks and a match made from a screen will be wrong.
How a bridal commission worksA veil for the ceremony, a headpiece after
Many brides wear both. The veil is lifted or removed once the formalities are done, and the headpiece carries the reception and the photographs.
Hats with veilsDecide the hair first
A comb set for hair worn up will not grip hair worn loose. Book the hair trial, then bring a photograph of it to the fitting.
Size and fitElsewhere
The rest of the wedding
Fascinator headbands
The lightest occasion piece, on a band matched to your own hair colour. It holds on a bob, on short hair and on hair worn loose.
Fascinator headbandsMother of the bride
Hats and headpieces for the mother of the bride or groom, colour matched to your outfit and blocked to your head measurement.
Mother of the brideWedding guests
What a guest can wear without competing with the bride, and what works in a pew, a marquee and a receiving line.
Wedding guest hatsMade for you
Monika will design a bridal piece around your dress, match the colour by hand to your fabric and fit it to the way you are wearing your hair. One to four weeks from the first conversation.
The pieces above can be bought today. Most bridal work here is commissioned, because a headpiece has to answer to one dress and one hairstyle. What follows is how to choose between the three kinds of bridal headwear, what suits five different weddings and how a made to order piece runs.
Bridal headwear: choosing between a headpiece, a veil and a hat
Bridal headwear comes in three forms. A headpiece is a solid decorative piece worn on the head all day. A veil is tulle or net worn over the head or the face, usually for the ceremony and lifted afterwards. A hat is a brimmed piece for a civil, winter or second wedding. Many brides wear a veil for the ceremony and change into a headpiece for the reception.
The dress decides which. A dress with a decorated back or a strong neckline is already competing with a long veil, so a comb or a small sculptural piece set to one side photographs better. A plain dress carries a veil and a headpiece together without either being lost. A registry office ceremony rarely suits a veil at all, and that is where a small hat or a band earns its place.
Height is the second decision. A piece worn on the crown adds two or three inches and lengthens the whole line, which flatters a shorter bride. A piece set low and to one side keeps the eye on the face, which is usually what a taller bride wants. Weight decides the rest, because a piece that photographs beautifully and drags on the hairline by four o'clock has failed.
Five bridal looks and what suits them
A clean modern dress
A plain column or a sharp bias cut wants one strong shape and nothing else. A sculptural bow in blush straw, or a silk pillbox worn back on the crown, gives the outfit its single decorative note. Keep the veil short or leave it out, because a long veil softens the line the dress has worked to keep clean.
A lace dress
Lace is already doing the detail, so the headpiece should be smooth and structural. A plain silk or straw shape with no embellishment reads as deliberate against it. If you want a veil, choose plain tulle with a cut edge rather than a lace edge, otherwise the two laces argue and neither is seen properly.
A registry office ceremony
Short ceremonies in small rooms suit a hat or a band over a veil. A pillbox or a sculptural band sits comfortably under a low ceiling, works with a suit or a shorter dress and photographs cleanly against a plain wall. Colour is open here. Celadon, blush, ivory and pale blue all read as bridal without wearing white.
A second wedding
There are no rules left to answer to. Colour over white and a hat over a veil is the usual instinct, because a brimmed hat reads as confident rather than ceremonial. A wide cream brim carries an outdoor day. A coloured pillbox with a short birdcage veil carries a lunch, a register office and a dinner afterwards.
A winter wedding
Felt, velvet and wool crepe belong to a winter wedding in a way straw never will. A felt pillbox or a draped velvet band holds its shape in cold and damp, where straw softens and fine tulle clings. Choose a piece you can wear with a coat, and set it back far enough that a turned up collar does not push it forward.
Bridal headpieces made to order
A bridal commission takes one to four weeks from the first conversation to the finished piece. It begins in the London atelier or by video from anywhere in the world. You approve the drawing, the price and the completion date in writing before any money changes hands, and you see a photograph of the finished piece before it is dispatched.
Colour is matched by hand against your own fabric. Post a swatch of the dress or bring it in, and felts, straws and silks are laid against the cloth until one of them is right. This matters more in bridal than anywhere else. Ivory, oyster, champagne and pure white shift a long way between silks. No two mills agree on the name and a colour chosen from a screen will be wrong.
Sizing is taken from your head, in the atelier or at home with a tape we post to you. The piece is then blocked and wired to that measurement so it holds for a full day without a pin.
Fit to the hairstyle is the step brides leave too late. Decide the hair before the piece is finished. A comb set for hair worn up will not grip hair worn loose, and a band that sits behind a low chignon sits differently against a high one. Book the hair trial first, then bring a photograph of it to the atelier.
Confirm the dress, then order. Allow one to four weeks and begin earlier for summer weddings, when the atelier is busiest.
Questions
What is the difference between a bridal headpiece and a veil?
A veil is a length of tulle or net worn over the head or the face, usually for the ceremony and lifted or removed afterwards. A headpiece is a solid decorative piece worn on the head, a comb, a band, a small hat or a sculptural shape, and it is worn all day. Many brides wear both.
Can a bride wear a hat?
Yes. A hat is a long standing bridal choice for a civil ceremony, a winter wedding, a second wedding or any bride who would rather not wear a veil. A small pillbox, a boater or a wide cream brim all read as bridal. A brim also handles rain, cold and strong sun better than a veil.
Where can I buy a bridal headpiece in London?
Maria Monica London makes bridal headpieces to order in its London atelier, which receives brides by private appointment. Master milliner Monika Perlinska designs the piece around your dress, matches the colour by hand to your fabric and makes it herself. Ready to wear pieces ship straight away and a commission takes one to four weeks.
How long before the wedding should I order a headpiece?
Order as soon as the dress is confirmed. A commission takes one to four weeks from the first conversation to the finished piece, so a headpiece can be ordered late in the planning without risk. Summer weddings fill the atelier, so begin the conversation once the dress is settled rather than waiting for the final fitting.
Can you make a headpiece to match my dress fabric?
Yes. Post a swatch of the dress or bring it to the atelier and the colour is matched by hand against the cloth itself. Ivory, oyster, champagne and white shift a long way between silks, so a match made against your own fabric is the only reliable one. A photograph is used when a swatch is not possible.
Read more on the difference between a fascinator, a cocktail hat and a headpiece, or see fascinator headbands, hats with veils and how a bridal commission works.