Veiling

Q: Why does a bride wear a veil at a wedding?

A: The idea of wearing a veil wends back to Mother Rebecca.  She covered her face with a veil when she first met her husband-to-be, Isaac.  We continue to follow her act of modesty to this day.

Another source indicates that the bride requires a special protection on the day of her wedding.  As she may be susceptible to the “evil eye” she wears a veil offering her protection.

Incidentally, pagan and medieval societies had the noxious practice of premier nuit, when the bride was obliged to spend the first night with the local warlord.  Covering the bride’s face may have deceived the authorities into believing she had been previously married, fooling the local fiefdom that she was not a virgin.

The reason most often cited for the veil is that Mother Leah was substituted for her sister on the night of her betrothal to Father Jacob.  The switch was done in the darkest tent.  So that we make sure the bride is the real intended one (read: Rachel, not Leah) she dons a veil and just before the ceremony reveals herself to the groom.