Alongside veils, tiaras and spiffy neckwear, brides and grooms getting married during the coronavirus pandemic have added face masks to their must-have wedding accessories.
Top wedding designers and artists on platforms like Etsy released a slew of masks made specifically for couples and their attendants. Some match dresses and suits while others incorporate something blue. There are masks that are monogrammed, hand-woven, or made of silk. Couples are buying them for themselves as well as getting them as wedding gifts.
“Masks at first were considered a purely medical device, but as they have evolved into our new normal we received an overwhelming amount of messages requesting if we could create them,” said Hermione de Paula, a London-based bridal designer. “We found it really important to help our clients find a solution to still feel beautiful on their most important day.”
Here are a few masks that will help you add a fashionable flare to your wedding look. Of course, your mask should be beautiful, but don’t forget to make sure it also has two layers of washable, breathable fabrics.
Bespoke Masks With a Message
Masks by Hermione de Paula come with a message, like a wedding date or initials embroidered inside. A meaningful quote or song lyric could be an option, too. “It is inspired by my love in how in the Victorian times particularly flowers were used, much like gloves, fans, or parasols, for relaying secret messages,” Ms. de Paula said. Brides can also opt for premade kits that come with a matching bow, bag, fan, scarf, and gloves.
Bespoke masks cost 235 British pounds (or around $300.) Noncustomized printed and embroidered masks cost 50 pounds to 120 ($64 and $153.)
Masks That Mesmerize
Anu Batra, the founder of B Anu Designs in San Francisco, which designs Indian bridal wear, believes masks should steal the show. Her creations are made of silk, adorned with gold, lined with pearls, and fabricated from rich velvet (and sometimes all of the above). She sells matching masks for brides and grooms and packs of 30 masks for wedding guests ($495).
Butterfly Protections
“Wearing a mask is an act of love,” wrote Claire Pettibone, a Los Angeles wedding designer, on her website. “Thank you for doing your part.” Her masks are feminine with floral and butterfly designs, but they are also practical. They are made of two layers of 100 percent cotton with a pocket to add an additional filter. They tie at the back of the neck, so brides can use the string as a lanyard when they want to take off their mask to eat or drink. For every mask sold, the small business donates one to groups in Los Angeles that need them.
Masks That Won’t Break the Bank
Even pandemic weddings that tend to be smaller and more casual can stretch budgets. The wedding site Azazie sells stylish masks that cost as little as $2. They come in a variety of shapes, colors, and patterns, and there is a large selection for men. There are even face masks on chains that can be worn as necklaces. The idea is that they won’t fall off when the wearer hits the (hopefully socially distanced and outside) dance floor.
Masks for the Hopeless Romantic
Andrea & Leo is a Los Angeles company that makes ultrafeminine dresses for evening occasions, including proms, galas and weddings. It sells its items through Eveningroom on Etsy. But when the pandemic hit, and these events were canceled, they occupied themselves by creating couture masks. When they started displaying their masks on social media in the spring, they received backlash for assuming brides would want to wear masks on their wedding day. Now brides all over the world come to them for elaborate masks made with as many beads and embellishments as they want.
