When I first went into the bridal veil business in 2002, I spent days and days and days trying out names for my new enterprise. I came up with dozens of possibilities: Blue Ribbon Veils - I liked it, it implied "something blue," had a kind of prizewinning quality - and yet I couldn't help but feel it suggested the county fair. Fairy Tale Veils - I liked that too, but I was afraid everyone would treat me like Cinderella's godmother, and I'm pretty talented but I can't turn a pumpkin into a carriage. Very Special Veils? I thought this had a certain ironic charm, kind of like businesses that call themselves Acme (Acme Tattoo, for example) but I didn't think people would get it.

So where did The Delicate Veil come from? Aren't all bridal veils delicate? They are, to a certain degree, but actually I make my veils to withstand a considerable amount of manhandling (bridehandling?) I've had some of my samples since I opened five years ago that I've dragged around to shows and had dozens of people try on, and they still look great. Thus . . . Delicate Veils actually aren't all that delicate, really. They just look it!

I have a master's degree in Greek art. I am not one of those people who went to school and studied something ridiculous that she never used and ended up working at a sandwich shop. (Although there's nothing wrong with that - knowledge is its own reward!) I actually do teach art history and once in a while I teach specialty courses in ancient Greece. In the course of my studies I relied on an ancient Greek poem, allegedly composed by Homer (as in Odyssey/Iliad Homer) in the seventh century BC. The Homeric Hymn to Demeter tells the story of the goddess of growing things searching for her daughter, who was abducted by the god of the underworld. As Demeter searches, one of the only goddesses to step forward and comfort her and make useful suggestions is Hekate. Hekate, who later came to be associated with moonlight and crossroads, is referred to as "Hekate of the delicate veil" in my favorite English translation of the poem.

Perfect! Helpful, consoling Hekate, who is associated with crossroads - what bride wouldn't need such a person to help her at this crossroads of her life? So now you know. And thus, the little dancing goddess who flits around my web page, Hekate with her delicate veil.