Once you’ve chosen your bridal gown, shopping for your wedding shoes is probably going to be your favourite part of getting your big day look – after all, what girl doesn’t want another pair of shoes!
The trouble is, it’s not as simple as picking a pair of pumps that’ll look good with anything, wedding shoes are a very specific purchase and one that needs some careful consideration – You don’t want to be grimacing and limping around the floor during your first dance do you? Which brings us to our first point.
Your bridal shoes need to be comfortable
We’re not saying that you should sacrifice looks and style. Far from it. But you do need to make sure that your shoes are comfortable and that you can walk in them for the whole day.
So don’t buy your wedding shoes a couple of days or a week before the big day. Try and get them a month or so beforehand so you can practise strolling in them around the house (particularly key if they’re high) and wear them in a bit on the carpet so they mould to your feet. That way you’ll avoid blisters and will float down the aisle feeling at ease.
Heels and stilettos
If you’re the kind of girl who doesn’t have a flat pair of shoes in her wardrobe and is dedicated to heels then that’s fine (there’s a few of us in the Wedding Ideas office just like that!). But just remember that if you’re wearing a long wedding dress or one with a train, you’re going to have to tread carefully so that you don’t catch your heel.
You also need to consider your wedding venue. If you’re having a destination wedding on the beach then we think high heels are a bit of a no no. The same applies if you’re having a winter wedding and it’s snowy – you don’t want to break your leg walking up an icy path to church – wedding wellies would be a much better bet here. Just give your heels to your bridesmaid so she can hand them to you in readiness at the church door so you can change back into them for the long walk down the aisle.
Flats and kitten heels
Even if you’re the sort of girl who never wear heels, we’d urge you to consider wearing a small one on your big day. You’ll stand more elegantly and walk more smoothly than if you’re in a pair of flats (although if you’re marrying on a sandy beach we think perfectly pedicured bare feet are just perfect).
Have a look at some kitten heels which will raise you up just a tad and give you a more ‘dressy’ look, without making you feel you’re going to fall over.
Matching your dress
Remember to think about how your shoes are going to work with your dress. If you’ve chosen a wedding dress with beading and embellishments, then it can look fabulous to have fairytale heels in a delicate fabric.
You should also consider the length of your dress when you’re buying your shoes. If you’re wearing a gown that skims the floor, high heels are going to bring it up a bit. A good wedding dress shop will have heels you can wear when you’re trying on different dresses, so try and go for the same height when you go shoe shopping.
Dream in colour
Don’t automatically think that your wedding shoes have to be white or ivory. In fact, we love the trend for a pair of bright blue, purple or red pumps peaking out from below a traditional wedding gown.
If you’ve got a strong wedding colour theme going on, you could match your shoes to it as well. Rainbow Club has shoes in a myriad of different shades and styles – from a classic court to a strappy diamanté number.
As for ballet flats (if you’re a boho kind of a bride), have a look at Dessy’s selection in different shades which you can accessorise with detachable clips.
Thinking about price
We’re firm belivers that you should buy wedding shoes you fall in love with. Shoes are easy to store in a box and won’t take up much room in your wardrobe (and you’ll love taking them out to show your granddaughters one day).
If you see a pair that go way over your wedding budget then think about how practical they will be in the future. If you fall in love with a pair of Jimmy Choos, then choose some that you’ll get more wear out of than just showing them off on your wedding day. If you do the cost per wear sum you’ll see that shoes you love wearing are good value and a pair of dazzling party heels will make an inexpensive evening dress look as though it cost much much more.
On the other hand, if you really want to keep to your budget with your wedding shoes, remember you can buy an inexpensive pair of plain court shoes and then jazz them up with diamanté shoe clips.
Make sure you take a look at our real weddings section and our Pinterest boards for some more wedding shoe inspiration from real brides.
