Bridal Club Magazine
How to: Finding Your Perfect Wedding Shoes
The wedding day adage recommending something old, something new,
something borrowed, and something blue provides little guidance
about how to choose the perfect wedding day shoes. This is probably
because there are as many ways to choose shoes as there are brides
themselves, and there's no need to follow a single recipe when
selecting this important ingredient in your wedding day aesthetic.
Here at brideonline.com, we say get creative, inspired, and
original!
Practical Considerations
You are going to be in your wedding shoes for a long time, so
you need to consider what will work for your wedding setting. If
you're getting married on a sandy beach, skinny heels that will
sink into the sand are probably out, and if you'll be walking
around in the woods for your post-ceremony pictures, you need to
avoid shoes that could send you tumbling into a nasty fall. Brides
are increasingly choosing two - or even three! -- pairs of shoes.
You might stick with pin- thin, glamorous heels for your ceremony,
then switch to wedges for your photos and ballet flats for your
reception. Be sure to test whatever shoes you've chosen before your
wedding day- walk around in them, get comfortable with how you move
in them, and try a little quickstep (or twerk) to see if you'll
even need a change of shoes at all.
How Well Do They Wedge into Your Theme?
Your wedding theme can provide ample guidance for your shoe
selection. If your wedding is a majestic black tie affair, casual
loafers probably aren't the best choice. Make sure your shoes match
the elegance and overall feel of your wedding. Some options for
doing so include:
- Selecting shoes that match an accent color. If your invitations
or centerpieces are red, red shoes can yield lovely photos.
- Choosing a fabric that matches your wedding theme. For a
vintage-style wedding, try elegant laces. For a more formal affair,
shoes with rhinestones and other embellishments can help you dress
it up.
- For a cute photo, try matching your bridesmaids' shoes.
- Forego tradition and try something that your guests and
photographer will remember! Getting married outdoors or in a barn?
Cowboy boots can be fabulous. Sports aficionado? Try some shiny
pink running shoes. Adding a unique touch will give the event a
playful, exciting edge.
Matching Your Gown
Your shoes need to match your dress, but this doesn't mean going
overboard with white on white. Virtually anything goes with white,
so don't be afraid to experiment with a vibrant pop of color. Some
brides opt to make their "something blue" the shoes themselves.
When you match your shoes to your dress, keep the following tips in
mind:
- Ensure the fabrics don't clash. You might love lace shoes, but
if your dress is a shimmery taffeta, they could end up looking
slightly crazy.
- Shorter dresses generally require higher heels to look
well-proportioned.
- Try on your shoes with your dress to ensure you're not tripping
over the fabric or dragging the hem on the ground.
- Like matching your shoes to the wedding theme, your shoes need
to match the overall feel and genre of your dress. So, for example,
a retro dress will look best with retro- style shoes. If in doubt,
K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, you Stunner). Plain white or cream pumps
(depending on the particular tone of your dress)will look
incredible , or skin- toned pumps will look terrific if you're
wearing a coloured, or multicoloured dress.
Take Your Time
Give yourself plenty of time to choose your shoes so you're not
rushed into a decision at the last moment. Try keeping pinboards or
a wish list of shoes you like as you plan your wedding, then narrow
down your choices as the big day approaches. If you can't decide
between two styles, there's no harm in buying both! You could wear
one at your ceremony and one at your reception, or pick the pair
that speaks to you the most on your big day. The great thing about
your wedding shoes, unlike just about everything else on your
wedding day, is that they can be worn many times over.
Happy hunting!