A wedding ceremony is the greatest and most beautiful time of your life, and as a consequence of this, each and every factor has to be just right – therefore your footwear cannot be overlooked! Not just so that your feet look fabulous, but remember, you are going be in them all day – they need to be comfortable (or you need to have a high pain threshold!) and suitable (if you are thinking 5 inch heel and you are having a beach wedding maybe you should reconsider…)
So many shoes, so many choices! Where do you start? Firstly, don’t limit yourself to ‘bridal’ shoes. Yes, you get some amazing pairs from bridal designers such as Benjamin Adams, Diane Hassall and Rainbow Club . But there are so many fabulous shoes available in department stores, specialist shoe shops and online that are not specifically ‘Bridal’. Don’t know what style to opt for? Here are a few to consider…
Flat wedding shoes are a sensible choice for many brides-to-be. Flat doesn’t have to mean boring. Ballet flats are elegant and comfortable wedding shoes, and can match nearly any type of gown. Look at these adorable ones below by Anusha.
They are the wonderful compromise if you just want to avoid heels but additionally want something more formal than flip flops.
Or how about some blinged up sneakers (a la Annie Banks in Father of the Bride!)
or go quirky old-school with some converse all stars that match your colour theme!
Whatever the style, flat wedding shoes have long been a popular brides-to-be selection for a relaxed shoe that you can dance the night away without any pain. There are so many styles available that your shoes can be cute and sensible, happy days!
The next step up is the low to mid-heel. The half way point. The shoes that can give you a bit of height (which can give you confidence) without crippling your feet (& lack of confidence through fear of falling over). These can be elegant, girlie and comfy, like these ones from Monsoon.
When brides tell me they never wear high heels but they want to wear them on their wedding day, I put up the red flag. I think you should be absolutely confident walking down the aisle and that may mean going a little lower than you’d like. These Vera Wang‘s have an ankle support which can help you feel more secure when walking.
In the end I think you’re going to appreciate feeling beautiful and confident. Chosing a shoe with a slight platform like the pair below by Diane Lynn will give you a little lift without sacrificing comfort and confidence. Also, mid-height are good if your fiancé isn’t that much taller than you – you don’t want to tower over them.
However, these can be seen as ‘safe’ and ‘average’ shoes by the super brave brides, those ladies that only wear heels. For them, their big day requires big heels. All or nothing. Only the skyscraping heights of 5 inches will do for these brides. The king of these shoes? Christian Louboutin.
The flash of a red sole certainly makes my heart beat just that bit faster anyway. But I am biased, I am all for super high heels. My bunions are testament to that, and in fact my calves now get sore when I wear flat shoes. But you have to be accustomed to wearing this height of heels before you consider buying them for your big day – you don’t want to hobble down the aisle!
There are plenty of amazing heels that you can buy at a fraction of the Louboutin price though, like the pair below from Dune.
My most important piece of advice though is pick what you are comfortable in. By comfortable in I don’t necessarily mean shoes that feel as snuggly on your feet as your favourite slippers. I mean what makes you happy and gorgeous. Live in your sneakers? Why would you wear heels on your big day then? Wear what you want to wear, it is your day! As I always say, on your wedding day you should look like the best version of you, not a completely different person. So go ahead and rock those Doc Martins if you want to, and have the time of your life!
Lucy
Need help choosing you shoes? Or dress? Or everything? Contact Premier Wedding Planners for a free wedding consultation.