Buying Wedding Shoes

Some Bride’s have dreamed since childhood what sort of a wedding day they want. How do you get what you want with all the options and choices that are available.
When planning your wedding it is very easy to overlook some of the most obvious things because items like the wedding dress are forefront in your mind, but what about the rest of your wedding outfit. The wedding shoes are considered the next most important part of your wedding attire after your bridal gown.
Having decided on your dress and the dress colour should make looking for your wedding shoes slightly easier. If you have chosen a white wedding dress it is unlikely that you will be looking for ivory shoes, although it is no longer considered compulsory that your wedding shoes have to be the same colour as the wedding dress, there are a variety of complementary colours available nowadays.

The first and most important point to consider is what do you want! Not what does your Mother, Aunt or 3^rd cousin once removed say you should have......What do you actually want!! You are the Bride and it’s your day. Also bear in mind what style of shoes you are used to wearing, do you normally wear high heels are flat shoes. Although most brides prefer a higher heel, remember that you will be wearing them for a long time and that as you’re concentrating on walking up the aisle in your dress you do not need the added problem of shoes that you can’t walk in, you need to make sure they are comfortable and that you can easily walk in them even in your dress. So basically if you usually wear flat shoes do not wear your first pair of 10 cm heels on your wedding day.
If height is an issue, maybe because you are taller than the groom, another option when choosing the grooms shoes to find a pair that has a slightly higher heel when compared to others which would give the groom some extra height without being obvious.
With a wealth of shoe shops on the high street or the internet now offering wedding shoes, you no longer have to choose your shoes straight away from the shop you buy your dress at, as long as you have your shoes for your dress fitting so your gown can be altered to the correct length.

When shoe shopping then carry a fabric swatch with you to compare the colour, although remember whilst it might match the swatch the colour can look very different when viewed against the complete dress, different light settings can also effect the match i.e. artificial/natural. If you are going to wear stockings or tights on special day, it is advisable to carry a popsock with you to use when you are trying them on and it’s important to remember that you will on your feet for a long time on your wedding day so your feet may swell during the day.

Once you start looking around for shoes the variety can be daunting, from contemporary open toe sandals to the traditional closed toe court shoe, bows to buckles, diamante’s to dyed. The style of the shoe can actually enhance your look, an ankle strap is very flattering on all shoes even the lower heel shoes, and helps to keep the shoe secure on your foot. Shoes with a wedge are a good idea for outdoor weddings to stop you sinking into the ground. Toe posts or slip on shoes are ideal for a beach wedding as they will enable the sand to pass thru the shoe, also if the climate is likely to be very hot at the time of your wedding an open sandal would probably be far more practical than a closed toe court shoe style as these will make your feet sweat in the heat and in turn swell or even worse smell.

Finding your Bridesmaids shoes can be an even bigger task especially if you have an age range in your Bridesmaids which will mean a size range this will lead to possible restrictions in styles available due to most manufacturers do not offer a continuous size range in the same shoe from very small to adult, they are usually available in sizes 7-1 for the small bridesmaids and flower girls, then the junior size range of sizes 1-5 and finally the adult size range of sizes 3-8 With Bridesmaids shoes it is becoming very popular for the shoes to be contrasted with the colour of the dresses. Silver will compliment with most colour dresses but do remember what colour your accessories are i.e. Jewellery or tiara. A gold gown will give a gorgeous contrast with chocolate brown or red shoes and can also add a festive feel to a winter wedding and if you can’t find the colour you require think about having the shoes dyed to the colour of your choice.

Wherever you decide to buy your shoes from, be it a High Street shop, Bridal Shop or the online the always confirm what their return and refund policy is, as it is your big it is essential to have time to make sure they are right for you.

the last but by no means the least bit of advice is, choose what you are comfortable wearing and what makes you feel happy it doesn’t matter if it is an unusual colour or style, but although you will only be wearing them for just for your special day, they will last in the wedding photo’s forever.

Written by Heather Nowlan Online Wedding Shoes ©2011