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Bridal shoes | What to consider when buying your bridal shoes.

Bridal shoes | What to consider when buying your bridal shoes.

Bridal shoes | What to consider when buying your bridal shoes.

 

One of the first stops for most brides when planning their wedding, is the dress shop! The search for the ‘perfect dress’ is an exciting process, with many brides finding themselves surprised by the styles and materials they fall in love with, versus those they were expecting to choose.

While you may have found the perfect dress for you, have you considered your wedding shoes yet?
Not only will your wedding shoes finish your bridal look, but they’ll play a bigger part in your big day then you may think. The perfect wedding shoes will influence your stance, style and comfort, as well as ensuring that your dress hangs perfectly. Ensuring your wedding shoes and wedding dress work together is an important factor to consider when planning your wedding look, so what should you consider when buying your bridal shoes?

 

The top 10 things to consider when choosing your wedding shoes:


1. High heels, mid heels, wedges or flats?


This is a decision that only you can make. Some brides love their heels and a high heel, a mid-heel or a wedged wedding shoe is a must for their big day. For others, the idea of wearing heels all day will fill them with dread. Whatever your choice, we recommend buying for the long-haul. Ideally, the shoes you wear in the morning, will be the shoes you wear as you dance into the night!


Most wedding dress shops will recommend that you take your shoes with you to your wedding dress fitting, to ensure that the hem of the dress is perfectly fitted with your shoes in situ. Wearing heels for the day, before switching into flats for the evening will change the length of your hem and the hang of your dress. For longer dresses this can make a big difference, making the dress too long in the evening when you want to dance and socialise.


2. Quality.
For comfort, we recommend buying for quality. Quality wedding shoes are designed for the occasion, knowing brides will be on their feet all day before dancing away the night. They will have additional cushioning and padding under the ball of your foot to avoid aching feet. One poll for the Telegraph stated that brides spend around 15% of the price of their wedding dress on their wedding shoes, so it’s worth investing your time into choosing the perfect pair of shoes for your big day. Be sure to invest in quality, ensuring your wedding shoes are easy to walk in and allow you to glide down the aisle.


 

3. It’s all about the toe!
If you are planning on wearing a long dress for your wedding, then the hem of the dress is usually positioned to lie flush with the floor. As such, the only area of your shoe that will be visible below your dress is the toe of your shoe, as you walk. When choosing the style for your perfect shoe, bear this in mind – it’s not all about the heel, the toe of your wedding shoes is the area that will be most visible!

4. Request a dress swatch.
Most brides will buy their shoes and accessories having already chosen their wedding dress. If so, be sure to ask your chosen bridal shop for a swatch from your wedding dress material to take with you when you shop for your wedding shoes! Taking a swatch will ensure you can match your wedding shoes perfectly to your dress, without limiting you to buying your shoes from the same store as your dress.

 

 

5. Turn up the heat.
One of the key challenges when buying your wedding shoes is ensuring you are buying for the right season. Brides typically buy well in advance of their big day, but unless you are buying a year in advance, this can mean that the season that you are buying in differs from the season your big day will fall in. If you are buying shoes in colder months, be sure to consider the impact that a hotter season may have on your comfort and sizing particularly if you are in the shoes all day. Similarly, if you are buying in hotter weather, be sure to consider that your feet may be smaller in colder months.

6. Consider the terrain.
If you are marrying in a country house then you can consider most shoe styles and fabrics, but if you are hoping to stand on grass, or are in a marquee or outdoor setting, then it’s worth giving this some consideration when choosing your wedding shoes. If you want to wear heels but still have photos on the grass, then we’d highly recommend investing in some heel protectors to ensure you don’t sink into the grass. Equally, if you are expecting to encounter mud, then it’s important to consider the fabric of the shoe, as satin fabrics can stain very easily in wet, muddy weather. Although it’s unlikely to upset your big day, it will make your wedding shoes a one-time wear.

7. Buy early
This seems like an obvious one! Not only is it important to ensure you have your shoes available for your dress fitting, but this will also give you plenty of time to break them in without your other half seeing!

 


 

8. Love them longer!
Although your shoes have been specifically purchased for your big day, we love the idea of buying shoes that you can wear again and again! If you are buying wedding shoes you love, don’t resign them to the back of your closet after your big day – focus your search on shoes that you would happily wear again.
We love the look and feel of an espadrille shoe that will give you quality and comfort on your big day, but can be worn again, extending the life of your style while also bringing back happy memories from your big day each time you wear them!


9. Colour? I do!
Are you keen to add a splash or colour or go classic with white? As with the style of wedding shoe you chose, there’s no right or wrong answer. For some brides, adding a splash of colour to their shoe offers an opportunity to add their character to their wedding style, while for others a traditional white satin shoe helps to hero and compliment their dress.
Although we’ve mentioned the importance of keeping the height of your heel the same throughout your wedding day and night, we love the idea of buying multiple colours across a single shoe range to help you mix up your colour and look heading into the evening. Finding bridal shoes that come in a range of colours will offer you an option to change your shoes, while ensuring your heel height and shoe design remain the same.



 

10. Don’t forget the morning after.
Brides commonly feedback that the wedding day itself is a blur of activity and people. The time travelling and preparing for your wedding and the morning after your wedding are often key times for every bride to spend with her loved ones outside of the business of main day. Although they can get lost in the preparations for the big day, these periods can provide lovely and personal moments with your loved ones that will stay with you forever.

 
These moments are calm and personal moment where you can truly focus on your family and your other half. Treat yourself to the perfect pair of shoes for travelling to and from your wedding, as well as for your honeymoon and ensure you feel just as special as you do during the ‘main event’.
Most importantly, we wish you every happiness for your big day, and hope that you enjoy shopping for your perfect pair of wedding shoes. For summer styles we love the look and support given by a classic wedged bridal espadrille and this has underpinned the development of our new range of bridal atelier shoes. We’ve designed a whole range, with varying colours to meet every bride’s style. We hope they make you feel a million dollars on your big day and for the many exciting adventures your marriage will bring.



 

To Shop Our Full Bridal Collection, Click below

 

 

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