What kind of bride are you?
When it comes to wedding shoes in my experience there are generally three types of bride……
- The ‘it’s my big day and I am going to wear my dream wedding shoes whatever!’ brides
- The ‘I love shoes and would love an amazing pair but my budget is limited’ kinda brides
- The ‘no one will even see my shoes so no point spending any money on them!’ bride
Photography Lee Scullion courtesy of Belle Bridal magazine Well it will come as no surprise that I don’t get to speak to or meet too many no. 3’s, for obvious reasons, although occasionally I will speak to brides who want someone to tell them that it’s ok to spoil themselves on their wedding day and let’s face it, if you can’t go all out for your wedding then when can you! So you definitely get my vote
However if you are a number 3 and that’s the way you genuinely feel, and you are happy to wear a pair you already have or slip on a pair of pumps from the high street beneath your dress then of course that’s fine, and I can totally see where you’re coming from, but my question is simply this…….
‘Are you listening to your head or your heart?’ …….…..the reason I ask is because if you’re really not interested in shoes and don’t care what’s on your feet, or you feel it would be overly extravagant, frivolous, pointless, whatever etc that’s absolutely fine, but if your heart is actually saying ‘I would really really love those shoes, but…’ then that’s entirely different .
Obviously I’m always going to be the one saying ‘go ahead, spoil yourself, get your dream wedding shoes!’ because shoes are my world, but there are other good reasons too. It’s not necessarily about spending a lot, it’s about investing your time finding a pair that make your heart sing, that you can’t wait to wear on your wedding day, and that are comfortable too.
If you are a no. 2 kinda bride and budget is restricted then I would advise you spend your time looking out for sales, promotions, competitions etc to get the best possible deal on the best possible shoes for your budget, you won’t regret it when the big day dawns. If there’s a brand or a pair you’re in love with check out well know auction sites and fashion resale sites as they can offer real bargains sometimes, and don’t be afraid to ask designers/brands if they have any sales coming up etc in the foreseeable, you might just get lucky!
So here are some of my thoughts when it comes to why you should invest in great wedding shoes for your big day!
FOMO!
So the big day comes, and your photographer has captured all those lovely moments while you get ready, you’ve had your bridal hair and make up done, you step into your stunning wedding dress, put the bridal headpiece or veil on and finally you slip on your shoes…… is it going to be a Cinderella moment, where you feel absolutely wonderful, and everything feels just perfect? When your Mum, Dad, sister, bridesmaids etc all gasp at how beautiful you look and you can’t wait to go and marry your loved one, you can’t wait to show off your shoes to your besties at the reception, and you can’t wait to wear them again after the big day, because they will always remind you of that special moment…
OR
Do you slip on your shoes and think …they look ok, no one will really see them but secretly wish that you’d bought those beauties that you had your eye on when you started your bridal journey, that you so nearly bought several times, that cried ‘buy me’ every time you looked at them, that would’ve just finished everything off perfectly …………., but you decided against because you were being sensible, after all no-one is going to see them………..well who wants to feel like that on their wedding day!!!!???
Not you I guarantee! Don’t be that bride who wished she’d bought the shoes, be the bride that did buy the shoes and had her Cinderella moment!
COMFORT
You can go online or to various well known high street fashion stores and pick up a shoe that you could easily wear for your wedding, nothing wrong with that at all, as long you’re happy with them then all is good……but my advice would be to try wearing them for a good while first, to check how comfortable they really are. Comfort can be a bit of a dirty word when it comes to wedding shoes, but actually it is super important on your wedding day as no bride wants to have sore feet.
Comfortable shoes can be super sexy and stylish too you know!
After the wedding ceremony, the photographs, the reception, chatting to everyone etc etc and before you even think about the first dance you need to feel confident that your wedding heels are still going to feel comfortable.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Just consider for a moment when you get your beautiful images through after the wedding day, you’re so excited to see them, it was just the best day ever!
…..and then you see an image of you getting out of the car and your shoes are showing (you know the ones that no one was ever going to see) and then there’s another of you walking up some steps and again you can really see the shoes (you know the ones that no one was ever going to see) and then there was that lovely moment where your groom swept you up in his arms and again you can see the shoes…….. you know where we’re going here don’t you!
Ok so maybe I am laying it on a little thick but genuinely you will be surprised, even with the biggest of dresses at how often your shoes will peep out, you just need to decide if that matters to you or not.
AFTER THE BIG DAY
I always try to encourage my brides not only to consider whether they will wear their shoes again, when choosing their dream wedding shoes, not for popping down to the shops obviously, these are very special shoes to be treasured after all, but for a party or dinner or some other special occasion. We are all so aware now of making good choices and not wasting money on fast fashion and purchases that won’t stand the test of time, so it makes sense to invest in shoes that you will want to keep wearing.
If you have chosen a pair that actually aren’t that comfortable on the day and don’t make you feel special then they’ll more than likely be consigned to the back of the wardrobe or a charity shop, and never worn agin, what a waste…….
However if you choose gorgeous wedding shoes that bring you such joy and you really love, then you are far more likely to treat them as an investment and wear them again, and every time you do you will be reminded of the best day of your life, how lovely is that!
Nude, blush and coloured wedding shoes are an especially good option, as they work with most looks from cute summer dresses to your favourite pair of jeans, and if you love them you will find occasions to keep wearing them.
So have I convinced you to become a no. 1 bride?
I hope so, in my eyes all brides should be number 1
