Shoe Choices Help Set Your Wedding Style
Elizabeth Duran
The location of your wedding, its formality and your personal taste will influence every detail of your wedding day attire, right down to your toes. The right shoes will enable you to walk your way into your marriage in comfort and style.
Working with a designer lets you echo elements in your gown or apply decoration that suggests your personality or heritage. Brides who want custom shoes should visit a designer at least four months before the big day. If your gown is being made, it’s possible your designer can construct your footwear from the same fabric. Otherwise, provide swatches.
But you don’t necessarily have to engage a custom designer for the right look. Bridal shops and department stores stock a variety of special occasion footwear. One advantage is that a bridal party scattered across the country can view and be fitted for the same shoe.
Specialty shoe manufacturers pride themselves on their large range of sizes – from 2 to 12 and in every width imaginable. At prices that start as low as $20, you can find looks that range from simple ballet skimmer to higher-end couture looks.
If you envision your attendants in coordinating outfits with matching shoes, these styles can be dyed to virtually any fabric color, said Lisa Porter of Coloriffics.
“Color will vary from indoor to outdoor lighting,” Porter said, “so inform your shoe dyer of the setting.” Count on the dyeing process to take at least seven to 10 business days. But color isn’t the only thing to consider. Diane Brenner with Special Occasions by Saugus Shoes cautions to match the sheen of the dresses to the shoe.
“A shiny gown should get a shiny shoe,” Brenner said. “If you need to take off some shine, it’s easily done by bridal shops with a coat of special liquid.”
She said the three levels of luster in bridal shoes are satin, the shiniest; luxe, with less reflection, and silk satin, a matte finish.
Bridal shoe designers closely track wedding gown styles as well as trends in street shoes.
“Dress designers are bringing back a smaller, prettier line in their gowns, a sleeker look,” said Sonja Stahl of Dyeables, “so we’re moving away from clunky and toward more streamlined, dainty designs.”
All heel heights are available, with mid-heels the most popular. Fresh metallics like pewter and platinum join silver and gold. You’ll see variations on the Mary Jane alongside the perennial favorites, the closed-toe pump and the slingback.
Gail Perfetto of Kenneth Cole Bridal Shoes said there’s a style for every gown, from simple and elegant to elaborately embellished.
“Bridal footwear will continue to be feminine,” Perfetto said. “While some styles will be simple and sophisticated, others will have flowers and embroidery.”
If your dress is daring or exotic, your shoe choice should follow. “With a more unusual dress, for instance, something strapless, you may be able to carry off a slight, pretty platform. It’s an elegant, ladylike look,” Stahl said.
No matter your gown style, your choice of footwear should follow swiftly. It’s vital to have your shoes ready for your fitting, and certainly before the hem is discussed.
“You’ll be surprised how a half inch matters when you have 62 layers of tulle in your skirt,” Stahl said.
These footwear experts dismiss the idea that a bride must sacrifice comfort for elegance. “Additional comfort features like arch padding are built into special occasion shoes that are often not available in street shoes,” Stahl said.
If you’re not looking forward to throwing your shoes off during the reception or changing into white tennis shoes, it’s critical to invest a little more time into selecting your footwear. Be realistic.
“If you don’t wear high heels every day, wearing them at your wedding would probably make that the worst day of your life,” Stahl said. “If you’re used to 2 inches of heel and buy a stiletto, you’re going to be tripping all over.”
For attendants with above-the-ankle dresses, shoes take on additional importance. To make their ensembles flattering and present a long, sleek line, match the hose to the overall look. That may not always be possible, however. If you choose cobalt blue dresses for the bridesmaids, you’re unlikely to find – or want – hose to match, so select a neutral tone and consider dyeing their shoes to match the dress. Metallics invite a shimmer hose, while a black dress dictates black shoes and hose.
And if you find yourself dancing the night away on a cloud without giving your feet a second thought, you picked the right shoes for the job.