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Thursday, July 30, 2009

How To Choose Your Wedding Shoes




3 Main Bridal Shoes Criteria

The hardest thing about choosing your shoe is sorting through all of the different options that are out there. I figured out, that the easiest way to narrow down your choices was to determine 3 things: 1) Heel height, 2) Color, 3) Style. After you pick these 3 things, your choice will be simple. I’ve created an easy way for you to narrow down your selections. The only thing you have to do is figure out your criteria. High heel or low heel? White? Silver? Or maybe turquoise? Read on for the best tips on how to narrow down your choices.


1. Low Heel Bridal Shoes or Platform Shoes
2. Color of your Wedding Shoes
3. Style of your Wedding Shoes


1. Low Heel Bridal Shoes or Platform Shoes
Some brides choose a high heel bridal shoe while others will choose flat bridal shoes. So, how do you choose the right heel height for your bridal shoes? This is almost the easiest thing to figure out, but it depends on lots of things. Don’t forget, your wedding dress will be fitted to accommodate the height of your heel, so decide early and stick to it. After you've asked for a certain length, there is no way to change this. Therefore, think about this question early on and choose the heel height that works for you. Here are the most important things to take into consideration when trying to choose the height of your bridal shoe:

I) Your height, the groom’s height: How tall are you and how tall is your groom? Are you more petite and want to stand taller on the big day? Is your groom a bit shorter and do you prefer to stand shorter than him? How do you want to even it out?

Stand next to your groom and figure out how the two of you want to appear on your day. Then, choose the height that you prefer when standing next to him.

II) Comfort: Figure out how comfortable you are in high heels. You want to look confident walking down that aisle and that means stable wedding shoes when you’re walking. If you’re not used to a high stiletto, but still want a higher heel, consider platform heels that will give you more cushion and balance.

III) Dress length: Don’t forget, the heel height of your shoe will determine the length of the dress. If you bought an empire waist dress with a longer train, or a Princess ball gown that hits the floor, think about buying a higher heel for a more dramatic impact in your dress. Try on your dress with different heel heights and see what looks best.

Measuring heel height: Shoe manufacturers may tend

to measure heel heights a little differently. Be sure to check the shoe description pages for more details of how each manufacturer measures their shoe. Don’t worry if you are a little off though! In general, a 1 centimeter difference will only be noticed by yourself.

2. Color of your Wedding Shoes

Choosing a color is so fun, but so hard at the same time. There are many options and you almost can’t go wrong with whatever color you choose for your wedding shoe. Here is some guidance:

I) Match your dress: Choose a shoe that matches your dress. If you do this, you cannot go wrong. Most places will list what colors the shoes come in like ivory or diamond white (which are similar). Plus, your dress and shoes will look great together since it will look like one whole outfit! The only thing to remember is that the shade of white or ivory you select needs to be similar or darker than the dress. If it is brighter, the shoe will stand out too much against your dress.

II) Compliment: The other way to go is to choose a complimentary color. Slightly darker or lighter shades of white, ivory or other neutral colors will compliment the dress well. For example, if your gown is ivory, consider an antique or champagne bridal shoes. If your gown is just shy of white, look for diamond white wedding shoes. Complimenting your dress will allow you to enhance your look without making it look like one color from head to foot.

III) Check in daylight: To get the perfect color, compare the color and your dress swatch in natural daylight. This will show you exactly how the 2 colors will compliment each other.

IV) Sparkle: If you want your shoes to sparkle a little, choose gold wedding shoes, or silver bridal shoes or even a copper color. The only thing to make sure of is what colors are on your dress. If you have silver crystals, make sure you don’t choose gold bridal shoes, and vice versa. If your dress is all white, choose any color you want! Finally, take advantage of choosing a metallic color and choose one that you can wear later to go out in.

V) White wedding shoes or Ivory wedding shoes: At the end of the day, if you don't want a specific color, you really can't go wrong with white or ivory wedding shoes. Depending on the color of the dress, a white or ivory shoe will match it perfectly. The only thing to be aware of is that white comes in many different shades, as does ivory. If you want to match that shoe with your dress, make sure you bring a color swatch in while shopping.

VI) Be demure, but distinct: If you want your shoes to be different, but still stand out a little, consider champagne or taupe. This will accent your dress and be slightly different, but still match well with a romantic white or ivory dress. Another option is to go with ice blue, pale pink, or another pastel shade. These will compliment, but won’t stand out too much. There are less options in these colors, but I’ve tried to find you the best ones out there.

VII)Be Different, be bright, stand out: Choosing a completely different color – red, turquoise, pink, purple – could turn out terrific! If you have a bow on your dress that is a different color, think about buying matching shoes. Or, if you just want something different, consider an entirely new color. I’ve seen plenty of brides in their favorite color shoes whether it’s green, red, blue, or something else! I’ve also seen plenty of brides wearing shoes that match one of their wedding colors or the bridesmaids gowns. This really makes your look stand out from others, but can also really compliment the wedding you’ve planned.


3) Style of your Wedding Shoes

Wedding shoes come in so many different styles that it is hard to suggest one perfect style for everyone. It really depends on what you prefer and your own criteria. Start off by looking through your own shoe closet to get a sense of your own preferences. What do you tend to buy and more importantly, what do you tend to wear? What is most flattering to your feet and what will flatter your dress the best? Here are the most important things to take into consideration when trying to choose the style of your bridal shoe:

I) Open or closed toe? Do you want to show your toes or do you want a more conservative look that hides your feet a bit more? Closed toe shoes help to give you a more formal look. If you’re thinking about buying one, go up half a size and insert a gel insole for more comfort. Open toe shoes tend to be more comfortable since they allow your toes to breathe. Also, they don't scrunch your toes like closed toe shoes. Just remember, if you are going to buy open toe shoes, make sure you schedule a pedicure the week of your wedding. You would hate to have toes that are stuck out but unmanicured. Plus, why not go for a little pampering the week of your wedding?

II) Low bridal shoes? Are you a taller bride or a bride that wants more comfortable bridal shoes? If so, go with low wedding shoes. Shoes that have a kitten heel or a mule or slide are usually lower. They are also very flattering with your dress. Finally, they can be easily swapped with a pair of flip flops since you will find a lot of flatter flip flops.

III) Straps or not? Do you want strappy sandals, slingbacks, etc. or do you want something more like a pump or Mary Jane?

If strappy – what type of strap? Strappy shoes can be very flattering, especially if you have wider feet. They tend to give more room to move and they will usually stretch a little more after you wear them awhile. One very elegant and distinct strappy sandal is the t-strap. Also, consider ankle straps so your shoes won't fall off throughout the night. Although ankle straps may give your leg the illusion of being shorter, they can also look very flattering if they fit right.

If you want heels, do you want

I. A platform to give you more height, but also to provide

platform bridal shoesmore relief for your feet. Since a platform is

raised in the front as well as the back, your

feet won’t hurt as much since there is more

support. So, you can get a 4 inch heel with 3

inches of discomfort instead of 4. You'd be

surprised at the difference in comfort that an

inch makes. However, be aware that a platform can look a bit trendier and less conservative. Nevertheless, if you look hard enough, there are some really fabulous platform shoes out there that will be perfect for your wedding.

II. Or a kitten heel like one on a mule or slide? I mentioned this above, but these tend to be slightly lower heels and can look very fun and dressy. They are also really easy to put on since you just slide your feet right on.

III. Or just a plain heel? This is the most traditional and classic heel and is definitely flattering on the foot. Higher heels tend to make the legs look longer. Just make sure you can manage those heels, especially during the first dance.

1 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi, there :) Thank you so much :) It was really useful information:) I`m not getting married soon, but I just LOVE spending time planning it ;) Greetings from Bulgaria

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