Young girls are always imagining their wedding day. They dream and fantasize about their perfect day. They think about their future groom, their beautiful wedding dress and the sparkling diamond tiara. They picture how they will do their hair and whether or not they will wear a veil. They dream about everything, except the shoes. Shoes are shoes, right? Wrong!
It is a rare bride who thinks about her wedding shoes before she actually becomes engaged. It is very common for those wedding shoes to add a lot of stress to a brides planning when trying to match them up against her perfect wedding dress. The shoes must be beautiful and go along with the dress. It is a must for them to be comfortable. These are the shoes you will walk in from single-hood into wedded bliss. These are the shoes no one will even see, except for a very few. But still they must be perfect!
Some brides feel the shoes are the least important of the wedding day attire, and they choose to wear decorated tennis shoes. Some hardly think of the shoes at all except as something to cover their tired feet and so they choose ballet slippers. While others want the most ornate shoe with the highest heel ever making them feel more regal and more elegant.
One of the most important things a bride-to-be must realize, is that the height of the shoe must come first and that the shoes are important to the altering of the dress. Once you’ve established the height of the heel, you must have the shoes in order to have your wedding gown fitted properly. Changing the height will change the hem of the dress.
It is recommended that once you’ve found your dress, start looking for the perfect shoes immediately. You should have your shoes by the time your gown is delivered and ready to be altered. You will need to bring your shoes to every fitting so that the hemline remains the same.
Wedding Shoe Advice
When picking shoes, it is better to think about function over fashion. You will be on your feet nearly all day, so pick out your shoes with this in mind. Pick a medium to low heel which will enhance your silhouette and be comfortable dancing the night away in.
Fabric shoes are usually embellished to create a fancier appearance than leather ones. Satin and silk shoes are available with a wide variety of colors. Shoes may also be dyed to get just the right color; or embellished to get just the right texture. Elaborate dressed do not require elaborate shoes; simpler dresses are greatly enhanced by more elaborate shoes. Shoes that are silted create a slimmer looking foot and leg.
Lastly, remember to Break your shoes in. Wear them inside and gradually increase the wear periods before your wedding day so your feet don’t hurt. Shoes really can make or break you.
Wedding Shoe Color
White gowns require white shoes, ivory gowns require ivory shoes. If you decide to go with a cloth-covered shoe, consider a silk or matte satin, as these fabrics tend to stay true in various lights. Keep in mind that shoe color will vary, (especially if they are dyed) in different types of light as well as indoors and outdoors. Examine your shoes next to your dress in the type of lighting your wedding will take place in.
Dying Your Wedding Shoes
A 2″ x 2″ piece of fabric is needed for accurate color matching. The larger the fabric piece, the better. If there is any type of fabric overlay, this must be included as well. Keep in mind that dyed shoes can not be returned once they are dyed. Different colors appear differently in different types of light, and can look completely different in sunlight versus artificial light. Pastel colors are the most difficult to match and vary the most. When having shoes dyed, ask about the cast or flare of the color. When approving the dye job, look at the shoe compared to the fabric in a light box. A light box allows you to simulate different types of light, so you can select the light that your wedding will be in. If you are concerned with the challenge of dyed-to-match shoes, consider ivory, black, gold or silver shoes, which work with most colors and can be worn for other special occasions.