Brides do not, on the whole, give as much thought to their wedding shoes as they do to their dress. Traditional wedding dresses normally cover the bridal shoes so the attention of wedding guests is, understandably, on the dress itself.

However, today many brides opt for ¾ length dresses or shorter and many are choosing civil ceremonies and weddings abroad so our bridal footwear is more on display than ever before.

If you buy your wedding dress from a shop most will also offer shoes as an accessory. If you do not like the traditional range most of the shops offer, or if you think their prices are a little excessive, then don’t feel obliged to buy just because they are selling you the wedding dress.

The style and comfort of the bridal shoe is of utmost importance when choosing what is right for you.

Firstly you need to decide on the heel height. High heels, kitten heels or flatter pumps, are key considerations when making this choice. For example, how long are you likely to be on your feet throughout the day and what height are you normally comfortable wearing plus what do you want your height to be versus that of your groom. Don’t go for an incredibly high heel if you don’t normally wear them, you can spoil your day with painful feet. If you need a high heel to increase your height to that of your groom then consider having a pair just for your photos and then change into a more comfortable pair after.

Next is the style. Do you want court shoes, sling-backs, peep toes, sandals or even wedges and are you wanting a style that you can use again. If your dress is touching the floor then a closed toe appears more elegant and we would recommend a court shoe. If you have a ¾ length wedding dress, or shorter, then you need to consider the time of year you are marrying, so perhaps sandals in the summer but court shoes or peep toes in the winter. If you are marrying abroad then low heeled or thong sandals can be an excellent choice, offering a practical solution with sand.

Think about the colour of your wedding shoes. If your wedding dress is cream or white do you want an accent colour and are you carrying a wedding bouquet or is your ceremony less formal and you require a wedding bag? If your wedding dress is a bolder colour you should consider matching it with a differing shade or colour. Unless you can find the precise colour match avoid the same colour. If your wedding dress is patterned then we recommend you take one colour from the dress and seek wedding shoes in that one colour.

Finally the fabric of your wedding shoes will make a huge difference to the comfort factor. Suede or soft leathers are the best to choose as these will mould your foot comfortably. Beware of traditional wedding shoes made of satin or fabric as these do not have any ‘give’ in them and you will need to break them in by wearing them in advance of your big day.

Mothers of the Bride and Mothers of the Groom

The first rule for any mother of the bride and groom is to establish the colour of the outfit worn by each other. This way each can avoid embarrassment of turning up for the big day in the same colour, or worse, the same outfit.

Whether you are mother of the bride or mother of the groom you will be spending much of your day walking around entertaining your respective guests so comfort is going to be of utmost importance to you.

Your first consideration, after your wedding outfit, is to be the colour of the shoes or sandals you choose. Many bridal shops offer complete outfits, including shoes with matching bag and hat. In some cases you may find that the shoes are so ‘unique’ to the outfit that you will find it difficult to ever wear with any future outfits or you may find the costs are excessive. So think carefully about any future wear you may want from any wedding shoes and bag you buy.

If you have a colour swatch of your outfit we strongly recommend you take it with you when searching for your shoes in shops, when looking on websites, such as ours, you can send us the swatch and we will match it against possible shoes for you and photograph the two together. We will then post the swatch and pictures back to you. If you cannot get an exact match of the colour then we recommend that you consider a contrasting shade or colour. For example if your outfit is a pastel shade of a particular colour then you could go for a deeper shade of the same colour. Be careful with even basic colours such as black and white as there are many many varying shades of these simple colours.

Once you have settled on a colour you now need to consider the style and comfort elements along with how the entire wedding ensemble will look. Make sure you buy shoes from a company which will allow you to return them simply because they do not match the outfit as you had anticipated or are not comfortable, as we do.

We have experienced a number of Mothers of the Bride and Mothers of the Groom who struggle to choose a style because they suffer with bunions etc on their feet. You do not need to opt for a plain style and in fact in many cases you are better to consider a more elaborate design.

We have found that plain court shoes or very open sandals can accentuate any visible problems you may have. However, any styles with plenty of straps and features tend to ‘hide’ any visible problems as well as offering a stylish and elegant solution to your wedding footwear.

Remember, try on as many styles as possible to see what suits your foot and don’t dismiss any design until you have done so. We are happy to help you choose a style if you are unsure.