If the Shoe Fits: Style and Honesty

Some brides love the thought of finding the perfect shoe for their wedding, others may see it as a necessary chore. Either way, you will have to find something to cover your feet on your big day unless, of course, you're planning to wed barefoot on a beach! Christine Paul (www.christinepaulevents.com), a Certified Special Events Professional (CSEP), who has been featured on Good Morning America, Martha Stewart Sirius Radio, The Knot and other shows, offers a few expert tips on shopping for wedding shoes.
 
Be Comfortable: Make sure you can walk in your shoes; limping around at your wedding is just not pretty. 
 
Height Matters: Try on your wedding dress with your wedding shoes.  Seems easy enough, but many brides make the mistake of getting their wedding dress altered prior to buying their shoes. Buying your shoes first and getting your dress altered second will guarantee your wedding dress is not too short or too long, but just right.   
 
Be Honest: When purchasing your shoes determine whether or not you can imagine wearing them for ten hours straight while dancing, walking and posing for pictures. Unless you are a supermodel (with lots of catwalk experience), those gorgeous 6-inch Christian Louboutins might not be the right shoes for you. Be honest with yourself. Do you want your guests' last memory of you on your wedding day to be a barefoot bride, or worse, one that twisted her ankle while falling off her shoes? 
 
Shoe Style: What shoe style works best for you? Peeptoe, slingbacks, pumps, or flats? Your foot is a particular shape and size and it won't magically fit into a glass slipper just because you will it to. Think of the type of shoe that works best for you on a day-to-day basis and find the most fabulous version of that shoe style, and go with it. 
 
My Mama Said Shop Around: DO you envision one of these high profile guys—Jimmy (Choo), Christian (Louboutin), and Manolo (Blahnik)—walking down the aisle with you? Then check out one of the many great websites like shopstyle.com that allow you to see all brands of shoes at multiple retailers and price points. This way, you can find the shoes of your dreams at a price that isn't a nightmare. Most of these sites even offer sale alerts, so you can get a good deal to boot!
 
Go Wild: The wedding world is your oyster and really, anything goes, so choose shoes that you feel are truly special. Wedding white is always a classic choice, but perhaps you're the trendy sort, and you'd prefer color. Then go with it! If you want to wear your fabulous new Manolos more than once, then pick a shoe that suits your personality, your wedding dress, and other items in your wardrobe. In the future, every time you wear them, warm memories of your wedding day will come flooding back. Sigh. Just don't cry while you're walking down the street or people might think your shoes hurt!