Shoes of Spring | from the Spring 2008 issue of Vermont Bride Magazine
Shoes! Shoes! Shoes!
[Who doesn't love them?]
by Pat Esden
 Shoe shopping is one of the fun parts of planning for a wedding. Whether the shoes for the bride and her attendants are selected at a formalwear shop or from a store specializing in shoes, it is the perfect excuse for the bride and her attendants
to get together for an afternoon.
The best choice of shoes hinges on three factors: style, color and comfort.
No matter if the wedding is a posh event or a lakeside ceremony, the style of the footwear should match the formality of the wedding. The key to remember is that opting for simplicity is most often better than going for glitz. And that style choice directly relates to comfort and color.
One way to pick the color for the shoes is to match the bride’s shoes to the color of her gown and the attendants’ shoes to the color of their dresses. In this case the shoes can be bought in the correct color or they can be dyed to match, but make sure to purchase dye able shoes. Also have them dyed months in advance, so that if the shoes end up not matching the dresses as closely as desired, there is time to solve the problem. (The same timeline also goes for purchasing shoes online--do months ahead to ensure the color, size and style are as anticipated.)
 Having attendants wear ivory or white shoes to match with the bride’s dress, or metallic colors to match their jewelry, will eliminate the fear of coordinating colors and will lend an elegant flare to the wedding. Neutral colors and metallics also make the shoes more reusable than those dyed to match unusual dress colors. Want to feel like Cinderella? Crystal-clear is another option for the brides and attendants.
Though the shoes you select should match the formality of the wedding, the most important factor is comfort. Shoes need to fit right and be stretched before the wedding day. The best way to stretch shoes is to put them on and practice walking. If the bride and attendants do this in front of a mirror or with a friend watching, not only will they have more comfortable shoes on the wedding day, but they can work on the fluidity of their stride at the same time.
For added insurance a gel type blister blocker or blister pads can be used on the wedding day. Remember, blisters made on the wedding day won’t disappear overnight. And who wants sore feet on their honeymoon?
But the best fitting and most comfortable shoes in the world won’t help if they are impractical for the ceremony location.
If the ceremony is to take place indoors there shouldn’t be a problem. But if the ceremony is to take place outside, the bride will want to consider if the shoes’ heels will sink into the ground. The wise bride doesn’t assume that her low heels will work on a manicured lawn or ocean-side ledge—-she puts on heels and walks the path she’ll take on the wedding day. Why chance a twisted ankle or fall that might spoil the wedding?
Brand new sneakers jazzed up with gems and lace, funky flip-flops or bare feet accented with an ankle bracelet, can be a fun, sensible choice for a relaxed outdoor wedding.
The correct shoes for the reception are a separate consideration. Though it’s nice to arrive at the reception in the same shoes you were married in, slipping into something more comfortable is perfectly acceptable—-for both the bride and her attendants. This is especially true when an indoor wedding is followed by an outdoor reception.
 Even at a formal reception, simpler shoes are appropriate for the obvious reason that dancing will soon commence. Shoes are always a better choice than stockings or bare feet that quickly become dirty on the dance floor.
A fun way to purchase reception shoes is for the bride to buy them as gifts for her attendants. How about jeweled ballet flats? It’s a gift that will add to the attendant’s comfort at the reception and one that they’ll enjoy afterwards.
Some brides and grooms fret about the differences in their heights. Trying to disguise height by buying higher heels isn’t the best answer. True, heels and flats can help lessen the difference, but in reality most guest are already fully aware that one member of the wedding couple is either short or tall. Wear reasonable shoes, a slight heel for the short bride or groom is fine, but it is the photographer who needs to be aware that you are concerned about this issue.
Whereas women tend to obsess on shoes, men sometimes neglect to spend enough time choosing theirs.
If the groom and his attendants are going to rent their shoes with their tuxedos, don’t just give the rental store a list of the men’s shoe sizes. Shoe sizes can vary and simply stating size can end up with shoes that don’t fit well. The groom and his attendants need to take time to have their feet measured at the rental store.
As with the bride and her attendants, dress shoes are not mandatory for the groom and groomsmen. For a casual wedding, new street shoes or snazzy boots look great. How about sandals for a beach wedding or black basketball shoes for a fun touch?
When all is said and done, whether flats or heels, rentals or a funky alternatives, shoes should be carefully selected and stretched to guarantee that they are as perfect as the rest of the wedding.
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