Colourful Step Forward
There is nothing women like more than shoes, glorious shoes. Like many accessories for your big day, shoes are a personal choice and there’s no fixed rule saying that you have to wear traditional white or ivory “wedding” heels.
Gold, silver and bejewelled shoes are outshining white ones—and plenty are going even bolder with their shoe colour of choice.
Why Choose Colourful Wedding Shoes?
Sometimes it’s a favourite colour. Others opt for bright bridal heels to match the bridesmaid’s dresses or the groom’s tie and often custom dying the shoes is called for.
In my own case I had a few reasons for choosing red shoes.
I really wanted to wear a red wedding dress. As the months of wedding planning unfolded, this didn’t materialise – I actually loved the (white) dress I chose, so I thought that I’d add red via my shoes instead. They were unintentionally revealed getting out of the car at the church.
Height was another factor. Shoes that’d allow me to walk and dance and that could help me “pull off” a long dress. 5 inches minimum was my requirement (I’m only 5 foot 2”) and for that kind of height I was looking at Christian Louboutins or Gina’s – both of which were stilettos which was not ideal for the walking or dancing I’d planned (we had an outdoor wedding in Gozo, Malta).
Another reason was wearability after the wedding. Put simply, I’d never wear white shoes again so was determined to get a pair that I could wear with jeans and dresses in the future. And boy have I worn them often since! They’re my glam shoes for summer, my accompaniment to little red dresses and can give me the tall boost I need to dress up a pair of jeans.
“The ones” were Terry de Havilland wedges. Loved by Kate Moss and Sienna Miller, they’re 5 inches high and come in various colours (red, pink, and blue) as well as metallics and snakeskin. They’re more stable than stilettos, great for garden parties (no heels getting stuck in the mud) and can give a bride extra height. Buy them online from terrydehavilland.com or from Lara boutique, Dame Lane, Dublin 2. (€400-€500). I picked them up half price in the January sales.
It seems that I’m not alone. Coloured shoes are peaking out from under bride’s dresses at more and more weddings and the trend is set to continue this year.
Maeve McLoughlin married in a civil ceremony in Galway last summer and wore pink shoes which ended up being the same colour as the flower girl’s dresses. . She too originally wanted a pink wedding dress but opted for pink heels instead of “traditional wedding shoes in white or ivory which I knew I would only wear once”. Her choice were cerise pink heels which she picked up for half price in BT2, “a sign” that they were meant to be!
Where to buy your wedding shoes?
If you’re splashing out on designer shoes, try Brown Thomas, or Harvey Nichols. Most labels have a coloured option as fluoro and colour is a key trend for spring summer 12. Celine, Terry de Havilland and Fitzpatrick’s shoes offer fantastic wedge options. Nando Muzi at Cocobelle, Royal Hibernian Mall, and Dublin 2 are gorgeous Italian leather peep toe heels which come in an array of colours. Amy Huberman opted for a nude/yellow pair of these for her wedding.
Dune, Carvela, Kurt Geiger and Aldo all have fabulous, top quality heels for under €200.
Regardless of your shoe budget, my only advice is to choose real leather shoes. The last thing you want on your wedding day is the dreaded pinch of an ill fitting plastic shoe!
Will you be opting for bright bridal heels for your big day?
By Anne Marie Boyhan, founder and editor of award-winning fashion website, WhatSheWears.ie .
(Anne Marie’s wedding in Gozo was organised by Rosie The Wedding Planner!)
Related posts: