Shoes! They are like the fun sidekick to our other best friends: diamonds. We gals love our shoes, and shopping for wedding shoes can be fun, but because they’re WEDDING shoes, they carry a little more significance and also require a new set of requirements.

Jason Kaczorowski Photography

I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s worn a super hot pair of shoes and then hobbled around halfway through the event cursing my feet and hearing them buzz with throbbing pangs at the end of the night. Every time this happens, we say “never again!” and yet, there we are, partying at another event, with leather digging in, or heels tingling with numbness, or toes getting shmushed by straps. Why do we torture ourselves? It’s bad enough we have to hold our pee all night because we have to wear Spanx! (Ok, well I do.).

I’m all about cute shoes, but pain is not a welcome guest on your wedding day.

The last thing you want is distraction from aching sore feet as you enjoy your ceremony and reception. And there’s nothing glamorous about a bride who winces and limps across the dance floor. And simply removing your shoes can be dangerous because your dress will suddenly get longer and you’ll take a trip before your honeymoon even begins.

You want stylish and comfortable? It’s possible! Start your wedding day off on the right (and left) foot: wear the right shoes!

Mi Belle Photography

1. If you’ve never worn heels before, this is not the time to start. You’ll lose more than Cinderella’s glass slipper at midnight. You’ll lose your balance. And from there, your dignity. And from there… Ok, I will stop. Your wedding day is not the time to play dress up. If you haven’t had practice in any kind of height, you’ll only experience lows.
2. Think about your dress. Make sure your doo-dads aren’t fighting. If your dress is enhanced with pearly details, you’ll probably want to stay away from shoes that have lots of bling. They just won’t go. If your dress is ivory and your shoes are white, ehhh, they may not work well together. On the other hand, don’t be afraid to complement your dress with your shoes! A fun pop of color! Lots of blingy shoes for a simple unembellished dress! A cool pattern!
3. Think about your groom’s height. If you two are the same height already, you’ll gain some inches on him once you don the heels. Make sure he’s cool with whatever height you become so that you’ll like how your pairing looks in pictures. If you’re already taller than your groom, then this is a non-issue and you go rock those legs, girlfriend!
4. If money is an issue, don’t spend a lot or any at all. Shoes aren’t really the focal point of your wedding ensemble. If you’d rather put the cash toward your photographer, you can save a lot by shopping at stores with a large variety or with heavy discounts (try Macy’s, Payless, Aldo Shoes , Shoes.com, Zappos). If shoes are not really that important to you, you could also borrow a pair of shoes from a friend or family member. And there you go, you have our “something borrowed!”
5. Be a two-shoe gal! You can always bring a comfy pair of shoes to wear for your reception or when your feet start to kill you. Just make sure they still fit with your dress, taking into consideration the style and the length of your dress. If you must have those hotsy totsy pair of amazing designer shoes for your photos, then I say go for it! Then, when you’re done with them, send them to me slap on another pair that may be a bit more comfy for your tootsies. Maybe just wait until after the Horah so everyone can see your cute shoes popping out from your dress when you two go up in the chairs.
6. If you end up wearing heels, break them in! Before your wedding day, get to know your shoes. Become one with your shoes. Make your shoes your biatch. Basically, your feet should be like, “Ohhhh heeeey! Nice to feel you again! Welcome back! Get on here, you ol whippersnapper, you!” Seriously, if your shoes don’t talk to you, you have bigger problems.

Happy shoe shopping! May your two soles/souls fall in love!

Jessika Feltz Photography

The recent trend of mismatched bridesmaids is hotter than latkes straight from the frying pan. We are seeing the gals dressed beautifully — differently — but beautifully. Brides have many reasons for encouraging this look, including each bridesmaid’s own style and look, size and body shape, and nurturing individuality instead of a cluster of girlfriends. While it can sometimes be easier to just pick out a single dress in a single color and dress your maids in that uniform, coordinating mismatched bridesmaids doesn’t have to be too complicated. They can still be your team as you say “I do” even if they’re dressed in a way that represents them for the reasons they’re your besties in the first place. And in the end, you have a great vision that comes to life down your aisle.

One Color, Many Shades
Have a view for the hue. You can choose a monochromatic color scheme for the dresses by selecting a general color and then differentiate each bridesmaid with a different shade of that color. Working with neutrals? Try beige, champagne, olive, mocha, and cream. Want something bright like pink? You can do salmon, fuchsia, ballet shoe, bubblegum, and rose.

See where this is going? All of the shades complement each other and belong to the parent color, but still showcase their own individual splash. If you’re concerned about the look being too inconsistent, just remember that your maids will most likely carry identical bouquets or you can gift them a piece of jewelry that ties the ensembles together. Take it up a notch and give the gals the same accessories like patterned tights or a sash tied in a bow.

Different Colors, Same Dress
You can still achieve the mismatched look if all your bridesmaids wear the same dress. How? Different colors! If it’s reasonable to put all the girls in the same dress, spice up the look and include splashes of color. Again, the colors are still complementing each other, but they’re changing a single dress to appear as different dresses.

This has been successfully executed with jewel toned or peacock colors. This concept also works well with pastels. The same dress in baby pink, gray, lavender, and cream would be so soft and beautiful. Likewise, a single dress that’s worn in purple, turquoise, magenta, and midnight blue could be breathtaking for a bright and dramatic look.

Different colors in similar dresses were made famous thanks to everyone’s favorite blogger, Carrie Bradshaw of Sex and the City. Remember her wedding? Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha all wore long, glitzy dresses but each in a different color. The dresses were not exactly the same, but they definitely landed in the same family of dresses: fabulous.

One Color, Many Styles
Another way to change up the individual look of each bridesmaid is to select one color in the same shade, but wear it on any style dress. Pick a color. Purple? Blue? Cappuccino? Great. Now, find dresses that come in that one color. The best way to do this is to choose a single dress designer. Stay within that brand and order at the same time to ensure that your color swatches are consistent. Most designers can accommodate their many dress styles and cuts in one color.

Pick two or three varieties of the dress. Maybe with straps, without straps, and one shouldered. Or long, short, and tea length. Or ruffles, sash, or sweetheart neck. All of these styles are different groupings from the same family. Make sure, though, that the varieties or more or less evenly distributed. The maids should stand out as individual bridesmaids, but not take away from each other or you. Therefore, a bridal party with four short dresses and one long dress may do more to distract than blend, especially if you’re the only one in a long wedding gown. So as you distribute styles of dresses among the bridesmaids, make sure that the same types are sprinkled evenly.

Want More?
Other ways to spice up your bridesmaids with different looks: The girls can all wear earrings… but in different colors! They can all have bouquets… but with different flowers! They can all wear one shoe color… but in various styles! Pick a theme and then go wild. You don’t have to make every piece different in a bridesmaid’s look, but stay within a range to maintain the vision. The gals in the first picture below are all wearing the exact same dress style and color. Then, your eye catches their ankles and below and it’s like a party on their feet! Super fun. Underneath, the photos shows the opposite: the bridesmaids are all wearing different dresses within the same style and color scheme, but their tootsies are all hugged by the same shoes! Swoon!

So what do you think? Are you going for a mismatched bridesmaid look? What are some ideas you have for achieving this super hot trend?