My Sixpence-Worth on Wedding Shoes

As a modern bride, you have an overwhelmingly gargantuan selection of shoes for your big moment as you walk, run or skip down the aisle. You can be bougie with a pair of Jimmy Choos, elegant and on trend in pearl encrusted Charlotte Mills, edgy in personalised Doc Martens or cool in Converse. You might go for stiletto or sandal, block heel or boot. You might even have multiple pairs. The market is flooded with shoes of every colour, height and heel imaginable. To help you narrow down your search to an amount of shoes the weight of one medium sized orca rather than two, here's my six tips for selecting your perfect bridal shoe.

1. No toe-verspilling allowed!

First thing's first. If you're anything like me and you have particularly wide feet (like a mallard or a duck-billed platypus), or you have the opposite problem and your feet are thinner than the shoelaces you secure them with, make sure your shoes fit. It might narrow down (see what I did there?) your selection a little, but finding shoes that match the width of your foot is equally important as buying the right shoe size. You don't want to look back at your wedding pictures and see one little piggy sneaking off to market out the side of your sandal or find that you're sliding about in your shoe more than Matt Hancock on the Celebrity Cyclone.

2. Find balance in a block heel

I trip over something at least once a day. More often than not, it's something monumental like an ant or a speck of dust. Sometimes it's my own feet. For that reason, stilettos were not an option for me. Block heels are an excellent option for similarly clumsy brides or if you're looking for a bit more comfort on your special day.

3. Consider your terrain

If your wedding takes place on a beach, you'll obviously want a shoe where you can spread your weight and sand can't get too easily trapped. If you're marrying in a country manor, sky high stilettos might be just the thing. I chose block-heeled sandals for my wedding day, due to their comfy heel, the room for my little chipolata toes and of course the stunning beaded detailing that they were topped with. They were perfect for the day except for one thing. We went for a nighttime walk in one of the fields of the rustic barn venue during which I was too lazy to change back into the wellies I'd worn for the earlier walk, and I found that sandals and sheep poo are not the best mix. Nothing too tragic, but some slightly squidgy toes! Be warned. Consider the terrain.

4. Break them in to avoid breaking the skin (or anything else!)

Do not be afraid to tamper with your shoes a little before the big day! Adhesive moleskin and a pair of nail scissors were my best friends. I spent hours attaching the soft fabric to the inside of my shoes at any point where there would be a lot of pressure. I also scored the soles of my shoes right on the balls of the feet to make sure there would be enough grip on the polished dance floor, and spent plenty of time walking around the house in them. I am so glad that I did because my shoes were comfy, sturdy and perfect for dancing by the time my day arrived.

5. Be unapologetically you!

Much like with wedding dress shopping (as I mentioned in my previous post), it's easy to get corralled down certain avenues and end up with something that doesn't feel like you. I am absolutely delighted that in many of my wedding photos, I am proudly sporting a pair of red Hunter wellies and a massive grin. It might not be *bridal*, but it was me and it was perfect. If you want to wear the personalised converse, the rainbow sandals or those shoes that trended in the 2000s with little goldfish swimming in the platform soles, then you do so and you do it with gusto! Except maybe not the fish ones, because animal cruelty.

6. A little tip for the end of the night...

I made another decision regarding shoes before my wedding day that I later internally thanked Past Frankie for. I asked my incredible photographer to sneakily pop a pair of fluffy slippers under our top table. This meant that after my non-slippery first dance, I was able to subtly go and get a drink and slip into some soft sliders so that I could dance my heart out to 00s tunes while feeling like I was walking on clouds. I might have also ruined the subtlety by gleefully announcing to every guest that I danced with "I'm wearing SLIPPERS!" and showing them, to much laughter and delight. It was well worth it, I was incredibly comfy and I would thoroughly recommend a sneaky under the table swap.

I hope these tips will help you to find the perfect pair for marrying your sole mate. Sorry.

May your piggies have room to spread, your balls be eternally comfy (of your feet, thank you very much) and your toes be forever sheep-poo free!

Frankie x