Well- Heeled for the Big Day
Shoes make a great way to express personality
BY ARIEL VERED
After a bride selects her dream wedding dress, she must choose her veil, hair accessories, jewellery and shoes. Depending on the dress silhouette and the bride, the shoes may not be seen. But shoes are a great way for the bride to express a little bit of personality. Three things to consider when choosing bridal shoes are: the venue, because a stiletto heel doesn’t necessarily work for an outdoor wedding; the bride’s comfort level wearing heels; and the theme of the wedding. More and more, bridal shoe trends have moved away from traditional wedding shoes and toward buying shoes that a bride loves — and could wear again. “It’s fun when they bring their shoes in and we see the whole picture,” says Adamyk.
The classic neutral
Neutral colours continue to be a popular choice to complement the white variations of most wedding dresses. “We still see a lot of neutral colours like silver and gold,” said Janine Adamyk, owner of Janine Adamyk Bridal Couture in Ottawa. “More often than not, the bride is doing her own unique style and mostly in neutrals like silver, which is the number one choice.” The same goes for nudes and beiges. For the boho-chic or fashion forward bride, a spin on the classic neutral is a feather detail on the front of a nude shoe, as seen on the bridal runway shows. “It’s a pop of fun in having feathers in the front,” said Shonge Sakupwanya, stylist sales manager at Nordstrom in Ottawa.
All that glitters
Sparkles, glitter & embellishments are classic choices for bringing a touch of glam to the wedding and for photographs. Adaymk advises brides to consider whether embellishments are worth it: “Beware of jewels that might catch the gown.” An embellished heel adds a hint of surprise that will also look great in photographs. Think classic in the front, party in the back. Embellishments don’t only mean jewels either. Earleen Garbe, owner of Encore Bridal, notes that lace, ruffles, bows, and feathers are examples of other kinds of embellishments that can add texture to your shoes and make for fun, memorable photos.
Bold, bright, match
Some brides want to make a statement with their shoes by choosing a strong colour. “If they want to go with a strong colour, we discuss whether or not it’s okay with them to see that colour when they walk because their toes will show perhaps in a slender dress,” said Adamyk. Some brides are choosing a colourful shoe that complements the wedding’s overall colour scheme, which can range from soft blush pink hues to vibrant and bold greens and purples. A continuing trend is that of brides matching their wedding shoe to the colour of their bridesmaid dresses.
Something blue
For brides who are ascribing to the tradition of “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue,” choosing a blue shoe checks that box. “Whether baby blue, royal blue or smokey blue, a coloured shoe on your wedding day not only satisfies that age-old custom, but also adds a touch of whimsy to your bridal attire,” said Garbe. This is typically seen on a bride wearing a shorter gown where you can actually see the shoes. “If you are going to have blue shoes, you want them to be seen,” said Sakupwanya.
Stiletto alternatives
The block heel is trending right now as a sturdy option for the bride who is going to be standing in her wedding shoes all day. It caters across the spectrums of venue, comfort level and theme of the wedding. “The block heel is great because you’re still getting that sexy silhouette that you’re looking for on your wedding day, as well as the height, but the comfort level is amazing,” said Sakupwanya. Wrap around block heels, where the wrap is varied in thickness and the bow can be in the front or back, takes that style to a whole new level. For an update on a sandal theme, Sakupwanya suggests trying a mule: “You still get that casual look, you get the height and you’re on trend.” For a bride who isn’t a serial heel-wearer, there are ballerina flats, pointy-toe flats, sandals, embellished loafers and other options to choose from. W
