I've been very quiet on here these days, mainly because I've been very busy on the shop floor, and in particular with fittings. It's that time of the year again where the pins are out and I am constantly adjusting bodices to get the perfect fit and getting that dress hem just right. And the topic of the day is the your hem and your wedding shoes. I am forever nagging at my brides to have their shoes with them at each at every fitting so that we can get the hem just right. A wedding dress hem should be ever so slightly off the ground so that when you walk, it gently kisses the ground. If the dress is straight, you should be able to just about see the tips of your toes when you walk, and the number one rule is that you should be able to walk elegantly. You shouldn't need to be continually kicking out the hem of your dress like the ministry of silly walks - you should glide gracefully along the ground without fear of tripping on your hem.
Which brings me to the point of choosing your shoes wisely. Not all brides wear dainty satin bridal shoes. Some tall brides wear pumps. We've had a few recently with gorgeous ankle boots. I've had a few who have chosen not to go down the traditional route - be it with blue polkadot shoes, red patent stilettos or pink ribbon tied peep-toes. I even had one who wore trainers the whole day which we decorated with ribbons and diamantes for her. But whatever shoes you choose, bear in mind that you will be wearing them for at least 14 hours (in most cases), so make sure they are comfortable!!!! You should be able to dance the night away in them - not be crippled within an hour and sticking plasters on your blisters by the time you arrive to your reception.
Brides often have this great idea. They tell me that they will put up with the pain of incredibly uncomfortable shoes because they look fabulous, and have this ingenious plan of changing into flat shoes when they get to the hotel. What they fail to realise is that the moment they change into their flats, the dress will then be too long, and all that work which is often involved in getting that hem just right will have been futile. The bride has to walk around hoisting up her hem all day, and if she forgets to do this she will be tripping on her dress. Not so elegant looking..... especially if she falls flat on her face!! And if her dress fabric is of a delicate nature, the front of the dress can be very easily ripped (I should know as I have had to repair several after the big day when girls have discarded their shoes!!!)
I'm not telling our brides to buy ugly or overly sensible shoes on their big day. Just to put a little thought into how long they will be wearing them for. I'm sure we all have at least one pair of fab killer heels in our wardrobe that we like to bring out every now and again for a night out (or as one bride told described them 'car-to-bar' shoes) but we certainly wouldn't want to crippled with pain wearing them on our wedding day... especially considering that they will be hidden for most of the day (unless you are wearing a short dress) and no one will even get to admire them.
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If you are worried that you won't be able to cope with your shoes all day, have a back-up pair which are the same height. Perhaps a pair of comfy wedges would be worth considering? Even if they don't match your dress - if it's 10pm at night and your feet are sore, you'll be glad of them!! Don't end up like the girls on the outside of this pictures, hoisting your dress around... or worse still, the middle girl, landing flat on your face!! Ouch!!!!!!!!!
oh... and don't forget a few essentials for your emergency kit - plasters and gel pads are a must, just in case you can't leave the dance floor and those shoes need a little helping hand in the comfort department!!!!!
