Barbados Destination Weddings Onsite Magazine
Choosing bridesmaid's Shoes

It may seem to be not as important as the dress, so is often overlooked but one of the biggest dilemmas when dressing bridesmaids is the shoe issue. 

In today’s modern weddings where the bridal party now pay for most or sometimes even all of their clothing, consideration also has to take its place along with personal requests for their appearance. 

Some serious questions have to be focused on:

  • What is the desired overall look?
  • How will this representation affect the personal budget of the bridesmaids?
  • Is this look so desirous that the bride is willing to contribute to some of the expense?
  • If the expense is really extensive, is the bride prepared to pay for it entirely?
  • Do compromises have to be made?
TACKLING THE ISSUE
The important thing to remember when it comes to bridesmaids in general is that the term “matching” does not necessarily mean that everything has to be precisely all the same.  While it is advisable to keep continuity and coordination there are many ways which you can achieve harmony.
OPTION 1

MATCHING COLOUR AND STYLE
By far the most expensive way to present bridesmaids feet is to match both the colour and the style of the shoe throughout the party.  This can look amazing, very well put together and classy but there are issues. 

  • The shoe may not be available in everyone’s size.
  • The heel height may not be suitable for all
 
  • The style chosen may not suit everyone ... Body shapes, foot contours and thickness of shoe heel may not be complimentary to all.
  • They may be expensive.

All or some of these issues may present themselves but can be easily remedied with forward planning:

  • Monitor favourite stores and shop early when the stock has just arrived so that sizes can be secured.
  • Choosing a fairly basic style which is universally flattering will compliment a much broader margin of body types.  One should only consider character specific styles if the bridesmaids are very similar in looks and their appearance suits the concept.  Enquire and observe if the shoe is available in a similar style with a different heel or a broader fit.
  • The bride should be prepared and allocate that if the shoes are a little pricey and she really wants to go this route that she might have to at least contribute to the expense.
  • Have faith in the bridesmaids that they will be understanding and embrace the fact that this is the bride’s day and compromises should be made
OPTION 2

MATCHING THE COLOUR
An easier route is to consider matching just the colour of the shoes.  For example: the bridesmaids can be told to wear silver shoes or all wear black etc., in a style of their choice.  This is a good way to consider the bridesmaids financial position because it enables them to contemplate shoes which they already have and also gives them variety and flexibility of style and price if they are buying new.

However this can have its downside if not handled carefully.  Even if all the shoes are the same colour they can look untidy if the styles are vastly different from each other.  An alternative would be to set a mild guideline parameter within the colour for example it could be specified to wear the selected colour but with open toe or closed toe, slides etc.  This would ensure that even though choice and latitude is expressed there would still be some continuity in the style.
 
OPTION 3

MATCHING THE STYLE
The next alternative to consider is matching the style of the shoe but specifying a different colour for each bridesmaid.  This can have a beautiful affect in two ways.  If all the bridesmaids are in different colour dresses of the same style it can look amazingly put together if the shoes of each happen to match the dress.  On the other hand if the dresses are all the same, the shoes are all the same but each shoe a different colour it expresses just a touch of individuality which adds an extremely beautiful element to your presentation.

The disadvantage in planning lies in the same problem which faces option 1, the availability of sizes this concept would require forward planning to secure individual fit but has an advantage over option 1 in that you can always buy neutral colours and have them dyed.
ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES TO "MATCHING"
 
Do shoes always have to match the dress?

The answers is no! Shoes don’t always have to match; while matching looks great, they can also be in a position where they can “go with”.

NEUTRALS
A neutral colour is a very beautiful alternative to the direct matching norm and can go with any dress colour regardless of tone.  Consider metallic Gold, Silver and Bronze, solid Black, White and creamy tones.

PICKING UP COLOUR
There is another alternative which is even more exciting because you can experiment with some really beautiful tones.  “Picking Up” a colour from the bridesmaids bouquet, detail on the dress etc, can enable a tone which was otherwise very subtle to really come alive and feature.

CLASHING COLOURS
It is perfectly OK to clash the colours of your shoes for the bridesmaids outfit if the desire is to be daring but there is a RIGHT and a WRONG way to do it for a satisfactory result.  The shoes do not always have to directly match the dress and can actually infuse a beautiful eye-catching presentation which is exceptional.

  • THE RIGHT WAY
    The dress can be bright in colour but low key in style and features so that it doesn’t compete with the shoe.  The shoe should be a solid block of colour regardless of the shade chosen.
  • THE WRONG WAY
    The look will fail if you wear a dress with more than one colour in its construction along with an additional shade for the shoe.  The success of this concept lies in the two shade contrast; one for the dress and one for the shoe.  Patterned or decorated styles with strong features teamed with clashing shoes is way too much eye-candy and definitely overdone. 

    Keep it simple for maximum effect.
Take time to explore all the alternatives, this should be an enjoyable time but remember that whatever bridesmaids footwear is chosen, their shoes should not be nicer than the brides.

 
 

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