Image by Nectarine photography via A Cheeky Little Wedding – Part 1

Today, I want to talk about choosing your wedding shoes.

Working as a wedding cinematographer over the past few years I have seen nearly every style of dress and shoes there are. This is the scenario I am met with countless times. It’s the morning of the wedding and time to slip into your dress. You have your mum and bridesmaids behind you helping to do up the back of the dress. The last button is hooked! A sigh of relief as you try to breath, but the dress is pretty tight! That’s ok though, you look like a princess. Alright time to try to get your shoes on. But you can’t bend over because of the boning structure in the dress, so your bridesmaids help you. You look and feel a million dollars but come a few hours later, will you still feel great?

Unfortunately this really isn’t an uncommon morning that I film. Of course these brides put on a brave face and power through the discomfort, wearing shoes that are brand new and stiff. Consider that you will most likely be in the same shoes for 16+ hours that day. By the end of the night I have seen brides too exhausted to leave the bridal table because they can barely move anymore. It seems a bit of shame to not be able to enjoy your own wedding day to the full doesn’t it?

With some careful planning though, you can avoid the agony of sore feet and still enjoy your day to the fullest. Some tips are;

  • Wear your shoes around the house for a few days before your wedding. This will help you to mold the shoes to your feet and you will get a sense of how long you can last standing up in them.
  • Bring a pair of flats to change into for your photography and reception (these can be great if you have a long dress as they won’t show). The more comfortable your footwear is the better your posture will be and you will be able to move with a lot more grace, which for me is why I am writing this article. I want you to look your very best in your wedding film.
  • Invest in some adhesive foot cushions like Party Feet to have with you on the day in case of emergency blisters.
  • If you’re going to be walking on grass, you will want to buy some heel discs like Solemates to prevent your killer heels from sinking into the dirt.
  • When choosing your dream gown, consider what you want to be doing on the day. A structured dress with rigid boning is best suited to controlled environments such as churches, hotels and urban surroundings (with plenty of paved walkways!). If you’re going to be on a beach or in a field, you’ll need more freedom of movement so you may want to look at a free, flowing design.

I was having a discussion with my girlfriend a few weeks ago, talking about weddings and clothing, everything I have discussed in this article and I turned and said to her “if you can’t run across a grass field in your shoes and dress you shouldn’t be allowed to wear it.” Of course this is a massive exaggeration but it is a great piece of advice to keep in the back of your mind as you are shopping for that perfect dress.

Here is a perfect example of my above thoughts. Bec and Scott’s wedding was on their family farm just out of Mansfield, and the dress and shoes that she wore on the day meant that come nightfall she was still partying and loving her day.

[vimeo 92117214 w=1280 h=534]

Ms Gingham says: Some great tips! Many of us will endure torture for that pair of perfect heels but plan properly and you won’t need to.

About Zephyr Productions: We live and breath wedding videography here at Zephyr Productions. Being asked to capture and be a part of the most important day of your lives is a huge honour for us.