The shoes a bride chooses to wear on her wedding day are a special and somewhat selfish choice. The shoe is often an expression of the bride’s personality. Historically, the shoe may have been the first element of a bride’s attire to rebel against the Victorian influenced traditional wedding. Hidden under the crinoline skirt, the bride could quietly express herself. Are those hot pink satin pumps peaking from under that virginal white dress hinting at a wild streak? In the grand scheme of wedding preparations, the shoes play a significant role in how the bride looks and especially how she feels on her big day.
Colorful shoes are appealing to more and more women who want that extra flair. A little shock of bright green to surprise guests as she daintily walks down the aisle brings a mischievous smile to many a bride. Purple, hot pink or even red shoes are steadily gaining popularity on the wedding runner. Josie, a coworker/bride-to-be, mentioned that the teal peep-toe pumps that will accompany her crisp, white gown suit her personality and compliment her bridesmaid dresses well. 
One of my favorite colorful finds is the fuchsia “Kristyna” half d’orsay pump by Steve Madden. Coming in under $80 with a daring 4 inch heel, this shoe is a great pick for those who think outside the white shoe box. For those brides who are more willing to indulge their shoe fetish there are the magnificent multi-colored Manolo Blahnik d’orsay pumps, which will set you back a whopping $715.00…but aren’t they worth it?
White, ivory and cream shoes get a category of their own. Intricate detail, beautiful styling-traditional in color and reflective of personality, these shoes certainly aren’t boring. The most common style is the sling back; however pumps and strappy sandals can often be the perfect choice. For instance the bejeweled zip-back sandal from Guiseppe Zanotti is traditional in its color but certainly not its design. Christian Louboutin also offers a romantic pump/bootie that appears to be straight from a 1920s boudoir. This shoe is also a good option for a dress that is not stark white, it enhances a variety of colors on the off-white spectrum. Traditional white shoes are not something to avoid and should not pose a challenge to the bride searching for something that is eye-catching, comfortable and a style all her own. 
Continuing with the notion of comfort, I was told by at least 3 brides-to-be not to skip over the importance of a good wedding flat. What was most intriguing was that each future bride had a completely different reason for advocating bridal flats. One complained of being only about an inch shorter than her groom and not wanting to ruin the image of her looking up into her groom’s eyes at the altar, another spoke of 
comfort and the all-night reception celebration she anticipated. The last bride mentioned her clumsiness and not wanting to risk a slip. For traditional white, the Manolo Blahnik patent ballet flat in white for 395.00 is an elegant, simple and sturdier option than the dainty satin flat that Dyeables offers. For a burst of color and style even in flats, my heart skipped a beat when I spotted the exciting crystal studded flats from Giuseppe Zanotti.
The shoes a bride chooses to wear with her dress should be just as beautiful and make her just as happy as her other wardrobe choices of that day, after all, as the title suggests these are not just ultimate party shoes, they are the shoes for the bride’s ultimate party!
Rachel Smith
