I Do & Shoes

Last spring I took a brief, but worthwhile vacation with several of my female aunts and cousins. One day on the beach, the topic of conversation turned to family weddings. We started reminiscing about my Uncle Danny and Uncle Greg's nuptials circa 1990 and 1993. At the time, I thought those events were the most amazing parties I would ever attend; as a child, everything felt so beautiful, fashionable and elegant.

Now I think back on the aqua blue and pink cummerbunds the groomsmen wore, and the full-skirted, puff-sleeved matching dresses the poor bridesmaids were subjected to - complete with DYEABLE shoes - shoes I'm sure they NEVER wore again! Can anyone remember the last time you saw dyeable shoes at a wedding? Once standard-issue bridal atelier, dyeables no longer occupy the square footage at Payless that they used to. Let us all give thanks to Sex and the City for enlightening those of us who reside outside of New York, Paris and Milan about about Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik (and to whoever is keeping metallics in-style).

I had to have red shoes for my wedding. It all started when I was four years old and  two of my aunts took me shopping for my Uncle Joey's wedding. I wanted red shoes. It didn't matter that none of the stores had red shoes in my size, or that red shoes didn't match my dress. I threw an un-holy temper tantrum about it, and my aunts have not let me forget (nor did they let me buy) red shoes. It didn't help that my Grandpa Harry wore red converse high tops, that the oldest girl in the ballet school I attended had red pointe shoes, or that the Wizard of Oz was my favorite movie. When my older brother, a clothing designer, offered to design my wedding gown, and to throw in a pair of Manolo Blahniks as a wedding gift, I threw the red-shoes-temper-tantrum for a second time. He brought a pair of white satin Manolos when I visited New York for a dress fitting. I called the shoes ugly. He called me ungrateful. I eventually apologized, but I held my ground - RED shoes or NO shoes. Those red shoes were the only red thing at my wedding, but only one person, the one person who didn't know me at all, asked "what's up with the red shoes?"

Above: Sofia's Vivian Westwood Slingbacks
Below: Dan & his groomsmen in bowling shoes

Both photos by Vanessa Bakken, Vanessa Raquel Photography 2010

Over the past three years, I have seen a rainbow of shoes walk down the aisle. It seems that the shoes have as much personality as the wedding dresses. I have compiled all of my shoe pictures into one post, and I will keep adding to it when the 2012 wedding season begins. I'll move this post to the top whenever there are new shoes. If you are a bride who got married at Stillwater Public Library, and you have pictures of your shoes that I haven't included, feel free to email a picture and I will add it to this post.

There have been itty bitty shoes . . .

. . . many pink shoes . . .

Above: Kate's pink patent pumps, photo by Perspective Studio, 2008

Below: Jenna's pink flats, photo by Howard Berg, 2009

. . . green shoes and yellow shoes.

If white shoes are your thing, you could always try a pair of Christian Louboutin's white wedding shoes with Tiffany blue soles. They are only $600. If $6 is all you can afford, the I DO shoe stickers/charms below might be easier on the budget. I'm still trying to find which magazine I tore that page from...citation coming soon.

If the budget has already been broken, and $0.06 is all that's remaining, British brides carry a six-pence in their shoe. You can order one online, or use one the closest U.S. equivalents: a nickel or penny. If you don't carry pocket change, you'll have to resort to the Turkish tradition of having each of your bridesmaids sign the sole of your wedding shoes. All you need is a sharpie!