To say yes to the dress, impending brides spend countless hours on that mirrored pedestal, slipping in and out of styles. Designers parade collections of new dresses each season and magazines subsequently cover them. But, my footwear-obsessed brain always wonders, what about the shoes? With wedding dress hems fluctuating as more people stray from traditional silhouettes, attention must be paid to the shoes! Lacking personal experience in this realm, I polled six former brides to share their choices—and how they feel about them in retrospect. No surprise, The Row, Manolo Blahnik, and Chanel took the lead in this game, though a few wildcards came to play, as well. Continue scrolling to discover their recommendations for nuptial footwear.
Tessa Tran
CEO, Chan Luu
Photos: Courtesy of Tessa Tran
“For the wedding ceremony, I chose to wear The Row Bare Sandal. I wore a one-shoulder slip dress, which I initially thought could withstand a statement shoe like these [from] Altuzarra. Ultimately it came down to simplicity. I decided I didn’t want to distract from the overall look, so I went for something more timeless. I felt like the shoe was an extension of the dress.
“For the reception, I changed into a linen Brock Collection bustier and skirt. I wanted the shoe to be more casual and have a thicker heel since I would be dancing all night. Earlier in the year, I designed a shoe for Chan Luu in collaboration with Carrie Forbes (they look similar to these). It was a block heel sandal made from Raffia. I did not have my wedding in mind when designing the shoe, but it ended up being perfect for the occasion. I loved the texture mix of the linen outfit and the raffia shoe and thought the materials complemented each other.”
Harling Ross Anton
Writer and Co-founder, Nice Thing Going
Photo: Courtesy of Harling Ross
“I wore white Chanel ballet flats to my wedding (I actually bought them with a Barneys gift card weeks before the department store disappeared forever, which was a fun and memorable send-off). I knew I wanted to be as comfortable as possible on the day of my wedding to allow for uninhibited dancing so flats were an obvious pick, but also aesthetically speaking, I liked the contrast between a long, fancy dress and practical flats. I still wear them all the time now with regular clothes, which I doubt would be true of white heels. All-in-all, very pleased with the choice.”
Hannah Gottlieb-Graham
Founder and Director, Alma Communications
Photos: Kelly Giarrocco
“Finding a bridal shoe was actually tough. Thank god for my incredible stylist, Camille Guidry. My husband and I wed in Santa Fe over the holidays in December, so I went with a wintery, champagne-toned, turtlenecked—but backless—number by Galvan that still felt incredibly glam and special (I never thought I'd go with head-to-toe sequins, but I truly fell in love). Camille and I wanted my accessories to feel classic so my dress could steal the show, so we ended up going with a fabulous little The Row bag and Bottega Veneta shoes. Finding the right pair of shoes was probably the most challenging part, especially because we had to consider the winter weather and go with something a bit more covered.
“I now wear both my wedding bag and shoes all the time—they've really become wardrobe staples, which is great. The heels in particular are incredibly comfortable and can really function as a four-season shoe. I always get compliments on them and I love saying that they were my wedding shoes.”
Erika Veurink
Writer
Photo: Freda Banks
“I liked the idea of wearing a pair of shoes that matched the ‘60s vibe I was going for with my wedding outfit. I first floated the idea of wearing a pair of Gucci loafers to a few friends, who shot it down immediately. Instead, these vintage Chanel slingbacks I found on The RealReal were just the thing. The rosette on the toe was almost enough to send me into a spiral a few weeks pre-wedding, but in the end, I loved the classically feminine touch.
“Being over six feet tall, I wasn't looking for height. I just wanted a little something to complement the hemline of my dress. Slingbacks proved to be a very comfortable choice. I even packed a pair of signature loafers to change into at the reception, but forgot entirely. I love that my bridal look is just that: a bridal look. It's not my everyday style, which leans more masculine and oversized, but it captured the joy and whimsy of the day perfectly.”
Telsha Anderson-Boone
Owner, t.a.
Photo: Courtesy of Telsha Anderson
“For my wedding, I selected a mahogany Tom Ford shoe from a few seasons back. I wanted a shoe that would enhance the look and add a pop of color. When I saw the shoe, I knew I had to have it — it was strapped and had a perfect thing black heel. I couldn't have dreamed of anything better.”
Eliza Higgins
Co-founder, Brinker and Eliza
Photos: Gayle Brooker
“For shoes, I wanted to keep it simple and classic. I wore Manolo Blahnik Maysale buckle mules for our rehearsal dinner and The Row leather sandals for our wedding. I wore a sixpence in my shoe during the wedding ceremony (to complete the ‘something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, a sixpence in your shoe.’ saying). We are planning on using the coin to make a necklace as a keepsake from that day. I think that both pairs have held up really well and I plan to wear both again this summer!”
