My Reluctant Quest for Wedding Shoes

This week it's all about the accessories! To find out about the headpiece and jewelry that I'll be wearing please check out my last post here!

I think there are two camps of women concerning wedding shoes. The ones who are shoe addicts who can't wait to splurge on a pair of designer heels for their wedding and the ones who hate shoe shopping and just want to pick a pair and get it over with. Yup, I'm in the second camp. I like shoes alright, but I don't go out of my way to lust over them. I like high quality, stylish, and well-made shoes that are comfortable and versatile. Not many bridal shoes fit all those criteria. But there are so many beautiful pairs of shoes out there and marketing has worked its magic on me. As such, I am somehow only drawn to shoes in the $250-350 range. Yikes! (BHLDN, I'm looking at you.) Unfortunately such luxurious shoes simply don't fit into my meager teacher budget.

Let's take a moment and stare wistfully at shoes that are completely out of my budget. Can you hear me sighing pathetically?

All shoes via BHLDN

I tried checking out the used shoe sections of websites (like here on Weddingbee's Classifieds or preownedweddingdresses.com) and I barely lost out on an ebay auction for an amazing pair of used Badgley Mischka's. But it is a serious time investment and honestly guys, ain't nobody got time for that. This is referred to as search costs in microeconomics. At some point the cost of searching the internet for used shoes in the correct color, size, and condition outweighed the benefit of the deal I would conceivably score. Essentially I got frustrated and gave up. That's when I spied these unconventional beauties on StyleMePretty a few weeks ago:

Image source via: StyleMePretty / Photographer: Raya Carlisle Photography

It was love at first sight. The bride added the adorable ties herself (which I am not dedicated enough to replicate--or am I??) but all the same, I love these delicate little flats. They are unique and comfortable and totally affordable. They are made by designer Lola Cruz and I bought them in gray for $55 on Amazon. Total score. They are made of leather and have a nice well-crafted weight to them. Plus the gray pair I purchased will match the gray suits and dresses the groomsmen and ladies will be wearing. Did I mention we are having groomsladies? Well, I shall have to introduce you to them in another post!

The real deal. Image source via: Amazon.com

At the end of the day, no one will really see or notice my shoes but me. They will certainly star in a few wedding photos, but otherwise they will remain under a mass of ivory silk chiffon ruffles. For now though, I'm glad this is one more big thing I could cross off my wedding day preparations list!

Which type of bride are you? The one who couldn't wait to buy her wedding shoes or the one who dreaded the search and was relieved when the process was over?

My Wedding Accessories

I had my first dress fitting last Thursday and it gave me an opportunity to give my new wedding accessories a spin to see how they look together with the dress. Now that I finally know what I will be wearing, I'd like to share some of my wedding accessories with you, starting with the most important one: the headpiece.

Image 1 via Dolores Petunia; Image 2 via Twigs and Honey; Image 3 via Erica Elizabeth Designs; Image 4 via:  Amanda Judge

The days of rocking only a veil on your wedding day are long gone. There's an overwhelming number and variety of bridal headpieces that you can wear on your big day. I knew that I didn't want to wear a veil or a large flower, but that left a dizzying array of options from all over the internet. The biggest issue? Price. Many headpieces run anywhere from $100 to $700! I know girls who don't even have a $700 dress budget! Unfortunately, the very high cost deterred me from purchasing any of the lovely headpieces above, but I did use them as inspiration to find something more in my price range.

The other challenge was finding something unique that wasn't over-the-top; something that didn't overpower my overall wedding day look. This is actually one of the reasons I don't own many accessories, as I often have trouble wearing statement jewelry and not feeling self-conscious. I already have a "wow" factor dress, so to tone things down I am skipping the necklace and earrings. I actually don't even have pierced ears, so earrings have never been an option. And as if that wasn't enough to worry about, you also don't want to wear something that will look dated years from now. Granted, everything will look dated to some degree, but keeping it at a minimal is usually a good idea (says the lady who is having the shabby chic vintage wedding).

Image source via Millie Icaro 

Here's the headpiece that I ultimately decided upon. It looks great with my dress, but I'm still debating whether not it's too much or if it accomplishes the look I was going for. In the meantime, I am going to keep my eye out for something that might work better (or I might get lazy and just stick with this). It is incredibly beautiful and well-made in person though! And it came beautifully packaged in a little keepsake box tied up with a ribbon.


The Jewelry: 

As mentioned earlier, I am skipping the necklace and earrings in an effort to keep a healthy balance among my wedding accessories, namely the headpiece and sash that I will be wearing. I did, however, decide that I needed a bracelet and I found a really lovely one while shopping at Macy's. I didn't pull the trigger on it because it was $65, but it recently went on sale for $32! It has that classic, vintage look to it and I can't wait to wear it on my wedding day!

Image source via: Macy's 

What kind of wedding accessories will you be wearing on your wedding day? Will you be rocking a headpiece, a flower, or a veil?