Shoes for ME!

Now that my bridesmaids have their shoes, I suppose it would be time for me to figure out what I will wear for the big day!

And, you wouldn't expect anything less than a conundrum from me, would you?

When I originally purchased my wedding gown, in order to measure me for my hollow-to-hem, I needed to have my shoes picked out. So, I frantically searched for the perfect pair of pumps. The original winner? This lovely pair of faux snakeskin yellow/gold peeptoes by Enzo Angiolini. Where did I get them? You guessed it...Nordstrom...with my shoe boyfriend. Actually, I'll confess: I already own 3 other pairs of this shoe in different colors and patterns. They are one of the most comfortable pairs of shoes I own, and they are ALWAYS coming out with new hues. I loved these yellow ones...at the time.

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Well, months went by, and new shoe styles came out! One of which you may find familiar...the shoes that my bridesmaids will be wearing!

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Notice something similar about this shoe? Yep...it is the same style as the yellow ones...but with a ruffle on the toe! So...the heel is the same height, and the length of my gown would still be perfect! I might shy away from the ivory hue though, since I'm partial to a colored wedding shoe for myself.

And guess what...they also come in pink!

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Soooo, when we purchased the bridesmaids' shoes, I also bought a pair of each of these shoes; one in pink and one in nude. Just in case. Gotta cover my bases!

Oh but wait...we aren't finished yet! When I was organizing my closet the other day, I realized that in my excitement to find a pair of wedding shoes, I had failed to consider pumps that I already own! So...these little lovelies have also made it into the pool of possibilities! I measured the heel and discovered that they are also the same height as the Enzo's, so they would work with the length of my gown. They could be my something blue...and since I have worn them before (not a lot...maybe less than 10 times), they are already broken in for me!

So many options! Which would you choose? Did you buy a new pair of shoes for your wedding day, or do you like the idea of wearing a pair of shoes already in your closet?

Bridesmaid shoes: my shoe boyfriend steps in!

Last time we checked in on my bridesmaid shoe hunt, I was back to the drawing board after eliminating the dyeable shoe option.

So, what did I do? I visited shoe websites daily, waiting and hoping that one of them would release a new style that would be perfect. Sadly, one was not forthcoming. However, I started to lean towards a nude/beige colored shoe, as I noticed quite the selection available online!

"Yes! This could work!" I said to myself...and promptly put together a new inspiration collage to test my newfound shoe lovelies.

Dresses: J Crew

Shoes (L to R): Nina - Elijah, Nina - Galvey, Nina- Kora, Jones New York Plumsky Peep Toe

And then, Mommy Buttons and I went to Nordstrom. I should have known that the perfect shoe would be waiting there for me.

Hello gorgeous!

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These Enzo Angiolini pumps were sitting on the display with a golden haze surrounding them. I'm quite sure that angels started singing in the background.

I promptly grabbed it and marched around the floor to find my shoe boyfriend, Victor. I know you probably just wrinkled your brow when you heard the term...but I'm being serious here people! Before I could locate him, I was intercepted by another sales person. He asked me if I needed help, and I let him know that I was waiting for Victor. He offered to search for the shoe in a size for me while I waited, but as soon as I said "7 1/2," he responded with "oh, we definitely won't have your size in that shoe."

Oh Mr. Shoe Salesman...you are so naiive.

Now, let me explain why Victor is known as my shoe boyfriend, and why it pays to have one! For a few years now, I have been a loyal shoe shopper at Nordstrom. I wouldn't say I buy in volume, but when I do purchase a pair of shoes I want quality. It only took me a few trips to Nordy's to realize that it was smart to become loyal to a salesperson. Time and again, I would go to Nordstrom, and Victor would assist me with my shoe shopping. He quickly learned which styles I liked and disliked, the brands I was partial to, and the like. He even puts the shoes on my feet for me and fastens any buckles...I'm spoiled. Soooo, when I handed him the pump that the previous salesperson assured me I wouldn't find, I was confident that I'd hear a different story.

Annnnd guess what? I was right. Victor checked the store inventory, as well as the inventory across the country, and BINGO - we were rolling! Although they were rather hard to come by, we were able to locate a pair in each of my bridesmaids' sizes! And, we were able to have them shipped directly to their homes...FREE of charge (because my shoe boyfriend only gives me the best...)!

So, without further ado...beautiful heels were on their way to the Button bridesmaids, and I was able to breathe a sigh of relief!

What aspect of your planning were you absolutely relieved to complete?

Bridesmaid shoes: the hunt

It is official: I get hung up over the most ridiculous things when it comes to wedding planning.

I think it is perfectly understandable when a bride-to-be frets over the bridesmaid dress selection process. There are so many options, so many colors, so many styles...it can be a daunting task! Well, if you recall, I made that particular decision rather quickly. Remember these?

J Crew

It was easy peasy to select these dresses...and I quickly moved on to planning other aspects of the day. I wasn't concerned with jewelry, as I tend to like subdued things (aka I'll probably just have them all wear pearls in whatever way, shape, and form that they want).

Oh but wait...what about their feet?

SCREEEEEEEEECH. The bridesmaid attire train (which had previously been speeding down the tracks) halted to an abrupt stop.

Initial impressions from some people; "have them wear gold or silver shoes."

That would be the easy and simple route, wouldn't it? I will admit, I pondered this for a short time, but to be really 100% honest, I was not feeling it. I don't even own a pair of gold shoes (or silver) myself...I guess they really aren't my thing?

I emailed the Button Bridesmaids and asked them to send me photos of any and all shoes that they owned that would match the dress. My thoughts were as follows: if everyone has something that will work, and they will somewhat coordinate, then that would be awesome!

Well, that was wishful thinking on my part, because it didn't work. Only 2 of the 4 actually owned shoes that would look appropriate with the dress. Darn it! Well, at least I tried, right?

Resigned, I started to hunt more vigorously online and in stores for something that made my heart skip a beat. The first question I tackled: what color shoes do I want? Originally, I was set on green...but upon further inspection, I realized that locating the appropriate color of green shoes in stores was almost asking the impossible. Oh, I could find some amazing green shoes...don't get me wrong...but they usually carried a price tag of over $100, or were so hard to track down that I wasn't unsure if we would be able to find a pair for each of the bridesmaids!

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Sigh...I wish...

My next venture was to investigate dyeable shoes. I visited both Payless and David's Bridal to test out a few pairs and view their color selections. I was happy to find that both stores carried a beautiful grassy green hue. BUT, when I tried on the different styles, I was underwhelmed by the cuteness factor, and actually a little bit in pain.

All images from David's Bridal

There were a few shoes that I thought had promise, but when I walked around in a few of them, my typically tough feet were feeling a bit sore...darn it all! As much as I was hoping that they would work, the dyeable shoes were nixed.

Ok, so what in the world was I going to do?!?! As the days whizzed by, I was really unsure if I would ever find the perfect shoe(s) for my bridesmaids...

Did you select shoes for your bridesmaids, or did they go on a hunt themselves?