Shoes!!

Shoes are an important part of any girl’s outfit, but even more important when the outfit is for a bride! There are so many pairs out there in so many styles and colours that it can be hard to pick the “right” ones.
My advice is to think about what sorts of shoes you like, what style your dress is and most importantly what you are willing to pay.



There are lots of specially designed shoes for weddings from the links of Pink by Paradox, Rainbow Club to name just two – seriously have a look on a search engine on the internet and see how many hits you get! It is really amazing that there are so many out there! The prices of these designer ones does vary, there are specific sites that you will find a bargain on, the likes of Ebay and Girls of Elegance are some good ones – you might manage to time it right to there’s a sale on, discount is a bride’s best friend!!

Dress style can often dictate the sorts of shoe you wear, some dresses are long and so your shoes are hidden, but some dresses are a mid length, and so a pretty pair shoes are a necessity. Pointed toe shoes are fast becoming more popular – but a note of advice for these shoes, they do have a tendency to pinch your toes so it might be an idea to buy a size bigger than your usual size to avoid discomfort and to allow you to walk comfortably in them.
Round toe and peep toe shoes are also quite a popular choice for many brides, I have gone for a pair of satin peep toe shoes with a slight sequin detail because my dress will be just above ground level so the shoes may be on display slightly.



Sore feet are likely to be a factor on your big day so remember to break those shoes in sufficiently before the day. Or why not invest in some gel pads for inside your shoes to save nasty blisters and aching feet. Remember you will be on your feet a lot of the time that day, dancing, catching up with people and of course during the ceremony!



Recently a lot of brides have favoured having 2 pairs of shoes for the big day, heels for the ceremony and pictures (especially if like me they are lacking in the height department) and a comfortable pair of flats for the evening reception, indeed a friend recently donned her slippers in the evening because her feet were sore…imagine the groom’s face when she flashed a pair of pink furry slippers when she was up dancing!!

To Do List

Right as a basic starting point this is the sort of to do list that I worked from:

1. Groom (pick one!)
2. Pick a date
3. Pick a ceremony type
4. Pick venue
5. Pick attendants (bridesmaids, best man etc)
5. Draw up a rough guest list so you have an idea of numbers
6. Think about colours/themes/ideas
7. Keep a scrapbook for dress ideas/reception ideas/general ideas
8. Research photographers
9. Research videographers if you want one
10. Think about dresses - use your scrapbook for ideas of that you like in a dress and take that with you for trying on dresses.
11. Make bookings
12. Research wedding cars
13. Look into stationery
14. Start thinking about favours and thank you gifts for important people
15. Pick readings for ceremony (and music if applicable)
16. Wedding cake!!
17. Organise the groom - what's he going to wear?
18. Pick a menu for the wedding banquet
19. Research wedding make up and hair
20. Make sure you have all the relevant paperwork in order!!

That's just a rough guide, there are no doubt things missed off, but as you go along you end up adding extras to the list, merging bits together and then taking things off the list when you change your mind!!

Steps to being a "Super Bride"

As we all know planning a wedding can be a costly business! As soon as you mention the "wedding" word, prices seem to skyrocket and suddenly you're thinking it might be better to elope.
There are so many ways to save money when planning your wedding, for instance you could buy a dress from the High Street from the likes of Littlewoods, Marks & Spencer, Monsoon? They sell some really pretty dresses and at a fraction of the price of bridal shops they are a steal! Failing that when you're dress shopping tell the assistants in the bridal shop your budget and that way they will point out dresses that you can afford and steer you away from the ones that will break the bank.

Other ways to save are to hunt around for bargains, eBay will soon become a favourite for many brides to be. You'd be amazed at the things you will find on there! So far I've managed to get all the favours, favour boxes, thank you gifts, cuff links for the attendants and many other things from shops on eBay and at very good prices. So long as you're not afraid of hard work this route might be for you!

Often a lot of brides to be want to make their own stationery, which for those who are creative and not in any way artistically challenged, it's a great way to save money. Again EBay will have the bits and bobs you need, failing that there are many websites out there with everything you will need. But if like me you want something professional looking then there are a variety of shops, sites etc to buy stationery from or you can have it custom designed for you to suit your theme. Some of the stationery and gifts for our wedding is coming from www.littletigercreations.com which is run by a close friend of mine. She has been great and helped me work out what I wanted from my stationery and made my ramblings turn into an actual creation.

For the cars, do you know anyone with a "posh" car? Does your uncle drive a Rolls Royce? Can you sweet talk him into taking you to the church/hotel? Failing that ask the car companies if they offer any discount for booking more than one car, or if they would give you discount if you are only needing the car for a short time? It's worth asking, you never know you might get £50 off the price and at the end of the day wouldn't you rather the £50 in your pocket?!