One of the things I’m most excited about are The Wedding Shoes. This was actually a really easy decision for me. It was something I had tossed around in my head for a long time and, after a few encouraging discussions with Bridesmaid Y, I went for it.
Let me start by clarifying: there was no way in h-e-double-hockey-sticks that I would be wearing anything close to heels for our wedding. Period. Number one: I’m tall. I’m 5’9″. Mr. Palm Tree, on the other hand, is like 5’11″ (“and three quarters!” he would add). Number two: I am clumsy. As in, I can barely walk barefoot without tripping, falling, stumbling, etc. Number three: I have a bunch of ankle/foot/back issues, most of which stem from a combination of my completely flat feet and my weak ankles that required me to wear high tops until I was 10 (no joke, hive, no joke). Number four: They. Are. Not. Comfortable. Period. All of the above combined meant that I was very clearly going to be rockin’ flats from the get-go.
I wasn’t upset about this fact. I’ve been joking about it for years. “Well, I’ll be in ballet slippers anyway,” was my standard comment. I would also follow it up with, “No one’s going to see my shoes anyway, who cares?”
Uh, apparently everyone. Turns out, Wedding Shoes are a big freakin’ thing. Wedding Shoes are deserving of a dedicated blog post. Wedding Shoes inspire polls and inspiration collages. Wedding Shoes get their own picture (or set of pictures) on the big day. Even my own photographers had a few Wedding Shoe shots in their sample portfolio online:
Photo via Limelight-Images / Our photographers rock—taking something that goes on your stinky feet and making it look awesome and interesting.
Photo via Limelight-Images / The “I Do” is a different touch, BUT DO YOU SEE THOSE HEELS?!
OK, so shoes are a big deal to people. While I’ve NEVER been a Carrie-Bradshaw-esque shoe girl, I could understand it. Personally, I own more flip-flops than I do anything else and it wasn’t until my “big girl job” that I actively purchased real shoes—even still, I own maybe 10 pairs of different shoes and a pair of boots. But now, I was on a mission. While most girls searched for shoes like these to rock on the big day…
Image via Blingy-Bride
Image via Kate Spade / Kate Spade’s Charm…for $325…
…I did not even glance at them. First of all, I would like to exit my wedding sans neck brace and/or heating pad on my busted back. Seriously, one time I wore a pair of bootie heels to a bar with friends and thought since they laced I could just tie them very tightly and I’d be all right. Uh, the next day I could not move or breathe. I seriously threw out my back. Secondly, $325 for shoes named after a stripper? I’ll pass.
So the shoe hunt continued… 
i’m wearing flats also, but i just can’t seem to find anything i like enough yet.
I’m not even a big shoe person, but I HAVE to have special wedding shoes, because I’m apparently crazy. Oh well, sorry dear FH, you are marrying a shoe-crazed bride. 
I wore the BCBG Ayannah flat in “irridescent/gold” for our wedding. They were my “before the wedding, taking photos” shoes, and my “after the wedding/reception” shoes. I had heels I wore for the ceremony, just because I didn’t have to mess with having my dress hemmed if I had a little bit of a heel. As soon as the ceremony was over, and we were back in the sanctuary for photos, the heels were off and the flats back on to stay.
(I bought mine from Macys, but they don’t have that color online anymore)
http://www.bonton.com/shop/shoes/dress/bcbgeneration-ayannah-sparkle-flat_575871.html?srccode=cii_13736960&cpncode=31-84179876-2
Keep sharing the pretty flats! I’m actually obsessively a heels girl normally, but I’m 5’9″ with a ridiculously short torso, so I’m finding that unless I order a dress in extra long/tall (and extra $$), I need to wear itty bitty kitten heels or flats.
I LOVE THIS POST! I totally agreed 100%!
I am wearing TOMS on the big day!
Ok, we need to be pen pals, I’m serious. I’m 5’8” (and fiance is 5’10” (and a half) ) and have flat feet that my ankles pretty much touch the ground when I walk. I used to wear heels but it would give me back pain also. I’m wearing flats also, I’m thinking those cute sandals that hook around your ankle and have a back to them.
I absolutely love your blog posts!! I can totally relate to your stuff, girl. Haha!
I would totally wear flats if I could but I am 5’6 and my fiance is 6’4. Plus I need heels to prevent my dress from hitting the floor 
I am not huge into heels either, I own some and will be wearing some but I am for sure more comfortable in flats!
I totally agree, & am very similar other than that I am 5’ 3” but still can’t keep my balance to save my life (blind in one eye), I’m gonna spend on the dress and let my feet be comfy, happy hunting
Lol!! Love it. I didn’t realize until I moved in with Mr. W (who is infinitely more organized than I am, and inspires me to organize my ish) that I have ~40 pairs of shoes, and 5 pairs of boots. I def have a problem. But nothing is goofier than a girl stumbling around on heels if she’s not used to it, so go with what you’re comfortable with!!! Also, my shoes were called “Randall”… I’m laughing at the possibility of a stripper named Randall!
@ohcaptainmycaptain: There are so many options! Quite a few Bees have even incorporated DIY elements into their wedding day flats. Maybe this is a possibility for you?
@Blonde17Jess: Crazy to me, maybe, but as the post stated, not the rest of the world. I’m used to being an anomaly!
@Merelymere: These are ADORABLE wedding shoes! I’m sure your feet were happy. . .and what a great idea to only wear heels for the ceremony for logical reasons. You’re smart! 
@MariContrary: My torso is ridiculously short, too. We measured once and my legs are literally 3/4 of my body, Lol. My hips come up way past Mr. Palm Tree’s, even though he’s technically taller than me.
@HAPPEEBride: Foreshadowing: you are going to l-o-v-e my next post! 
@krislynn_sd: Did we just become best friends?! YUP. Seriously, though, I’m so glad you can relate.
@mkelove: Could you switch for the reception, after most of the serious pictures are done and everything? I know quite a few girls with this issue and they’re bringing a pair of ‘back up’ shoes.
@AliceOwlLoveLace: Your feet will thank you, that’s for sure! What a good way to phrase it, too – spending on the dress. I mean, $325 for SHOES?! Oy.
@Mrs. Wallaby: I’ve read about your heel superpowers, girl! No shame in your game! And that’s exactly what I look like: a goofy girl stumbling around, or taking eeeeeensy baby steps, or doing the try-to-walk-and-end-up-dragging-my-feet thing. It’s stupid. And LOL at Randall the Stripper! Fabulous.
I will be staying in the heels as long as possible but have a pair of platformish flip-flops to change into
Haha I’m leaning towards flats too! Or more likely sandals actually Preferably something I can wear again that don’t cost more than my dress!
My fiance is pretty much the exact same height as me. Which as much as I fought it made me have to purchase flats for my wedding. I also have a big foot so the minute I found a style I liked they did not come in my size.
It really is hard to find the right wedding flat.
I finally went the Etsy route and I could not be more excited to get my shoes in the mail. I purchased the ones at the link below. You can pick the shoe color and the colors of the crystals.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/123270762/french-knot-lace-bridal-ballet-flats
I can’t wait to see what you end up with.
Check out the Benjamin Adams “Halle” shoes – beautiful flats!!!
Hehe…i had three different types of shoes on my wedding day: a pair of expensive ones JUST for the pics (I returned them shortly afterwards), a pair to actually wear with the dress (purchased at Ross for 20 bucks!), and a pair to wear for the reception (a pair of comfy wedges I already had). I think the MOST important part, though, is to decide on a pair before you get the dress altered because I’m sure your seamstress will require that you wear your shoes before she adjusts the hem
“Number two: I am clumsy. As in, I can barely walk barefoot without tripping, falling, stumbling, etc.”
Story of my life! I usually joke that my parents didn’t name me Grace for a good reason.
My SIL when she got married had cute 1″ wedge flip flops that she wore (and actually got all of us in her bridal party a pair) for the reception. It was fantastic! I was definitely thinking of either going the fancy flip flop route or flats, lest I fall flat on my face walking down the aisle (which, let’s face, wouldn’t be that far fetched for me).
I am wearing a very low heel. I don’t want to fall or trip, and I don’t want my feet hurting all night. But I am only 5’2″ – and the shortest person in my family. I usually embrace the shortness, but on my wedding day, I’ll take a little height. Of course, my heels are teeny tiny…so I’m not sure how much it will help!
I would never wear heels for my wedding day, I think. They’re just not…me. I don’t wear heels normally (I only wear them once a year), so it seems weird that I would one day walk down the aisle in shoes that don’t fit me, or feel comfy.
Flats for me! I think that even if every girl wants to feel like Cinderella and wear pretty shoes on that day, she should ask the honest question: will I actually like wearing these shoes? Will I feel comfy? If the answer to either of these is no… no go.
I found that almost everyone I spoke to about my decision to wear flats on my big day insisted that I would change my mind. I’m close to 5’10″ tall and hate feeling like I’m towering over everyone so I absolutely rocked flats on my wedding day. I found dressy ones for the ceremony from zappos.com and then I found awesome silver sparkly flats from Aldo for the reception. I was comfortable the whole and day don’t regret wearing them one bit. I did wear big heels for my boudoir photos and that was totally worth it
I hate heels! Well, I love the way they look, but I know I can’t walk in them. I’m not the most stable on my feet, and I have wide feet. So finding wedding shoes was a problem. I wanted something wide enough to be comfy, and a short enough heel to not kill me.
I had bought shoes on Zappos, which were silver, but I planned on painting. They were so comfy! The heel was short and thick enough that I could walk. Well, I painted them, and they were beautiful. Until I left them in the car before my final fitting (In DECEMBER!)… They froze, and when I put them on, the paint cracked… I was heartbroken! I had spent HOURS painting them, even putting a special green glitter on the heel to match my dress…
Well, the weekend before the wedding, my MIL and I took a road-trip to the outlet mall. I had all but given up hope of finding cute shoes and had accepted the fact that I was going to get married in white flip-flops, when we went into Cole Haan. I’m not a designer girl, at all, but we thought it was worth a shot. We were out of options. And I’ll be damned if we didn’t find shoes there! White open toe wedges that were on clearance from the summer. I don’t care that they’re out of style. They fit, I could dance, and walk, and no fall down! EEEE! (I did end up putting on flip-flops later in the night, but I knew that was going to happen.)
Here’s what mine look like, just picture them in white.
http://www.colehaan.com/colehaan/catalog/product.jsp?catId=100&productId=646882&productGroup=412799
Miss Palm Tree, Pittsburgh, PA Age and Occupation: 23, Lease Analyst Fiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Associate Systems Analyst Engagement Date: December 22, 2011 Wedding Date: May 2013 Venue: The Fez in Aliquippa, PA About Me: I’m Miss Palm Tree - an opinionated, loyal and outgoing bride-to-be. I currently work as a Lease Analyst by day and a catering assistant by night. Mr. Palm Tree is a Computer Engineer with a love for all things cats. Mr. Palm Tree and I are absolute soul mates. Having grown up across the street from each other (I have the scars to prove it), we have been a part of each other’s lives for almost as long as we can remember. We are far from perfect: we fight, we get annoyed with each other and we certainly take advantage of knowing one another so well when pushed to the edge, but ultimately, what truly defines us as a couple is our love.
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