There’s nothing to say you have to wear ‘Bridal shoes’ is there?! I have been looking and not found anything that I would consider me.

So I have gone a little alternative!

Here are some I am considering…
Let me know what you think!!

Irregular Choice

River Island

Maybe a bit high for me… eeek.

Ok so I will reign it in a bit as I have a massive crush on these shoes! I think they are a great colour for any seasonal wedding…

Faith Shoes at Debenhams

Its most annoying I can’t find a pic I can show you of the back : (
They are lovely though…
I don’t think there is a limit on how many pairs you can wear either?! I frequently see the sandals come out during the day! Em had some lovely white flip flops!

Charlotte xx

Hey wedding cadets!

We are very excited about todays guest blogger – she designed Emma’s wedding shoes and is a bit of a shoe designing icon in the wedding industry – we welcome Rachel Simpson and her top tips for buying wedding day shoes!

Top Tips for Buying Wedding Day Shoes

Cinderella for a day
Choose shoes that make you feel amazing! Even if your dress is floor length, giving your guests the occasional peek of an exquisite pair of shoes will make you feel like a true princess! Wedding shoes don’t have to be boring- combine classic style with fashionable detailing and you’ll love them for years. Beautiful shoes change the way you feel- you’ll already be walking on air so find your dream pair and do it in style!

Comfort
Remember you’re going to be on your feet all day, so make sure you’re comfortable in your shoes. This doesn’t just mean low heels- if you’re a heels girl don’t compromise on your usual style, Venetia (from the Rachel Simpson collection – see below) has the secret to comfort in a killer heel with her concealed platform, making the shoe look higher than it is! Go for leather linings that allow your feet to breathe- sweaty feet are a real no no! It’s a good idea to wear your shoes around the house a bit to get used to them and wear them in to suit your feet. It’s worth having a pair of party feet on hand just in case..

Fittings
Get organised in time for your final fitting (if not before!), as your seamstress will need to know the exact height of your shoes so she can fit your dress accordingly. Once you have a pair in mind check with the company how long it will take for delivery and pre-order if necessary to avoid any last minute disappointment!

Protect
If your shoes are satin or suede, it’s a good idea to use a protector spray before the big day. Check with the manufacturer or take them to your local shoe menders so they can recommend a suitable product. Remember they can be hard to clean though, so try and avoid the rain if possible but don’t let it ruin your day! Go for leather if you don’t want the risk..

After the big day
Beautiful shoes deserve to be worn so if you love them, wear them again! Ivory and white shoes can look great in the summer with a pair of jeans, or if they’re truly bridal why not dye them a fab new colour, or black for glamorous evening wear? Marilyn (see below) comes in three beautiful shades, Ivory for the big day and sumptuous mink and teal if you love this shoe so much you need to buy all three!

If you do want to keep your shoes as a memento why not have them framed, either on their own or with other items like your jewellery, invite or flowers. This looks fab and makes a chic artwork of your day. Alternatively you could buy a keepsake box to safely store your mementoes and add a stylish touch to your room.

All the best in your shoe shopping!

The Rachel Simpson Team xx

(Note from Emma & Charlotte) – We hope you have enjoyed this post as much as we have – thanks so much Rachel for the advice! xxx

Many of you will be able to relate to me… I love shoes. Especially special shoes, and now, Bridal shoes are my new crush.

Here’s some you may like or they may inspire you to what you would like for yourself…
These are Pink, from Paradox. You definitely want to check out what they have!

These are available at John Lewis- have a hover over the image to get the details.

I’m persoanlly not very converntional for wedding shoes! I love seeing a fabulous & bright pair of shoes peeking out from under a wedding dress…
These hunies are from Very.co.uk

My favourite shoes often come from Irregular Choice!

Its also worth looking on Ebay. I have found lots of new shoes that are unwanted or end of season! Not bad at all.

Happy Hunting
Charlotte xx

As its post-bank-holiday Tuesday & most of us are rubbing our eyes wondering where the long weekend went.. I am thinking about my wedding plans & how they are not progressing rapidly… but to cheer myself up, I am bringing you something that makes me smile & hopefully you too…

I remember my first shoes with heels. They were white! My first red pair, my first stripey clubbing heels, the ones with kisses on, my heels with cherries, ruffles, suede, herringbone, glitter, diamantes, animal prints… Ooooohhhhh….. Dreamy.

And I never forget the feeling of excitment as I pick up the bag from the assistant at the till & head home. Ahhh ha ha ha ha!!!

Maybe its because I suffer with my weight and whilst buying a big size top to wrench my boobs into is sometimes, heart-breaking, buying the same size 7 everytime, all the time, is a constant delight. Lucky for me, I don’t gain weight on my feet!!!
Or maybe I was born this way?
Whatever the reason. I love them passionately.

So, today, I bring you… foot candy!!!
One of my most lustful desires is to own a pair of Jimmy Choo’s (Choo’s to their friends!)
And whilst I am on the tightest wedding budget that makes me strong as an Ox, these little lovelies make me go just a little weak at the knees.
If there was one part of the wedding I will spend out on, it will be on my feet. Yes, my feet.
“Not a designer dress?!” I hear people gasp! Nope, I will wear my shoes again and enjoy them. I haven’t even started dress shopping yet. Besides, they will bring less concerned looks than if I re-wear my wedding dress in public….

Today, your foot candy is courtesy of the delightful people at Jimmy Choo!
Meet the ladies.

And my most lusted… on the left, Meet Clue, in Bronze. I also love Lance! What can I say, my heart is too big for one pair of Choo’s…

And I couldn’t resist but to share these great bags! Ideal to give your Maid of Honour. To hold for you, that is!

Oooh shimmery…. Meet Cara, she’s not even in the shop yet!

A personal thank you to Jenny & Olivia from Jimmy Choo for supplying the images & ultimately indulging me in my passion!

I’m not going to pretend I can afford them! But that’s what aspiration is all about.
I hope you all enjoyed that as much as I did?!
Let me know in the comment box below or charlotte@electricwedding.co.uk

Yours Truly,
Charlotte Choo xx

Back in January I started the process of looking for some wedding shoes. I was pretty happy about this as shoes are the one thing that you need not worry about your size or shape for. So with this spritely attitude I set about my search.

3 months later and I was stressing out big time.  I couldn’t find ANY shoes I liked.  Well that’s an exaggeration; I could find plenty of shoes, but none that went with the vintage look of my wedding dress.

Then I found a pair. They were a perfect dainty gold sandal.  I found them in Westfields at er…Jimmy Choo.  Yep, the only ‘imperfect’ thing about my find was that they were £410.  Now I am all for splashing out a bit on your big day, but with all the other things I have to get, I just couldn’t justify it (well I could but my guests would probably have to eat marmite on toast).

The problem was no other shoes then compared.  I had really stitched myself up.  Why on earth did I go to Jimmy Choo? Why did I go inside? Why? Why?

And then, when I was getting close to calling it all of because of  a stiletto defeat, I found Rachel Simpson.

Rachel Simpson has an absolutely amazing collection of vintage style shoes inspired by the 1930s, which were absolutely perfect for my dress!  And what’s more, they are really reasonably priced.  This means you can justify that lovely clutch you have been eyeing up for a few weeks (or is that just me..)…

Hurrah!

The pair that originally caught my eye was called Fleur, an ivory leather pair with gold trim and a flower corsage on the front (pic on the left).

The thing that I liked about these was that even though they were 9.5cm high, they were really comfy (they have full leather linings) – which is really important, because it means you wont be crippled walking down the aisle!

The other thing that I liked about Rachel’s collection was that the shoes looked very different to your typical white wedding shoe. Here are Marilyn and Lola, two pairs which I thought were fab…

My original quest was for a gold sandal, so in the end I went for Tiffany (on the left), an ivory leather and gold pair, which like my dress, are very 1930’s with a bit of boho thrown in.

I think they are perfect.

Thank you Rachel Simpson, the wedding can now safely proceed!

Emma xx

PS – top tip, break in your shoes before the wedding by walking round the house in them for a few weeks before hand, that way they are nice and comfy on the day!

With my wedding dress fitting looming, it was with a heavy heart that I began to think about getting my wedding lingerie.  Why a heavy heart I hear you ask? Surely getting lingerie should be fun and make you feel gorgeous?

Well not for me.  I am an F cup, and while this should be something most girls would be happy about, trying to find nice lingerie to fit has always been an impossible nightmare. I have lost count of the number of stores I have stood in who haven’t had my size or who have said I need to see a ‘specialist’.  The thought of trying to find some underwear to go with my wedding dress filled me with horror.

And then my friend who got married last year said:

‘Why don’t you just go to Rigby & Peller?’

To be honest, I had never considered it. I made an appointment (they give you your own time slot so you have your own assistant and can look after you), and trotted down to Knightsbridge…

 ….and walked into a little piece of heaven.

 Here are some images from their current bridal collection. Hot or what?

The assistant who served me was the sweetest girl ever. She instantly made me feel better by saying ‘You aren’t big. That’s a great size.  Look, I’m an H and I have got some lovely underwear on. I have got loads we can try on you’.  

And you know what? She was right. The service was fab. She tried lots of different styles on me, and was honest enough to say ‘nope, I have seen better’, when they didn’t fit quite right.  I genuinely felt for the first time ever like I was enjoying the whole process! 

I ended up buying several bras, for the wedding and for every day, all of them really reasonably priced (and lets face it, when you are spending goodness knows how much on a wedding dress you may as well get a decent bra to go with it!), and all of them fit PERFECTLY. I have probably lost about 2 inches off my waist just by wearing the right bra! 

And the best bit?…. 

‘Have you got your bikini yet for honeymoon?’ asked the shop assistant. 

Now if you think bras are an issue, you should see the problem I have with bikinis…. 

‘Well no’ I said, trying to push out my head an image of me squashed into a saggy bikini top and too small bottoms.. 

‘Come back in a month or so, and we will get you some lovely beach wear from our summer collection to try on’ 

Yippeeeee! 

So Big Up to Rigby &Peller. I salute you. Enjoy the pictures girls! 

Emma xxx