February 09, 2024
Questions about buying bridal shoes
Brides to be, please read this very helpful Q&A from Anastasia at Wedding Forward and Harriet Wilde.
1. What are the key considerations for accurately determining and ordering the right shoe size, particularly when selecting wedding shoes to ensure optimal fit and comfort on the big day?
We make our shoes in Spain, we use UK sizes and they have a size conversion for US, EU & AU sizes on our website and on the shoes, select your usual size. To ensure comfort through wear, we suggest a heel height that you'll feel comfortable wearing all day long, if you don't usually wear heels we suggest the mid heel, this offers the glamour of a heel but the pitch is low meaning not much pressure will be applied to the balls of the feet through the day, if you usually wear heels then a high heel is suitable for you. We find that the block heel is very comfortable and offers extra stability, remember you are wearing a wedding dress, not your usual outfit, you might also have a bridal hair accessory or a tiara and a veil, you need to feel supported and stable, selecting a style with a strap or fastening will help too. Try a style like Hetty, this has the bow ankle tie and also comes with a buckle ankle strap, it has 2 heel heights a mid and a higher heel.
2. When should I start shopping for wedding shoes, and how long does it typically take to receive custom or special-order shoes?
Start as early as possible, its useful to have your shoes for all your fittings, you might not have your dress at home so your fittings might be the only times you can see how everything looks together. Custom shoes, we offer lots of services, the heel embellishing takes us a few weeks to finish the shoes, made to order can take up to 10 weeks, we always start by sending the plain shoes to try, this way we can ensure they are perfect before we start the custom service, you need to allow a bit of time incase you need to exchange the size. Ideally 3 or 4 months before they are required, definitely no later than a coupe of months before your fitting, then you can have your shoes ready to try with your dress.
3. What is the process for ordering wedding shoes, including sizing and returns?
Harriet Wilde shoes can be ordered online we are based in London UK and we can ship our shoes worldwide, for clients not based in the UK we suggest booking a virtual appointment with our team, we can help and advise the most suitable size, we know our shoes and how each style fits, we can pass on our knowledge to ensure you most suitable size is ordered. Clients in the UK can visit the Harriet Wilde London showroom, we also host lots of regional events and we have a few stockists in the UK.
We have a 28 day return policy for shoes ordered online, we can help with returns and exchanges. Our collection runs from size UK2, US4 up to UK9, US11, we offer half sizes too.
4. What are some unique and creative wedding shoe ideas for brides who want to make a statement?
We love our signature floral heel designs, they can be ordered on most styles in our collection, brides love the custom service, choose the style then the embellishment, we also offer a made to order service, choose the shoe and we can make them in any colour, we can also dye the ivory satin styles, we work with clients all around the world to create the most show stopping heels for the special day. To add the extra wow factor we offer a personalisation service, we can add a message to the soles of your Harriet Wilde heels.
5. Do brides typically require additional comfort accessories or inserts for their wedding shoes, and if so, what are some recommended options to enhance comfort and support throughout the day?
We always suggest starting with the right style, if you select a toe shape and heel height that you feel comfortable and supported you shouldn't need anything, our shoes have padding under the foot, they are all made in high quality materials, its worth investing in your wedding shoes, it will pay off plus you can wear them again after the wedding. Good quality shoes need to be worn a few times before the big day, this way they will soften to your foot and the leather sole and lining will offer more comfort throughout the day. We sell beautiful insoles and half insoles to improve the fit, if there is a small gap the insoles can work perfectly, they are made in the same leather as the shoes, you won't even notice you have the insoles in the shoes, we also sell heel huggers to improve the grip at the back.
6. How can a bride ensure she chooses wedding shoes that match her dress?
The best way is to try the shoes with the dress, if you can coordinate ordering shoes for when you visit the store, then you have the shoes to see with the dress. We have lots of brides who agonise about the colour match, we always advise to brides that white doesn't clash with ivory and different shades of ivory can work, especially if your gown is floor length as the fabric will cast a shadow, also ivory silk satin can be two tone and work differently in outdoor and indoor light.
Our advise, choose shoes that you love and will want to wear again after the wedding, don't worry about everything matching choose a shoe that you love, it is your day celebrating love after all.