The quest for the perfect bridal shoe begins (and ends?)

Well it’s been a week since we sent out the wedding invitations and I was fully prepared to rant about how even though that’s supposed to be “done”…. it’s not!!!… but I got totally distracted by a momentous event that happened today.

I think I may have found THE SHOE.

So here’s the thing. Everyone that knows me knows I loveLoveLOVE two things: purses and shoes.

However, would you believe, I didn’t even start thinking about what shoes to wear on my wedding day until March 21st when the store where I bought my dress back in November (I know, amazing, right? that’s a story for another day) called me to tell me it finally came in.

My first reaction was: EEEK! YAY!! MY DRESS IS IN, CAN’T WAIT TO GO PUT IT ON!!!

My second reaction was: Hmmm, now I have to get it altered but I’ll put that off for a bit so I don’t have to store it at my house for months and months (since my wedding is still 6 months away) and it doesn’t get peeked at/stolen/accidentally soiled by a big steaming mug of coffee that I just have to have a sip of one one of those days when the Fiance is out of town and I take the opportunity to put on the dress and prance around for a few hours.

And my third reaction was: Wait a second, I can’t even think about alterations until I get the proper things that I’ll be wearing with the dress, that is, the right bra… AND THE PERFECT SHOES!

Hence, it’s been about a month since I started shopping for shoes.

My obsession with wedding blogs and forums has led me to read quite a bit about what other gals are doing out there these days. And while there are still a lot who are going the traditional white-shoe-comfortable-height route, there is a considerable faction who are totally throwing tradition to the wind… and going with a colored wedding shoe!

The moment my brain registered that idea, I thought - now that is a wedding trend for me!

In general, I’m a pretty traditional person. Quite classic. I like clean shapes, straight lines and simplicity. I have great respect for traditions. And I’m quite sentimental.

But then I go and get myself into a destination wedding which is anything BUT traditional. Does that mean you can be classic and innovative at the same time? I like to think so.

So back to the shoe.

The shoe color for me? Lilac purple, naturally. It’s my signature color. So that part’s easy.

As for the type of shoe, well, that’s where it gets tricky.

I decided from the very beginning that even though I’m innovative enough to get married in the Dominican, doing the wedding on the beach thing is just not for me. Luckily our resort, the Majestic Colonial, has a gorgeous gazebo. (Oh ok, who are we kidding? It was a large reason why I chose the resort.)

Sure, we’ll do some pictures on the beach, but most of the time we’ll be on solid ground. So I’m thinking I can pretty much do any kind of shoe I want. But no flip flops for me… that’s for sure. I’ve never been a flip floppy gal since the thong thing is just too painful for me. (For those beachy pictures, I’ll go barefoot.)

My next instinct was a strappy kind of sandal thing. It has to be comfortable because I plan on being on that dance floor for at LEAST five hours straight. And it has to be fairly low so that yes, it’s comfortable, but also so I don’t tower over my Fiance who’s only slightly taller than me.

But after hours spent perusing shoes online at everywhere from Nine West, Browns and Kate Spade to Target, ebay and even (in desperation because as if I’d ever be able to tell the Fiance I spent 3 Gs on a pair of shoes) Brian Atwood , Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik, I was starting to think that my hunt for the perfect purple shoe might be tougher than I had expected.

And then, wouldn’t you know it? I stumbled upon the perfect pair today by accident. At Salvatore Ferragamo.

Maybe it was the glass of white wine at lunch - how else would I have felt jaunty enough to waltz into that store just like that? - or maybe it was just fate.

But there they were, sitting there so pretty, just begging me to take them home.

Oh, my heart goes pitter patter just looking at these photos. (Pretend I’m not wearing black fishnets.) It’s kind of hard to see the actual color from the photos but it’s much softer.

I can’t find the exact same shoe anywhere online but these come close, the ballet shoe version (at right) and the Carla Patent Pump. My dreamy peep-toes are so much cuter though, non?

I love that they have a flirty bow on top, I love that the heel is the same divine lilac color as the shoe and I loooovvve how buttery soft they felt on my foot.

BUT… am I nutso to be considering closed-heel patent leather (but so darling!) shoes for my destination wedding in the Caribbean?

I know some will say “heck girl, it’s your wedding! Do what you want to do! Wear what you want to wear!” (in which case, thank you so much for the vote of confidence, I totally agree) but that’s not the issue.

The issue is, will I be too hot? And will I look totally absolutely ridiculous? Ok, there are two issues.

What to do, what to do?! I’ve emailed the photos to my three (all long distance) bridesmaids and we’ll see what they say.

In the meantime… help! What do you think?