Bride-to-be Blogger Carly: How Do I Find My Wedding Shoes When I Hate Shoe Shopping?
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I know what I’m about to say may come as a shock. Some of you may struggle to understand how this could be possible. Some may choose not to believe me at all. But I’ve got to be honest with you, so I’m going to come right out and say it:
I hate shopping for shoes.
In fact, I don’t much care for shoes at all. I’d rather go grocery shopping than shoe shopping. That’s right, I’d pick Acme over DSW any day.
Whew. So glad to have that off my chest.
While I know that a love of shoes is written into the genetic code of most girls, somehow that gene skipped me. It definitely didn’t skip the other women in my family, though. Both my mom and my Gram (her mom) love(d) shoes. I have a ton of memories of being dragged from store to store—Buster Brown to Bass—looking for, and buying, lots of shoes. And, as that small child, I hated every minute of it.
For my Gram, it was always Easy Spirit. That woman loved her some comfy old Easy Spirits. And, as much as I hated it at the time, I have very fond memories of watching her try on pair after pair, her dainty feet in peds, wondering to myself why old ladies liked to wear tights under their pants (or slacks, as Gram would say)!
My mom’s love of shoes is much less brand specific than Gram’s. And she’s got excellent taste. From flats to boots to sandals to heels, my mom knows how to accessorize her outfit with cute shoes. And, to top it off, she’s an excellent bargain shopper, so not only are her shoes amazing, they are also usually a steal!
Naturally, then, minutes after I said yes to the dress my mom was thinking shoes (and I don’t think she’s stopped since). However, I was so happy to have just found my dress that I wasn’t ready to move ahead to the accessories. Plus, unfortunately for my mom, she has not instilled the same love of shoes in me, though not for lack of trying.
After hearing it hinted on several occasions, and being reminded that I can’t go for (the minor) alterations I need until I have my shoes, I went online to see what’s out there. However, my first problem is that I didn’t even know where to start the search! When I am forced to buy shoes, I usually go to the outlets or Target and just get whatever they have. (Are you getting the picture of how much I don’t like shoe shopping yet?) But I can’t imagine finding my wedding shoe at Target, so I Googled “wedding shoes.”
The first couple links took me to department stores, so I clicked and began to browse. Page after page of shoes and all I could think was, They all look the same! Sure, some have crystals, some have feathers, some are closed-toe and others are open, but to me, they’re all just white shoes, and none of that excites me. I’ve played around with the idea of getting a shoe with pizzazz—maybe something bright or a pair that matches my bridesmaid dresses—but I’m just not all that jazzed by anything I see. All I keep thinking is, Can Carrie Bradshaw just do this part for me?
Quite honestly, I’m not even really sure where to look. Google directed me to the department store websites, but I definitely know I need to go to a store (just one, dear God, no more than one) and try on a bunch of pairs. But where do I go—a bridal boutique? A department store? A specialty shoe store?
So girls out there, I need some serious help. Where did you/would you go? Weigh in: should I go with a funky color or stick to white? Any advice (or links to fabulous shoes) is welcomed!
Thank you in advance for your help (and understanding that, well, shoes just ain’t my thang).
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