CHOOSing my wedding shoes ~ Want Vs Need

I've wanted designer wedding shoes since 2005, 3 years post~engagement. Wedding blogs didn't exist then, or if they did they were unknown, so I'd semi~stalk photographer's websites. I stumbled across an image of the most beautiful Manolo Blahnik shoes I'd ever seen. I squealed with delight, saved the image to my desktop, and looked at the shoes daily. They looked regal, modern, different but still bridal, without being a typical bridal shoe. They were pointed pumps in an exquisite silk, with a keyhole cut at the top of the shoe. They were layered with a shimmering silver lace overlay, possibly even brocade, and the keyhole was fastened with a sparkling 'belt' of jewels. The finishing touch was a blinging buckle. There is such a vast choice of shoes for brides now ~ the style and colour is limitless ~ but these were so modern for the time that I instantly fell in love. They were breathtakingly different, and exactly what I wanted.

Fast forward 7 {!} years, and my want of designer bridal shoes hasn't worn off. Do I need them? Well, I need shoes, but do I need designer shoes? Sadly, no. But, despite knowing that you can't see them under the dress, I'd be more than willing to sacrifice some things to be able to have them. Why? Because I want them. I want to feel the same way about my own wedding shoes as I do about that bride's Manolos!

Having a larger budget than anticipated meant I was able to fulfill my dreams of having desgner wedding shoes, so my lovely husband~to~be took me to our favourite place {London ~ a shoe lover's heaven} in search of the perfect shoe. My brief was simple:

♥ They had to be silver ~ Silver would co~ordinate with my dress and accessories, and would mean I could wear them again. Let's be honest, unless you can dye them afterwards, when would you wear ivory shoes?

♥ They had to be sparkly ~ I'm a magpie. Enough said.

♥ They had to have a manageable heel ~ I can't wear skyscrapers. Well, I can, I just prefer not to. They're too uncomfortable and I didn't want to be taller than G on the day.

After a little dabble with Christian Louboutin {the~ones~that~would~be~The~Ones~if~money~were~no~object}, Aruna Seth {gorgeousy embellished, but too much ivory}, Gina {too... WAG?} and Vivienne Westwood/Melissa {wrong colours}, I eventually chose my Jimmy Choos.

I tried on a few different ones from JC {clearly ignoring the third point, but the platform ensured they weren't too high from a comfort perspective}:

But in the end I opted for comfort and chose the lower heel of Isabel ~ which, incidentally, was the first pair I saw that day. It was also the pair that G picked out for me. I dismissed them at first because I thought they were too boring, but once I tried them on I fell in love!

The colour is 'champagne', though I'd firmly place them in the silver camp. The heel and toe is a cool golden colour, but the rest has delicate silver glitter, which is so, so sparkly in person. I was surprised by how much they glistened ~ on the website they look texturised rather than glittery. The insoles are cushioned, which means I won't be abandoning them halfway through the day, are made of quality leather, and when I slide my feet in, I feel like I am wearing slippers. Beautful, sparkly, silver slippers that I intend on dancing the night away in. Sigh. They even smell beautiful! It's the most I've ever spent on shoes, but as I keep reminding people, they're an investment. I'll wear them forever and ever... on honeymoon, on anniversaries, hell, I'll even wear them to do the cleaning! Only 23 days left to break them in...

♥