Shoes

Will you wear killer or kitten heels? Will they have chiselled or pointed toes? Will they be ivory satin, metallic sling backs, round-toed pumps, strappy sandals, cowgirl boots or saucy stillettos? Shoes are the area for you to express your own style for your Cinderella moment. Once you've chosen your outfit your choes are your next stop, because you need them at each fitting. Ultimately comfort is crucial because you normally have got to wear them all day at the day of your wedding.

As with all accessories, your outfit must be your starting point. Your shoes need to suit its length and style.
Three things make a good shoe: style, balance and comfort. If the balance of the shoe is correct you can go as high as you like and it will be as comfortable as a flat shoe. People always think that heels equal pain but it isn't so. Heels can be comfortable.

Your wedding day, however, probably isn't the time to experiment with very high heels if you are used to wearing flats every day, so get some practice in if you decide to wear them. If you are not used to wearing high heels be warned that after a few hours your feet might feel sore, not because the shoes are uncomfortable but because you are not used to putting that kind of pressure on your feet.

Bespoke shoe services will allow you to choose a style and match it with a variety of leathers and fabrics in different colours, often deyed to your own requirements. You may also be able to mix and match heel heights.

If such services are beyond your means the high street is getting in on the act and produce great styles at affordable prices. But on no account squeeze your feet into the last pair of shoes in the shop, because you have left it too late to order a pair in the right size. Similarly, don't let you heel hang over the back of a strappy sandal or your toes poke out over the front of the shoes.

When you have bought your shoes, break them in at home, indoors and on clean floors. If appropriate, spray with fabric protector and scuff the soles with a bunch of keys to prevent you slipping on freshly cleaned floors on the day.

If you are concerned that wet weather on your wedding day might spoil your shoes on your way to the ceremony, get some throw-away shoes slipcovers (the kind they give you as a spectatorat swimming pools). After your grand entrance don't worry about your shoes, if they are ivory satin they will get dirty.