Shoe switch for reception?

Question

I'd like to wear heels so I could look taller and more elegant in photos, but they hurt my feet. I'm not interested in having sore feet for my wedding. My fiance says I should wear low heels for the ceremony and then switch to comfy shoes for the reception and dancing. If I do that, though, won't my dress be too long? I can bustle the back, but the front would be too long, no?

Any suggestions for shoe options for the girl who wears sneakers all the time?

I'm 5'4", my fiance is 5'9".
I have not had any fittings yet.

Has anyone had any experience with switching shoes from ceremony to reception? Does it affect your dress or does it not really even matter? I don't want to ruin my dress.....

Answer 1

I actually wear heels almost all the time but I'm changing my shoes for my reception.
Here's what I'm doing and maybe this will work for you as well: I have a 2 to 2 1/2 inch heel shoe for the ceremony and a pair of flats for the reception. In my opinion, ballerina flats offer no support and your feet will likely hurt if you're dancing the night away.
I found a pair of flats that have soles similar to dance/jazz shoes so they are rubber which offers some cushion when you're on your feet all night. Also, I put an insert in them to offer arch support than many flats don't have. With the rubber sole giving a tiny bit of height and the insert giving a little more, there's actually only an inch between my shoe heights so my dress length won't be an issue in switching shoes.
That's what I'd recommend doing for your wedding. Shop around to find some flats that have a little height on them and wear a lower heal (no more than 2 1/2 inches) and your dress length won't be a problem!!

Answer 2

You should feel comfortable on your wedding day, I changed shoes 3 times. During the ceremony I wore boots, not cowboy boots but gorgeous girly white boots with rhinestones. For the pictures and the reception I wore white four inch heels. For after the reception the dancing from 8:00pm -1:00am, I wore these cute low heel shoes about one inch heel and with ankle straps because I wanted to be comfortable but also did not want to trip with step-in shoes.
The length of the dress shouldn't be a problem as long as it's not dragging when you are wearing shoes.
The bottom of a Wedding dress that is floor length will always get dirty, no matter what.
Good Luck and Congratulations.

Answer 3

Lots of brides change their shoes for the reception. (Or just lose their shoes all together for the dancing.)

There are ballet slippers in white, gold, pink and silver. Some brides decorate flip flops for themselves and the bridesmaids. You can also get cheap plain white canvas sneakers and decorate those.

The bottom line is that you want to be comfortable. It won't really make a difference with your dress becasue all the important pictures have already been taken. It will not ruin your dress, most often I have seen brides dance while holding the front of their dress up a little. It may get a little dirty but you will have it cleaned afterwards anyway so don't worry about it!

I wore 2 1/2 inch heels and then kicked them off halfway through my wedding reception!

Answer 4

I'm the same as you when i where heels they hurt my feet after a while and I'm only 5ft 2inches .Anyway when i got married in august i wore heels for the ceremony and the pictures but when i got back to the reception i changed into a comfy pair of white slippers and it did not affect the length of my dress like i thought it would so i would say change then and feel comfy

hope you have a wonderful day like i did

Answer 5

I will be switching to some comfy (yet stylish) satin flats for my reception. MUCH more comfortable than heels for the whole day, as I am more a flip-flops/barefoot kind of girl :) Just look around for some pretty white flats, you should be able to find some for relatively cheap. This site I found is actually for destination weddings, but all the shoes are flats, just to give you an idea of what to look for:
http://honeymoons.about.com/od/destinationweddingwear/tp/shoes.htm

Answer 6

I had beautiful heels for the ceremony and pictures. I needed the heels since I am 5'1 and my husband is almost 6'. For the reception I bought slippers that had crystals and beads on them. Nobody could see the slippers. When it came time to do the garter belt, I switched back to my shoes. I wanted to be as comfortable as possible. I hope this helps. Good luck!

Answer 7

If you've already had all of your fittings in a certain height heel, you should probably stick with that height. And if that's the case, I would recommend some platforms that aren't just heels, but have height in the toe, too. This won't stop aching feet, but will definitely help. On the other hand, if yu still ave any fittings left, find a pair of low heels you like and wear them to your next fitting so you can take your fiancee's advice :-)

Answer 8

I switched shoes because our reception venue dictated no heels. My dress was short though (well ballerina length) so it didn't make any difference. When you go for your fittings discuss this with the seamstress, they should be able to suggest something to make it work. Or why not get "wedding sneakers" if you are used to wearing that style of shoe.

Answer 9

Change shoes - you won't regret it.

I had a full skirt with petticoats, and my feet didn't show at all. So I wore Capezio mary jane dance shoes with a 1 1/2 inch heel for both the wedding and the reception. Totally comfortable, and bonus! I can wear them for swing dancing years later!

Answer 10

I was never a bride, but I've been a bridesmaid in a dress more intense than some wedding gowns!! I had a lower heel for church, and then I switched into Isotoner slippers as soon as my feet started to feel uncomfortable. Isotoners are good bc they have a little cushion and they are satiny! (They come in white and are like, $12) My dress didn't drag around too much either!