Take inspiration from this year’s international wedding collections and match up your shoes, handbag and accessories to your dress. Now is the time to have the complete look. Choosing the right pair of shoes is just as important as choosing your dress. Your shoes are one of the most important aspects of your wedding attire – they should complete your outfit and make you feel fabulous. Many brides think that if their dress is long and full, it doesn’t matter what shoes they wear. This couldn’t be further from the truth- your shoes will always be seen, especially when walking, dancing, taking off your garter and in photographs.

Comfort is critical on your big day – no one wants to see a bride limping around the dance floor or even worse, dancing barefoot. Some brides buy the cheapest shoes they can find to keep their budget low. Your bridal shoes are one item you should not skimp on. They need to complement your dress and must be elegant and really special: synthetic shoes often look cheap and leather shoes may look too heavy with a bridal gown. Most satin bridal shoes are not as expensive as most brides imagine. Remind yourself that you’re going to be on your feet for many hours and if your feet hurt, you’re bound to be miserable.

Remember that white dresses require white shoes and ivory dresses require ivory shoes. Nothing looks worse than a bride in a beautiful white dress with shiny silver or gold shoes. If you’re battling to find shoes to match your fabric, consider buying dyeable satin bridal shoes and having them expertly dyed to match your dress. The same applies to the retinue, who’ll want shoes to tone in beautifully with their outfits. A bonus is being able to dye your shoes a dark colour after the wedding. Not only will the dye cover up all the dirty marks, which inevitably appear during the day, but you will be able get a lot of use out of them as evening shoes in the future.

You might want to wear your shoes in before your big day to mould them to the shape of your feet, but don’t get them dirty – wear them indoors and make sure your feet and very clean before putting them on. If you buy bridal shoes that are designed for comfort, you shouldn’t need to wear them in at all, as they’ll be super-comfy to start with. Apply non-skid sole pads or rough up the soles with sandpaper to avoid slipping and sliding on your wedding day.

And lastly, don’t leave shoe shopping to the last minute. Once you’ve decided on the colour and style of your dress, its safe to purchase your shoes. Even if this is six months before your wedding, at least you’ll know you will be wearing the perfect bridal shoes and looking like a princess.