I’m going to let you into a little secret. Don’t tell anyone but I HATE HIGH HEELS!!! Actually that’s not strictly true. When I’m in the shop staring at them my heart yearns for them in an inexplicable way and I just can’t stop myself from buying them! But, as soon as I get back home and slip them on my feet our mutual hatred of one another becomes clear. They seek to cause me pain at every step, and for the life of me I can’t work out why I keep going back to them. I love Matt, but if he caused me this level of constant pain whenever I’m in his company I would still run from the relationship. I guess the problem with heels is that they actually prevent the running part!
I have a vivid nightmare of walking down the aisle, falling over my own dress, landing flat on my face and looking like a Panda in all my wedding photographs and the trouble is that with my already naturally slightly clumsy ways coupled with heels, a long train and all eyes on me this could all too easily prove a premonition rather than just a nightmare.
But surely I’m not the only one? Plenty of my friends consider themselves “a bit of a tomboy” and complain as much as I do about the devil shoes on a night out. On the other hand I can’t deny they look damn good, and you’ve got to look your best on the wedding day right? So what can we do about it?
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On the wedding day you’re going to spend a lot of time standing up and walking around elegantly. All eyes are on you ALL DAY so, although you of course want to look great it really is worth spending the time to make sure you’re basing your choice on actually being able to walk in your shoes, not just the fact they look amazing! If you’re anything like me it’s easy to just fall in love with that killer pair of stilettos at first glance even though you just know you’re going to live to regret it! Spend some time in the shop actually getting used to the shoes… preferably long enough to push past the irrepressible desire to not be in pain!
The trouble is, even if you find the one and only truly comfortable pair of heels in the world they’re still impossible to walk in! Now I know the last thing you want is to get those babies scuffed but unless you’re one of those women who was born to wear heels you’re going to have to spend a bit of time getting used to them. Wear them around the house a bit, staying on the carpet to prevent any damage and just make sure you feel you can get through a whole day of wearing them without wanting to chop your legs off below the knee.
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You could also consider having a change of outfit for the latter part of the day. I’ve seen this work brilliantly at weddings and it can present an extra wow factor as the bride makes a second entrance in a brand new outfit. It also gives you the chance to put on a DIFFERENT PAIR OF DANCING SHOES! One that you can complete the first dance in without a broken ankle or a heel through your groom’s foot!
If you want to look really elegant walking down the aisle you could take extreme action. Finishing classes can improve posture and ensure you look truly ladylike as you seemingly glide towards your future husband, your feet never touching the floor. Finishing classes can be expensive though, and as a good starting point there are all kinds of books and internet articles about the subject. Most of the books are quite large so also serve the dual purpose of being able to balance them on your head and use them to improve your gait! Brilliant!
I think the key thing to remember though is that however much you may fear stumbling down the aisle there is something about putting on that amazing dress that I think inspires a natural grace in every bride. Elegance is not just an external thing, a huge part of it is about feeling graceful, having that confidence in yourself that you do look exquisite, that you are really a princess, and there’s nothing like looking at yourself in the mirror looking an absolute picture of beauty to inspire a natural genteel and refined disposition in you. Over-thinking is more likely to cause you problems than anything else and don’t forget, when you walk down the aisle towards your future husband nothing else matters, and to him, in that moment, you’ll look perfect no matter what.
