Jimmy Choo is designing shoes for H&M, and they’re being released on November 14, 2009.

Happy hunting!

Leah, if you truly want a pair of designer shoes, why don’t you just buy them (i.e., “save for them”) now … and then wear them with your dress, if you ever get married? That way, even if you don’t get married, at least you’ll have the shoes. I don’t know where you live, but I do know that these days, even on Rodeo Drive, shoestores have been having huuuuuge sales on shoes: shoes that retail for over $800, selling for less than cost at under $300. Plus there’s Ebay, sales at pricey department stores … And if your wish is simply for a pair of beautiful, beautiful shoes, you can have them made for you for not a big bundle of money. You can have some beautiful shoes made for you in the fabric/leather of your choice for $180.00 at Fugawee.com: http://www.fugawee.com/Women's%20Colonial.htm

Now, the styles that Fugawee offer may not be to your taste … but there are a LOT of small vendors of custom, or customizable, shoes out on Teh Innernets.

I just don’t think you should have to wait for your wedding to have something that you truly want (other than a groom).

On top of all that, I used accessories (including shoes) that I already owned. So did the bridesmaids. Okay, I think one of them went out and got herself a new pair of shoes, but I didn’t ask it of her. No stylist, no make up artist. No required manicures/pedicures. Oh, and the only reason we had an aisle runner was because some family friends who had recently married off their daughter offered us one free. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have bothered.

What did we spend the money on? Well, we did hire an officiant, but he didn’t cost that much – especially when you note the added value that since his surname was ‘Odin’ we consider ourselves to have been married by the top man in the ancient Norse pantheon. We rented one site that served for both ceremony and reception. It cost less than some people I knew had paid for a reception hall and was just what I’d always dreamed of. We hired a professional photographer we knew. His rates were extremely reasonable, and the photos are fantastic. What’s more, he had this really great way of blending into backgrounds, so he caught people really being themselves at the party. We hired a live band. Again, we knew them. They cut us a small deal, but would still have fit in our budget if they hadn’t given us the buddy discount, and I was well prepared to pay more on that one. While we saved a bundle on a professional caterer, we in no way skimped on the food. It was simple, but hearty, flavorful, and abundant.

People still tell us that was one great wedding. I think we chose wisely about where to scrimp and where to splurge.

The Fiance and I sat down and listed what our priorities were, and thus where our money would go. We decided that we cared more about the reception/celebration, and that we wanted good food and for the memories to last. So we are spending the most money on catering, then photography, and then…well, the rest.

Doing this has really really cut down on stress for us .

It saved us several hundred dollars, did something good for our community, and was totally in our budget.

I also made all of our chair bows and other “irrelevant” decorations. My girlfriends came over one weekend and all the bows, table toppers, and other related stuffs were completed in two days with much hilarity. Total cost $200.

We got ‘mate’s rates’ from a photographer we know and my wedding dress was £150 from Oxfam bridal (well worth checking out for the budget conscious in the UK).

We did have favours but bought the individual elements from a wholesaler (net, almond, ribbon), and my mum made them for me.

Also look out for local small business who can often do the cake, invitations etc much more cost effectively than bigger businesses.

…of course, this is why i will probably never marry…