Unless you’re having a back to nature barefoot wedding, you’re going to need to wear shoes when you’re going down the aisle.

Do you need to get new shoes? That depends on several things. Do you already have a pair of shoes appropriate to the sort of wedding you’re planning? Are they comfortable enough to wear all day, dance in all night, and still feel good? Do they look good with the gown you’ve chosen?

If the answer to all of these questions is ‘yes,’ then you certainly don’t have to get new shoes…though you still may want to get them. If the answer to any of them is ‘no,’ then yes you probably do need new shoes.

The question remains: what sort of shoes do you want to wear?
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My mother always said orange was her favorite neutral. If there’s one thing I learned at her knee, it was that her eye for color was impeccable. These days, orange is my favorite neutral, too.

Oh I know it’s a bright, aggressive color. I know a little can go a long way. I also know it goes with and brings out the best in a wide variety of colors. I also know it’s a wonderful color for a happy celebration like a wedding.

Not convinced? Take a look under the cut at the cheery gallery of orange wedding details I’ve put together. Please note that there is not a single one that looks like Halloween.

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I bought my own wedding shoes from French Sole, but now I’m wishing I’d bought them from Miss Bunny.

The sweetly-monikered Miss Bunny creates beautifully decorated shoes for brides and non-brides alike — you can see a small gallery of her work at Miss Bunny Shoes. She also has an Etsy shop, though there is currently nothing up for sale therein. Shame, that! I’m in the mood to buy something beautiful!

Beach weddings are hugely popular. There’s a good reason for this. What could be more festive than sun, sand, blue water, and a big party?

But if a beach wedding is popular, it’s also a bit tricky when it comes to clothes. After all, traditional wedding clothes are all about pomp and circumstance, while beaches are all about relaxing. Yes, you could get married in swimwear. There’s no law against it. You could get married in a strapless, satin, beaded gown with a cathedral train and a big hoop.

There is, however, a path down the middle that makes for a pretty, dignified, fun, festive day and an album full of fabulous pictures. Here are a few tips on choosing just the right look for your big day on the beach.

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We don’t touch on bridal shoes very often here at Manolo for the Brides because our own namesake has the shoe blogging market cornered. I have to say, however, that I am thoroughly enjoying the established trend that has brides wearing vividly, sometimes shockingly colored bridal shoes underneath their wedding gowns. While colored bridal shoes are nothing new, I remain delighted by them.

Should you find yourself in the market for such shoes, here are eight pairs that are particularly striking.

These Moschino peep toe pumps are on sale for almost half off! What’s not to love?

Stuart Weitzman Gigi Ritz pumps have a lower heel than the traditional Gigi and are perfect for dancing.

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This post in honor of De’s best friend, whose groom vetoed her bridal Chucks idea. After reading De’s comment, I couldn’t stop myself from finding pics of wedding parties who opted to wear Converse over dress shoes. I’m not saying that I’m pro bridal sneakers — especially when they’re the platform kind that look like they’ve contracted a plague of rhinestones — but I count myself in the pro All Stars camp.

Seriously, how cute is this snapshot by photog Katy Regnier? From what I can tell, the bride was the only one cool enough for Converse…and purple ones, at that!

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Start talking about weddings, and chances are pretty much everyone gets the same initial image: a woman in a big white gown with a veil on her head.

Of course, you will be wearing something (unless you are having a full-fledged naturist ceremony), but what is actually necessary? What’s optional? What do you really have to wear on your wedding day?

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The lovely Leah writes:

My friend is getting married in September. She has the lovely and classy wedding dress in ivory and champagne (see link). The length of the dress has been measured for a 2 1/2″ heel. She would love to find a beautiful and classy shoe to wear with this wedding dress. In red. Oh, and no wedges, please. While I find them comfortable, my friend has a dislike for the wedge style which I don’t quite understand but have given up trying to overcome.

Her wedding dress can be seen here. Please ignore the fact that the model is doing her best Kim Cattral ala Mannequin impression, and also disregard the Spanish bolero in the final picture as it won’t be worn in this ceremony. My friend looks devastatingly beautiful in this dress, possibly due to the glow on her face when she wears it. Awwwww….

I have tried to use the resources available to me in the links of the Manolosphere, however my amateur self has been overwhelmed in my red shoe search by the silly, funky, daring, whimsical, exotic, and just plain tacky offerings. I turn to you, the professionals, to help me pull the beautiful and classy from the piles of other. Can you help? I know at the very least you can inspire.

I, like the Manolo, love the shoes, even if I do spend most of the year puttering around the house barefoot. While I don’t spend a lot of time shoe shopping, I do spend a lot of time looking! That’s why, out of all of the problems I figured I might have fulfilling Leah’s request, I never imagined that it would be heel height of all things that tripped me up.

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