What I envision:
Myself and my bridesmaids in cute, low-heel or flat strappy sandals. Mine are silver, theirs are gold. Our wedding colors are dark red and gold, their dresses will be red and accessories gold.
The problem:
1. Limited budget
2. Wide feet
3. Dress sandals and low heels apparently don't mix often
4. Lots of beautiful silver, or gold, but none where both colors available on the same shoe.
I found a BEAUTIFUL pair at DSW. If I just give my bridesmaids leeway to choose their own shoes (therefore not requiring me to buy them), they are well within my shoe budget. They even come in wide!
However, I'd really like us to all have the same style, even if it's not that strappy sandal I'd had in mind. The ceremony is outdoors, in early October, so maybe strappy sandals aren't the best fashion choice anyway?
i found a style of simple flats, available in both silver and gold and in every size you can imagine (including wide) for a price that I could buy them for everyone. They are very shiny and glittery (I love that about them ... not sure how others will feel), they are flats (none of my bridesmaids are good with heels, and I don't want them sinking), and they are SUPER comfy.
So at this point, here are my options:
Go with the strappy sandal for me, and just give everyone else their own choice of shoes. If I go this route, is it rude to declare a certain color requirement?
Go with the flats, which may not be to everyone's taste, and I'm afraid will end up looking bland. In my shoe budget I could buy them for everyone, and I can always add a shoe brooch or other decoration to jazz them up.
Or option C, a combination of both. I already have reception shoes, so I could just buy the gold flats as reception shoes for the bridesmaids and then have them get their own ceremony shoes.
Let's hear some opinions. I'm just really not sure what to do at this point! If you know of any other shoes that would fit my criteria and are under $35 a pair, please feel free to link me to them!