Bridesmaid footwear . . .

kerbohl · May 2013

Hello everyone! I have a question of opinion for all you lovely ladies.
I am having a winter wedding and expect snow or at the very least cold temperatures. What do you think would work for BMs to wear on their feet? I'm wearing boots myself, but I don't know if I should encourage them to wear boots with their dresses? My dress is much longer than theirs so my footwear won't show. They might all have those Ug boots, but I don't know if that works with dresses? I'm not very fashion savvy. What would you want to wear if you were a BM in a winter wedding? Regular dress shoes? Boots outside, but switch to normal shoes inside? I'm assuming not sandals or anything open-toed.

Also, in case you need to know, I'll probably get them to wear something they already have, but it would be nice for them to all wear the same kind of footwear, hence my question. Unless it wouldn't look weird if one wanted to wear boots and one wanted to wear dress shoes?

KeptInStitches · May 2013

I'd let them pick out their own shoes. That way they can wear what they want and will make them comfortable.

renegade gaucho · May 2013

Pick a color and let your bridesmaids pick their own shoe in that color. If they're halfway intelligent people, I'm sure they can figure out that if there is snow on the ground, they might want to wear boots to the ceremony and change into their shoes once they get indoors.

misssunshine17 · May 2013

In Response to Re: Bridesmaid footwear . . .:
[QUOTE]I'd let them pick out their own shoes. That way they can wear what they want and will make them comfortable.
Posted by KeptInStitches[/QUOTE]

This. However, what exactly are they wearing if it's going to be cold? Are they really wearing dresses?

No matter what dress, Ugg boots would not look good to me.

kerbohl · May 2013

In Response to Re: Bridesmaid footwear . . .:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Bridesmaid footwear . . . : [QUOTE ]I'd let them pick out their own shoes. That way they can wear what they want and will make them comfortable. Posted by KeptInStitches[/QUOTE] This. However, what exactly are they wearing if it's going to be cold? Are they really wearing dresses? No matter what dress, Ugg boots would not look good to me.
Posted by misssunshine17[/QUOTE]

Those are my thoughts too - I'm not a fan of the Ugg boots. But if I tell them to wear what they want, they should be allowed to wear Ugg boots then. I suppose their comfort matters more to me than my dislike of Ugg boots.

They will be wearing dresses, but they will be long, and if not long-sleeved then I will pay for nice wraps overtop, and I've only been looking at dresses made with warmer materials. And if they are cold and want to wear tights, they may feel free, but I personally would rather be cold than wear tights. I hate wearing them so much!

renegade gaucho · May 2013

In Response to Re: Bridesmaid footwear . . .:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Bridesmaid footwear . . . :
Those are my thoughts too - I'm not a fan of the Ugg boots. But if I tell them to wear what they want, they should be allowed to wear Ugg boots then. I suppose their comfort matters more to me than my dislike of Ugg boots.
Posted by kerbohl[/QUOTE]

I'm really confused. Why would you care if they wear Ugg boots before or after the wedding?

OliveOilsMom · May 2013

Are you the poster who is having their wedding on top of the mountain, then skiing down? I would let them wear whatever shoes they want for the ceremony. I'm sure if they want to wear boots, they will know that they don't want to wear them all day and will bring a different pair to change into for the remainder of the day. If they are having long dresses, I'm sure you won't be able to even see their shoes.

gottahavashorti · May 2013

Are you talking about just for outdoor bridal party pictures? With long dresses, don't worry about shoes - you won't see them in the pictures anyhow.

If the dresses are short, and you plan to do full length outdoor photos, I would survey them about what type of shoes they already own that they'd be comfortable wearing - flats, heels, brown or black boots. Or just do the full length photos indoors so they can wear whatever they want outside.

kerbohl · May 2013

I am not doing a wedding on top of a mountain and then skiing down. It might be fun, but I've never skiied in my life, so I can see that ending in death.

I mean Ugg boots as in them wearing them for the day, including down the aisle. I'm pretty sure I've seen photos of other brides doing it with their BM, but it wouldn't necessarily be my cup of tea.

I am doing outdoor photos in the snow, which they would probably end up having to wear boots for anyways. I just hope they don't get too annoyed having to change into different shoes for the ceremony, then back into boots for outdoor photos, then back into shoes for the reception. It seems like a lot of work, but maybe it wouldn't be so bad. I might be over thinking it - I like your suggestion, Addie, and just suggest dress shoes, and tell them if they want to bring boots along for the outdoor stuff, they can.

artbyallie · May 2013

I would not do outdoor photos in the snow in formalwear for anyone I know. I hate being cold. I wore a ballgown I made for a photoshoot in March, and we were only outside 45 minutes, and it was maybe mid-40s or so? I was miserable. I couldn't imagine doing that in freezing temps.

Of course, thats just my opinion, but I urge you to consider only doing outdoor pictures with your groom and not asking anyone else to do that.

winelover123 · May 2013

Tell them the color the shoes should be in and they'll more than likely bring boots and change into close-toed heels or flats for the ceremony (at least). Will your pictures have the BMs standing in the snow? I'd suggest trying to stand out of the snow and just have it in the background so the BMs wouldn't have to change shoes (unless they want to).

renegade gaucho · May 2013

Are they going to be allowed to wear their winter coats for the outdoor pictures?

Peledreamsofrain · May 2013

1.) Save your outdoor snow pictures for you and your groom. Everyone else will just resent being drug back out into the cold.

2.) Give your BMs a color, and let them pick their own shoes. Especially with a situation like this, just give them the information, and let them make their own decisions.

3.) Provide foot warmers for your bridal party. People will love you like you are the queen of England or something.

lovesclimbing · May 2013

I had a winter wedding as well with plenty of snow and single-digit temperatures. My BMs wore regular clothes (including some type of winter-appropriate shoe) to the venue where they changed and then wore heels the whole ceremony and reception.

Honestly, I would not do outdoor shots with the BP. H and I wanted outdoor formals so we did outdoor formals ... with just us two. We were wearing big down coats that were ripped off of us for about 90 seconds while the photographer snapped away and then quickly put back on while the photographer re-positioned us. Honestly, that was a TON of work, we were very cold by the end, and would have been extremely hard to do with our entire BP (three GMs and three BMs plus an FG and RB).

JoanE2012 · May 2013

In Response to Re: Bridesmaid footwear . . .:
[QUOTE]I am not doing a wedding on top of a mountain and then skiing down. It might be fun, but I've never skiied in my life, so I can see that ending in death. I mean Ugg boots as in them wearing them for the day, including down the aisle. I'm pretty sure I've seen photos of other brides doing it with their BM, but it wouldn't necessarily be my cup of tea. I am doing outdoor photos in the snow, which they would probably end up having to wear boots for anyways. I just hope they don't get too annoyed having to change into different shoes for the ceremony, then back into boots for outdoor photos, then back into shoes for the reception. It seems like a lot of work, but maybe it wouldn't be so bad. I might be over thinking it - I like your suggestion, Addie, and just suggest dress shoes, and tell them if they want to bring boots along for the outdoor stuff, they can.
Posted by kerbohl[/QUOTE]

Surely your BMs have attended a fancy event in the colder months and would be quite capable of picking out an appropriate shoe, no?

As others mentioned, please rethink having your BMs outside in the snow. A few cute pics is not worth the cold and discomfort. If you and your FI want to do it, that's fine.

However, if you're really insistent on this idea and the BMs are willing participants, the boots would really only be appropriate outdoors. I don't think it's a big deal to change shoes for the ceremony, but I do think you should pay for the boots if the BM needs to buy them since they normally wouldn't have bought them.

kerbohl · May 2013

In Response to Re: Bridesmaid footwear . . .:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Bridesmaid footwear . . . : Surely your BMs have attended a fancy event in the colder months and would be quite capable of picking out an appropriate shoe, no? As others mentioned, please rethink having your BMs outside in the snow. A few cute pics is not worth the cold and discomfort. If you and your FI want to do it, that's fine. However, if you're really insistent on this idea and the BMs are willing participants, the boots would really only be appropriate outdoors. I don't think it's a big deal to change shoes for the ceremony, but I do think you should pay for the boots if the BM needs to buy them since they normally wouldn't have bought them.
Posted by JoanE2012[/QUOTE]

Actually, in my area boots is the one thing that they definitely all would have. It is the dress shoes that my BMs might need. But I'm game for just picking a colour and letting them wear something they already have.

I see your concerns for outdoor shots, and I appreciate the opinions. I am taking some precautions to make sure that outdoor winter shots are possible. I'll have a detailed schedule with my photographer, so they will only have to be outside for the photos that they are in, limiting the time outdoors. And they will of course have their winter coats, though they might have to take them off briefly for some photos. We will be doing some shots inside as well to reduce how many are outside. But I really can't see any way to avoid having outdoor shots altogether. I don't know of any indoor places in the area that would work for formal wedding shots. The church we are in is not fancy enough for it, so some outdoor shots will be necessary for nice photos. I'll figure something out to make sure we all don't freeze to death.

Peledreamsofrain · May 2013

In Response to Re:Bridesmaid footwear...:
[QUOTE]We were in a not fancy church. All of our "formal" shots are indoors either in the church or in the reception venue. The important thing is the people who are in them. Unless you are getting married in a meat packing plant or Something, i cannot see how any church could be "fancy" enough for your wedding, but not fancy enough for the photos of your wedding. This makes no sense to me. Honestly, I think photos of people not wearing coats with snow outside won't look formal, they'll just look odd. I would see that and think "ouch, that had to SUCK" not "oh, how lovely and formal". But that's just me.
Posted by StageManager14[/QUOTE]

THIS, a million times this! If I saw photos of some poor ladies standing without coats in snow, I wouldn't think "Oh what a lovely wedding photo". I would think "Wow, that bride must have been a MASSIVE witch. Who makes people stand in snow like that?!"

jennyd412 · May 2013

I agree. Make sure your entire bridal party would be okay with outdoor pictures. Everybody has a different tolerance for cold weather. For instance, I do the Penguin Plunge on January 1st every year in my bathing suit, in Rhode Island. I never wear a coat, even in the snow. Meanwhile, my Mom and sister wear gloves by October. I would not make them take outdoor pics in the winter. Actually, they would refuse.

kerbohl · May 2013

In Response to Re: Bridesmaid footwear . . .:
[QUOTE]I agree. Make sure your entire bridal party would be okay with outdoor pictures. Everybody has a different tolerance for cold weather. For instance, I do the Penguin Plunge on January 1st every year in my bathing suit, in Rhode Island. I never wear a coat, even in the snow. Meanwhile, my Mom and sister wear gloves by October. I would not make them take outdoor pics in the winter. Actually, they would refuse.
Posted by jennyd412[/QUOTE]

Okay, I'll take that into account. I'll talk with all the people in the photos and get their takes on it.

And Stage, I'm getting married in my FI's church, so I didn't go and pick a church that was specifically pretty enough for the ceremony, it was picked because it would mean a lot to him for us to get married there. I respect it because it is his church, but I've had some issues with the people there that have left a bad impression with me, and I want my wedding pictures to be done elsewhere. Our reception is there as well, and I didn't want every single picture for our wedding all taken at the church. There is a hall just down the street that would be different enough for us and still be indoors. It might be worth looking into.

kerbohl · May 2013

In Response to Re: Bridesmaid footwear . . .:
[QUOTE]Honestly, you will see the people in the photos, not the background that's in them. Why not have your photographer take some lovely outdoor shots, and then photoshop your bridal party into them??
Posted by RetreadBride[/QUOTE]

Hmm, that's another option. We already had to use photoshop for my family's photo, so that would definitely be an option. That's a really good suggestion.

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