You thought you'd conquered the most difficult part of the wedding planning by choosing a gown right? Wrong. Choosing your shoes can be equally difficult! There are so many do's and don'ts and styles and fabrics and colors...it can be really overwhelming.

First things first. Some people claim that only certain fabrics are "ok" for wedding shoes. Frankly, when all is said and done, it is YOUR wedding, and you can do whatever you really want to. There are not any hard and fast rules about materials that wedding shoes can be made of. Comfort is key when it comes to wedding shoes. So if you have found a pair that you love, and are comfortable, in a non-traditional material, like leather, then by all means, march to your own drummer and wear them proudly!

One of the best pieces of advice about wedding shoes, and one you will probably hear again and again, is that you should choose a pair of wedding shoes with a heel height similar to what you normally wear. High heels are not a requirement for wedding shoes. Your wedding gown will usually be hemmed to floor length (depending on style of course), so most gowns will cover the shoes anyhow. Ideally, you want to be able to wear your wedding shoes for the whole day, because if they are so uncomfortable that you must kick them off, it is likely that your gown will be dragging on the ground and getting dirty!

The last bit isn't directly about wedding shoes, but it is certainly related! Brides are often perplexed by the age-old dilemma-hose or no hose with open toed shoes? Open toed and strappy sandal styles are very popular as of late, especially with summer and spring brides, and/or with less formal gowns, like sheaths. This leaves the dilemma of pantyhose. It's not a requirement, but some women feel more polished, and not to mention more comfortable with pantyhose on. Panty hose can certainly cut down on sweating, chaffing, and blisters! If you decide to wear pantyhose with your wedding shoes, choose a sandal toe style, at the very least. If you search hard enough, there are a few companies that make hose just for open toed styles. They have a thong at the toe, much like a flip-flop does, so your toes are bare and all else is covered.