Judy Pak Photography

It's been a while since I wrote in my wedding diaries.  With less than 11 months to go, I've gotten a lot done already.  One of the things I crossed off early on was buying my wedding shoes!  I thought I would not go with a designer shoe, as it was unnecessary.  Shoes that expensive you'd always be afraid of dirtying them up and scuffing them.  On your wedding day, you'll be wearing a long dress, so what's the point.  I still admire designer shoes though but it wasn't a necessity.  Then I saw these...  While browsing wedding pictures and blogs, I stumbled upon StyleMePretty's post of a gorgeous classy blue green wedding.  It was one of the inspirations which led me to mint green color scheme.  I loved the bride's ruffled gown (which reminds me of the dress style I want) and the blue green theme, baby's breathe, long bridesmaids gowns, and HER creamy nude VALENTINO bow pumps. Oh My God.  It was so beautiful, I couldn't stop thinking about it.  I found that it retails for $795 for the platforms and $695 for the D'orsay.  (they are currently $50 higher now, yikes!)  I couldn't let myself be tempted.

So I want to share my experience of how I was able to get designer shoes for my wedding FOR LESS!

After a while, I thought to give Ebay a look.  I am not a fan of buying used shoes, so I looked for New ones and surprisingly there were some great options!  There are usually listings for "Store Display" shoes that don't come with a box but still in great new condition with smooth unworn soles.  They would also either have a hole in the bottom or marked/soles painted to prevent returns.  Just go on purse forum to get help from knowledgeable ladies who can help you authenticate the shoes from the pictures.  I've used this site to authenticate vintage designer bags too.  I aimed to find a nude color in size 37 for about $300-350.  I thought, that't not bad.  I'm saving almost 60%   It doesn't come around that often though.  I had to be reaaally patient.  I ended up buying and reselling until I found the perfect fit.  I first bought a pink color in size 37 for $310.  I was impatient and hoped the pink would be acceptable.  I wasn't happy with it and the shoe was just a little snug.  I finally found a nude color but it was a size 37 for $305.  I gave it a try, and it still felt tight on only one foot...  I tried some methods to stretch it out (ice in freezer/socks and hairdryer) but it just wasn't a perfect fit for the price I'm paying.  So I also resold it.  I actually ended up making some profit on both shoes.  Which is helping me lower the cost of my final wedding shoes!  I finally found a nude pair in size 37.5 for $315.  So happy I found the perfect shoes for my wedding.  I love that they are nude (I actually don't own a pair of nude pumps yet) but still special enough for a wedding, with the big signature bow (if you didn't already know, I love bows!)  This picture from the StyleMePretty gallery also won me over.  I originally wanted long bridesmaids dresses so we can reenact this picture.  Too cute.  My short dresses will do hehe.

Judy Pak Photography