Holy Loeffler Randall, Batman!

Steph emailed me a while back asking for shoe help, and I didn't even bother posting the question. Because HELLO, LOEFFLER RANDALL

That's pretty much what I tell anyone who asks for shoe help.

(Sadly, those little gold wedges are no longer available, but I'm thinking this blocky blush pump is the new go-to wedding shoe.)


Photo by Kim J Martin. Check out more from this lovely, woodsy wedding--and lots more shots of the shoooooes--over here

i found your wedding booties

dieppa restrepo at bona drag

don't they look so buttery soft?

the black version is pretty jammin too

It's bridesmaid season!

[Oof yipes I can't post this photo]

Hello,

Like many before me I need help with shopping. I've been asked to be a bridesmaid in my brother's destination wedding in Hawaii. I've attached a copy of the bridesmaids dress (sorry, I have no idea how to find it or link to it). 

[It's Wtoo™]

I'm the blue color on the far left. This is the necklace my sister-to-be wants us to wear with it.

She is leaving the shoes up to us which is where you (hopefully! Please?!) come in. I have terrible taste but I seem to know when others have good taste and could really use your help or your awesome readers' help. 

The wedding will take place on grass and I plan to dance so no heels dear god please no heels. Or wedges unless they're baby ones. Other than that I'm open. Sandals? Flats? Like every other bridesmaid on the planet I'd love something I could wear and love well after the wedding.

Thank you so much for any guidance you may have!

*****

I'd go with a simple flat sandal, like these two-tone Seychelles.

Something that says "Yeah I know this dress blows, but FUCK IT WE'RE IN HAWAII!"


Bonus: They're on sale. (Shop size 6 through 8.5 here, size 9 over here)

the universe owes me shoes

Dear Slightly Buzzed Fairy Godmother,

I'm getting hitched. And it blew up in my face. I wanted 75 people -- we're pushing 200. I wanted a backyard BBQ -- we're having a formal sit down dinner. I wanted to get married in the evening to beat the summer heat -- we'll be saying our vows at 3pm. I wanted a lot of things that aren't panning out -- such is life. It's easy to blame everyone else, but the truth is, while if I could go back and do it again -- I would have fought a lot hard for what I wanted. ​I didn't though, and this is how it is... and I'm going to suck it up. Everyone else being happy will make me happy. 

However, shoes. I feel like the universe owes me a fucking awesome pair of shoes for the amount of shit I've put up for the last year. I'm low maintenance. I have my standard items and stick by them. And I live in Vans -- which I plan on changing into when dancing starts. But I want a pair of killer floral heels for my most put together day.

I'm in love with these [pictured above]. In my mind, they're as perfect as a floral print gets. But I ordered them and just seriously too high- 6 inches. I can walk in them but I'm worried I'll break my ankle before the day is over. Could you help me find something similar? Preferable a floral print with a chunky heel. 

Thanks so much!  

*****

Those look like hooker shoes, sorta. Teenybopper hooker shoes.

I much prefer these Marais wedges.........................................

Is the liberty print too cutesy?


(You could always go with fancy Vans instead.)

Look who didn’t bother taking my advice

She bought the fugly Alexander McQueens and also a blue pair from Lauren Marinis and she looks pretty stoked about it, so what the eff do I know?

(Photos by Craig + Kate. See tons more + all the dets over on Rock My Wedding.)

my imaginary uniform

$575 is too rich for my blood, but I'm clicking through every fucking day waiting for this sucker to go on sale.

Related: These platform booties are KILLING ME. Loeffler Randall is have a huge sale -- 20% off everything until October 28 -- but now that I'm un(der)employed again my shoe budg is pretty much nil.

Wait. WHAT? WHEN DID THESE HAPPEN?

This morning I was sick of wedges.

I am no longer sick of wedges.



THIS IS WHY LOEFFLER RANDALL IS THE OFFICIAL SHOE OF ESB, YOU GUYS.

(Thank you for reminding me when I forget.)

Black nubuck/Mirrored leather or Black dot haircalf/Taupe watersnake

Seeking: Sturdy but sexy heels

Howdy,

I'm getting married outside and have to navigate some pretty treacherous terrain. To avoid a bambi, legs akimbo situation, do you have any suggestions for fabulous, but sturdy heels? Is that even a thing? My dress [pictured above] isn't very forgiving in terms of footwear choices, being shorter, so I want to go all out.

Also, flats are not an option. This is one of the few chances I have to dress girly/appropriately sexy and I want to take full advantage!!

From,
Sexy but sturdy

*****

Dude, wear the SNAKESKIN HEELS! that she designed to go with the collection.

They look sturdy-ish enough to me.

Though you might want an adorable pair of sneakers as backup....

I'm thinking classic white Supergas.

George + Lysa's Rad San Diego wedding

If you look closely, this whole shebang is PERFECTLY COLOR COORDINATED. And yet it's totally Brooklyn-meets-San-Diego cool and supremely unfussy....

George and I been together for 10 years and when we finally decided to make it official, we knew that we wanted 3 things: Mexican food, to have it be a fun & casual affair and for it to take place in San Diego, California (where I grew up and where we met).

With that said, the important things for this bride were:

Wedding Photography

Luckily, it was through a recommendation that we found Rad + In Love. I loved Jamie and Michelle’s photojournalistic approach and the command they had of the medium. They were on the ball in getting our "must have" photos as well as sneaking us away to snap us in the perfect light.

Wedding Invitations

My talented friend, Shiva King is the one who is responsible for these insanely beautiful invites. Since our venue had elements of mid century architecture, Shiva used Illustrator to impart a clean look that is characteristic of mid century design while adding a feminine touch with the bold florals and/or color. She designed the map, flowers, our caricatures and screen printed our cat Gustave Minda onto tote bags.

[Ahem, please note how beautifully Lysa's bouquet matches the save-the-dates.]

Wedding Dress + Shoes

I saw an image of a 1930s Nina Ricci dress and automatically knew that was going to be my wedding dress if I could help it. I scoured ebay, etsy, all the vintage stores in SD, LA and NY for similar styles if not the exact one but to no avail. So with the help of a friend, I decided to design my own dress, using design elements from the vintage one and giving it a modern spin.

I design shoes as a profession and am starting my own line called Aralêzano (stay tuned!) so it’s a no brainer to design my own pair. I collaborated with my friend Juniper Rose on the embellishment, and one of the factories I worked with was kind enough to make my wedding shoes.

And so after our must-haves were squared away, everything else fell into place. We got married at the San Diego Rowing Club on a summer solstice evening. It overlooked Mission Bay, which made for an interesting backdrop with bikini-clad kayakers, a John Mayer blaring boater and a jet packer aerialist.

I walked down the aisle to Waterloo Sunset by the Kinks and we walked out as a couple to Tusk by Fleetwood Mac, all performed instrumentally by Red Pony Clock. After the ceremony, the band continued playing during cocktail hour and we recorded the entire set list as a keepsake. The recording is our most favorite thing from the wedding. This party friendly 8-piece band is awesome and if you are getting married in the LA/SD area, book them!!

After cocktails, the wedding party gave their toasts and this was also another great memory. It was funny, sweet and emotional. No matter how many times I told myself not to cry, I did. Dinner was catered by Ortega’s -- delicious vegetarian enchiladas, fish tacos, chicken tacos, beans, rice, etc; and to cut down on costs, we ditched the wedding cake and bought Julian apple pies instead for dessert.

And from the dance floor, here are three of my favorite moments:

1st dance to The Killing Moon by Echo & the Bunnymen. We were opposed to first dances, but my mother insisted and she knows best. My uncle was kind enough to choreograph and teach us the moves the day before.

The same uncle surprised us with a flash mob Gangnam Style dance, which had my cousins, my mom and George’s parents on the dance floor.

And thanks to Red Pony Clock, they got me on a chair to do the hora and I’m not even Jewish. I told you RPC is party friendly!!

Some advice: the day will go by fast, you will be pulled for every free moment you have for photo ops, you will not get to spend enough time with everyone at the wedding, and you will suffer some sort of post-wedding depression after all is said and done.

Planning a California wedding from Brooklyn wouldn’t have been possible without help and advice from our friends. Everything came recommended to us and every recommendation was perfect.

Especially, thank you to our friend Chris Wojdak, who was our coordinator & florist. She made sure we were on budget, DIYed a few things to do so, and created the most beautiful bouquet I have ever seen. She is truly Wonder Woman (It’s true! She planned the wedding while pregnant and on the day of the wedding, was running around with little Jack strapped to her).

So it’s really our friends that made this wedding all the more awesome, besides marrying my best friend.

Xx
Lysa

Your uncle is RAD.

So is that dress.

And the shoes!!! look even better on.

Basically you killed it, lady.

(Photos by Rad + In Love. Go see more over on their blog!)

You know I never sneak peek. BUT.

I have a hectic couple of days coming up. Figured I'd ply you with a sneak peek of these custom (!) shoes from a wedding shot by Rad + In Love.

Coming.... Monday? If I get my act together.

Also: I had to get this shit off the top of the blog.

Accessorize Me

Dear ESB,

My best friend is getting married to his boyfriend in October, and has asked me to be in the wedding party, to which I said HELL YES!! I'm super stoked. My problem is that I'm having difficulty figuring out what the hell to wear. The restrictions we have been given is that we should wear their wedding colors (black, red, and hot pink). The other important factor is that the wedding is taking place in the woods in Maryland. We're staying at a camp in the woods all weekend. I've almost definitely decided to wear a black jumpsuit (this one, specifically), but I'm having trouble tying the other wedding colors into my outfit.

While I don't think I'll be kicked out of the wedding party for just wearing all black, it would be boring and not in the spirit of their request. First, I tried to look for red shoes (I'm a size 9), but the options that I could find were pretty ugly, or there was no way that I would be able to walk in them in the woods. So, I found a pair of black suede heels that I really like...and then I got stuck. I have no idea how to incorporate one of the other wedding colors into my outfit, let alone both of them.

My style is very simple. Jeans and t-shirts for day-to-day and tailored, nicely cut clothes with very few embellishments, and almost no accessories when I'm dressing up (it sounds really boring the way I described it, but I actually find it really fun, and, more importantly, very me). I'm also a big fan of anything menswear inspired, and I will not wear ruffles of any description. 

I'm still open to shoe suggestions, but I'm mostly looking for help on how to spice this whole thing up with a belt, or jewelry. Bottom line: I need help! Big time! He's my best friend and I want to look awesome at his wedding!

Thanks,
Don't Hate Me Because I Love Jumpsuits

*****

Why does everyone always want to spice things up with a belt??

Has anyone ever SUCCESSFULLY spiced things up with a belt?

YOU DON'T EVEN LIKE ACCESSORIES




If you must go along with his hideous color scheme, you know you have to tie it in with the shoes.

I'm not mad at these chunkers from Zara. (v. woods-worthy)

Wedding Regrets: PRADA EDITION

April 18, 2013

Dear ESB,

PLZ HALP. I'm marrying the raddest man ever at a treehouse in Michigan this July, with a ceremony on the grass at the edge of the woods. It's gonna be some real fairy tale shit. At any rate, I've got the dress and just about everything else figured out, but have been searching high and low for shoes to go with this thing. 

These Prada wedges are haunting my dreams but also cost a trillion fucking dollars so not likely. Can you help me find my (size 9) wedding shoes for under $200? Thank you, thank you!

*****

Sept 4, 2013 (4:47 PM)

WHAT DID YOU WEAR

*****

Sept 4, 2013 (6:38 PM)

dude. had a full on second-guess-everything-except-the-groom panic attack in the months leading up the wedding (when my father threatened to keep his entire side of the family from attending the wedding if I had both him AND my stepdad walk me down the aisle (side note: jesus fucking christ)) and ditched the dress at the last minute, opting for a BCBG lace thing. see attached. bought some black wedges, my friend gifted me some jewelry from her beautiful line, the day was on point, and in the end we were married so, you know, who cares?

all the same: if i had it to do over again.. i would have bought the fucking prada.

*****

Let that be a lesson to all of us. Just buy the fucking prada?

Or is the lesson: The shoes don't matter! At the end of the day, you will be married!!

I wanted to say JUST BUY THE FUCKING PRADA, but I'm digging the black wedges with all those black jewels.

Image 1: Clémence Poésy (in Prada heels, obvs) by Ami Sioux for Wonderland Magazine
Image 2: Stoffer Photography

Sidebar: When I do an image search for that first dress, I keep getting Gorgo, Queen of Sparta. Which amuses me to no end.

perfect budget wedding shoes

$39.90 at Zara

You're welcome.

here's an *actual* shoe shopping challenge

Hi ESB!

So I'm wearing this most perfect dress in the world- I wear it around my house all the time for fun and I cannot wait to get married in it. I am 5'10" and I'm getting married outside, on grass. 

WHAT SHOES do I wear? It's in October, so closed-toe is preferable. Thanks so much for helping me plan my wedding, one blog post at a time. 

Size + Budg: 9-10, and preferably below $200 but I'm willing to splurge for something real good.

*****

SHUT UP YOU KNOW I LOVE THAT DRESS

I'm throwing this one out to you guys, but…. Some sort of cheetah/leopard calf hair situation would be amazing. (Ahem)

p.s. wtf is going on with these animal toe shoes. pls discuss.

Seeking: Big Ol Size 11's to go with this dress

Dear ESB, 

I feel like I keep searching and continually come up empty in my quest for the right shoes for my wedding, so I'm hoping you and your readers can help get me on track! This is my dress [pictured above] and I'm wearing gold jewelry, so I'm thinking of wearing a gold or cream colored sandal at my wedding in October. 

Sounds simple, right?  There are a couple of things that have made it more difficult to find the right one. 

>>I really want a shoe with a low-ish heel - and preferably a wedge - since I'm crazy clumsy and therefore terrible in heels. This rules out a lot of options. 

>>Finding the right tone of gold - I don't want anything too shiny, but more of a matte or distressed look - or the right shade of cream - one that works with the dress - has been hard. 

>>Finally, the kicker is that I've got enormous feet.  I wear a size 11, and it's crazy hard to find good shoes in that size anyway, let alone something so specific.  

Help!  I'm sure there are resources I'm not looking at that would be good to investigate. I'd love to spend no more than $200 on these guys.

Thanks!

*****

DUDE THESE ARE ON SALE FOR $150

AND THEY COME IN ELEVEN

Have I not told you all to just check Loeffler Randall before you pester me with shoe questions??

A bride in search of a dilemma

Feb 20, 2013

Hey ESB,

We're planning a laid back, court house ceremony followed by a party in a pub later in the evening. I bought this dress which fits like a dream and is super flattering. I thought the hard part was over but now I have to accessorise which is not my strong suit.

I have the kind of fair skin that suits all hair colours, so I'm kicking around the idea of deep wine lipstick (maybe just for the reception so I'm not smearing lippy all over the groom during the ceremony) and dark nail polish. Would dark shoes make it all too matchy? I'm thinking flowers aren't even really necessary and the thought of putting something on my head is sending me over the edge.

Am I completely insane going down the dark lipstick/accessory route? I have a hard time picturing it all working together with the dress. To be honest I'm having a hard time picturing anything other than the stock standard nude pump, peonies, french manicure look. But I mean, YAWN, right!? 

Thanks

*****

Jul 12, 2013

Are you MARRIED? How did you accessorize??

Dress is gorg, b/t/w

*****

Jul 12, 2013

Thanks esb - I think so too.

Not married yet, shit gets real in October.

I wasn't too long engaged when I emailed you and I was feeling pretty overwhelmed by all the choices. In fact, I was kind of projecting my stress about some significant life challenges by obsessing over wedding details. Don't think I'm the only bride to be to do that.

Things have a way of sorting themselves out though. I'm more or less organised with plenty of time to change my mind.

I've put a pretty vague order in with a florist that I drove past and loved the store set up (think fluro macrame hanging baskets with ferns etc). I've asked for a small bouquet that's wild and textural.

Accessories wise I bought these Emerson Fry shoes (they're gorg) and have put an order in for this amazing baby soft black leather jacket made by a local Melbourne designer. Oh and my wedding band arrived last week and I LOVE IT. I've spent a lot more money on accessories than on the dress but they're all pieces that I'll wear again (and again, and again). 

I've nixed the dark lipstick idea because I don't want to be worried all day/night that it's smudged, or worn off, or is on my teeth. And I don't want to discourage my new husband from kissing me for fear of my lipstick transferring itself to his face.

Besides that I'm pretty undecided about all the rest. I have a beautiful string of pearls my Dad bought me for my 21st that suit the neckline of the dress, and I was thinking of whacking some flowers in my hair like this (sorry no source, it's one of those frustrating pinterest/tumblr ones). Nails - no idea.

I'm open to suggestions if you or your readers feel up to completing the picture!

PS: We're taking our ceremony peeps out to lunch at the restaurant where we had our first date and it just so happens to be Chinese a la Shane and Eric. I love everything about that wedding and hope ours is just as fun...

*****

Jul 19, 2013

OK esb, I have a legit dilemma for you now. 

Last night, bridesmaid dress shopping, I found a dress [pictured above]. I know I wasn't really doing myself any favours but I had to try it on, and as suspected from looking at it on the rack it's absolutely gorgeous. It fits beautifully and suits my complexion and hair colour to a tee.

I can't justify spending $650 on a dress with no occasion to wear it, and it would make a KILLER wedding dress. But as you know, I already have an outfit sorted. 

It doesn't fit into any kind of budget I'm running right now, but that's what credit cards are for, right?!

I know I'm not the first to have the two dresses dilemma. I've canvassed my bridesmaids who've seen me in both dresses for their opinion but thought I'd throw to you also. Because, you know, guru.

Should I go with the new dress or stick to what I have planned? 

*****

For a courthouse wedding + Chinese + pub, I say stick to the shift dress.

p.s. You have bridesmaids for a courthouse wedding??

p.p.s. CHILLAX.

Know any cool girls with tiny feet?

Someone needs to buy these  

-- tweeted Vanessa at me just now

These are also good. (And also tiny.)

Loeffler Randall + ESB!!

Remember what I said about Loeffler Randall being the official shoe of East Side Bride?

BOOM.


They've asked me to co-curate + co-judge this Pinterest contest (running May 21-May 28).

Here are the rules:

Step one: Follow @LoefflerRandall on Pinterest.

Step two: Repin the "Pin to Win" entry photo [pictured above] and at least one Loeffler Randall product photo from our lr // hitched board.

Step three: Add a comment to your product photo telling us how you would wear your pick at a wedding. (Your upcoming wedding, your imaginary wedding, your best friend's wedding... Any wedding!) Make sure each photo is tagged #HitchedInLR & #LoefflerRandall.

**UPDATE: The winners have been announced here and here. **

p.s. Just so you know, I'm not willy-nilly recommending Loeffler Randall without sampling the wares. I bought these furry gladiators last month and they are KICK ASS.

vegan sandals, haiku poems &c.

vegan shoes suck ass
but i need summer sandals.
what you got, cookies?

*****

i know you're anti-
flatforms, but could you bend on
this pair from zara?

______________________________


p.s. hey naurnie,
bet these braided wedges would
go with your jumpsuit!

Feel Like (More) Shoe Shopping?

Hello!

First of all: thank you. I've been reading ESB since I got engaged, and you helped me develop my wedding planning philosophy: As long as people have a place to sit and I end up married, I do not care.

So now I need some shoes. I've been scouring the webs for days, and I've found some options, but nothing I feel really thrilled about. I wish I had a picture of the dress to share, but I'm having it custom made based on a dream I had. It's above the knee white light-weight cotton with three quarter sleeves, and a sort of henley/scoop neckline. It won't actually look anything like this but it's got a similar sort of attitude... I guess. I will also be wearing a flower crown. I know that flower crowns aren't cool anymore, and I do not give one fuck. I like flowers, and crowns, and wood nymphs, so that's what I'm wearing.

My initial plan was to wear something in a neutral leather with a wooden or cork heel. That way everything would stay soft, natural, and romantic. I have this pair of Swedish Hasbeens, which would be perfect, except mine are a little scuffed and my mother thinks old shoes are inappropriate for a wedding. Whatever.

So then this bride convinced me that cobalt shoes are the only way to go, and I love these, but I'm worried that bright blue shoes might clash with my whole wood nymph thing. Or is it just right? The LR's are a little expensive; I'd like to keep the shoes under 200, so I'm also considering these as a low cost alternative.

So anyway, I'd love some advice from you and all your wonderful readers. Some final specs: I'm barely 5'1 if I round up, so I will need some sort of heel. We'll be on grass, so wedges or thicker heels are ideal. As I said, I'd like to try to keep it under 200, though I can stretch a liiiitttle. It's a backyard barbecue wedding, so nothing super fancypants. Oh, and I wear a 5, 5.5, or 6 depending on the brand.

Thank you!!!!

*****

Yah, I'm not feeling the blue for a wood nymph.

Neutral leather recommends, you guys??



(Pls let me know if you know who took the photo.)