Have you ever been stressing about what to wear to an upcoming wedding and wondered – can I wear white shoes? It’s a common question for wedding guests aiming to both look stylish while also avoiding any dress code faux pas. This definitive guide will provide clarity from etiquette experts on wearing white shoes to weddings, key factors to consider before you make your footwear choice, and plenty of chic white shoe outfit ideas that are perfect for nuptials.
The Consensus from Wedding Experts: White Shoes Are Generally Acceptable
While historically white shoes were avoided at weddings apart from the bride’s footwear, experts agree times and attitudes have changed. Here’s what top wedding planners and experts have to say:
“As long as they don’t exactly match the bridal party shoes, guests wearing white shoes is completely acceptable” – Marcy Blum, Celebrity Wedding Planner
“White shoes no longer carry the taboo they once did. As long as they work with the formality of the dress code, I say wear them and make a statement!” – Mindy Weiss, The A-List Wedding Planner for Justin Bieber and The Kardashians
The consensus is clear – white wedding shoes for guests are stylish and trendy in most cases. As long as you complement the bride by not matching the bridal shoes exactly, avoid overly attention-grabbing designs, and consider other factors like dress code, you’re good to go.
Key Factors To Consider Before Choosing White Wedding Shoes
However, both wedding pros emphasize the importance of assessing the following before opting for pale footwear:
The Formality Of The Wedding & Dress Code
- Black tie / Very formal: Classic white leather pumps or heeled sandals work well
- Semi-formal or cocktail attire: Open toe white heels, wedges or flats paired with a dress or jumpsuit are great options
- Casual or backyard weddings: White sneakers, flats or sandals complement casual sundresses, pantsuits or separates
As a rule of thumb, the more formal and upscale the wedding’s attire expectations are, the more careful you should be with white shoe choices. Timeless white leather or suede heels in ivory, off-white, or cream tend to suit formal affairs best rather than bright statement shoes. For backyard, beach or casual ceremonies, feel freer to have fun with white footwear that shows more personality.
Season & Setting
The time of year and wedding backdrop matter for white shoe choices too:
- Spring & Summer: Opt for brighter white shoes and styles better suited for warm weather – sandals, peep toes, cut out styles, breathable fabrics
- Fall & Winter: Cream, ivory and softer white tones pair nicely with darker fall palettes without stark contrast. Consider closed toe white pumps or booties.
What Color Is The Rest Of Your Outfit?
Keep the cohesiveness of your whole wedding guest outfit in mind with white shoes rather than solely focusing on the shoes. A few pointers:
- Black outfits: White shoes pop dramatically against black dresses, jumpsuits or tuxes
- Navy, gray, blush pink: White shoes elegantly complement, without blending right into softer neutral tones
- Bright colors: Combine white footwear with other light tones like sky blue; avoid pairing vibrant yellow dresses and white shoes for example
- Florals or prints: White shoes let the patterns shine, blending with both light and dark motifs
Classic Leather vs Trendy Sneakers
From a style perspective, classic leather or suede heels in white have a timeless elegance perfect for formal event dressing. Meanwhile, fashion-forward couples embracing more casual ceremonies have fueled the trend toward white sneakers, modern lug sole boots, and street style type shoes.
The consensus from top wedding planners? While white Converse or Adidas kicks can look great with pantsuits, short cocktail dresses or menswear, avoid heavily branded sporty shoes or overly chunky silhouettes. When possible, elevate white sneakers with leather or luxe textural details.
“The rise of luxury, designer white sneakers has been perfect for modern weddings embracing casual elegance. But I suggest avoiding overt sports brands logos or technology for ceremonies. Focus instead on silhouette, quality materials, and minimalist decor as the way to make white sneakers wedding-appropriate.” – Jes Gordon, High End Wedding Planner
Stylish White Wedding Shoes Outfit Ideas
Now that you know the guidelines, check out these perfect white shoe outfit ideas for all sorts of wedding attire scenarios:
White Heels
- A crisp white blazer and pantsuit with an ivory cami, statement earrings, and white leather block heels
- Emerald green halterneck midi dress paired with creamy peep toe pumps
- Black lace cocktail dress with delicate pearl accents, topped with pointed toe white stiletto heels
White Wedding Wedges
- Coral wrap dress hitting mid-calf, tied together beautifully with ribbons and braided wedge espadrilles in ivory canvas
- For menswear, white and gray checked pants with a navy sport coat, dotted pocket square, and white leather oxfords
- Flowing champagne maxi dress with sheer sleeves and embellished belt, complemented by comfortable white linen wedges
White Wedding Flats
- Navy jumpsuit with wide leg silhouette, keyhole back detail, and white ballerina flats
- Purple a-line cocktail mini skirt topped with black graphic tee, black leather moto jacket, and classic white leather slip-on sneakers
- For a garden wedding, a long sleeve sundress with blue and yellow floral print is lovely with lace up white gladiator flats
The options are truly endless and also give grooms and groomsmen a chance to sport white oxfords or sneakers too. Just stay mindful of dress code, avoid showing too much toe cleavage for formal weddings, and don’t try to upstage the bride’s gown and shoes too much!
Can You Wear White Shoes To A Wedding? The Verdict
While historically white shoes have been off limits for wedding guests, style standards have certainly relaxed to embrace more creativity. The consensus among etiquette pros and planners is yes – you can wear white footwear to weddings in many cases. The keys are assessing the formality levels expected, considering seasonal color palettes, strategically coordinating shoes with your overall outfit, and aiming for wedding-elevated styles.
Hopefully this guide gave you clarity around wearing white to weddings beyond the dated “no white dresses!” rule. The most important wedding advice though? When in doubt over attire, including white shoes, ask the couple getting married about expectations. That way you can ensure dressing in line with their wishes, stay crowd coordinated among other guests, and avoid any accidental outfit faux pas.
Now that you know white shoes are likely within bounds, it’s time to have fun styling the perfect wedding guest outfit you feel great wearing – right down to gorgeous shoes in creamy, bright or soft white tones. Just don’t trip the bride en route to the altar as you strut your stuff in those chic heels or sneakers!
Examples of Celebrity Wedding Guests Rocking White Shoes
Looking for even more modern proof that white shoes can work for wedding outfit inspo? Let’s take cues from celebrities spotted wearing chic styles:
- America Ferrera – Navy blue midi dress paired with pointed toe ivory pumps for a garden wedding
- Priyanka Chopra Jonas – Cobalt blue sari beautifully matched with embroidered white sandals
- Sophie Turner – Head to toe black short suit and crop top with black and white oxfords displaying just a hint of skin
- Lupita Nyong’o – Vibrant yellow halter dress contrasted gorgeously with white chunky retro platform heels
- Mandy Moore – Pink beaded cocktail length dress styled with easy white lace up sneakers by Jimmy Choo
The mix of formal evening gowns and dresses alongside more casual dresses with white keds or heels shows the versatility of the trend. Whatever the wedding dress code specifies, there’s likely a white shoe option perfect for pulling together your entire guest ensemble.
Top Places To Buy Stunning White Wedding Shoes
Want to start shopping white shoes to wear for upcoming nuptial invites? Here are go-to retailers showcasing gorgeous styles:
Nordstrom – Upscale department store carrying designer shoes like Jimmy Choo, Stuart Weitzman, Kate Spade New York, Badgley Mischka with frequent whites and ivories for bridal parties and guests alike. Often free shipping and returns.
Dillards – For more budget conscious shoppers, check Dillards expansive online shoe store filtering by white shades. Lots of affordable heels, sandals and sneakers to suit casual and formal weddings.
Zappos – User friendly site to filter white wedding and event appropriate shoes across brands like Sam Edleman, Vince Camuto, Naturalizer, and Lucky. Free shipping and returns makes trying out shoes easy.
DSW – Discount shoe warehouse stocks huge array of white heels, wedges, flats and sneakers with advanced search filters like color, price, heel height, brand, and customer reviews. Hard to beat deals on dressy to casual styles.
BHLDN – For brides or wedding party members needing coordinating white shoes, BHLDN offers exclusive dress and shoe collections. Many white, ivory, silver, or metallic shoes meant to perfectly match their gowns and bridesmaids dresses whether formal glam or boho chic.
Key Takeaways: Do’s And Don’ts for White Wedding Shoes
- DO opt for white shoes that channel classic materials like leather, suede, or textured metallics for formal weddings
- DO have fun and embrace the trend with casual white sneakers or sandals for backyard, beach or informal ceremonies
- DON’T wear stark bright white shoes to fall and winter weddings – instead try ivory, cream or soft aged shades
- DON’T pair overtly sporty chunky white sneakers with formal attire like evening gowns or tuxedos
- DON’T attempt to exactly match or outshine the bride with your white footwear – give her shoes the spotlight
- DO strategically pick white shoes that coordinate seamlessly with the rest of your wedding guest outfit
- DON’T wear heavily branded white sneakers that will date your wedding photos for decades to come
Those simple do’s and don’ts cover the basics for seamlessly working white shoes into your wedding ensemble this season. Read more: Vivienne Westwood Wedding Dress
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What Colour shoes can you wear to a wedding?
Neutral colors like silver, gold, black, navy, and blush pink are universally safe shoe choices. White and ivory also work for most weddings if dressed appropriately. Simply pick shoes featuring colors already in your outfit for a coordinated look.
Which colour is best in formal shoes?
Black and brown are the best formal shoe colors. Black is most formal for evening events or with darker suits. Brown works well for daytime business attire. Both are versatile, timeless shades that complement most formal outfits elegantly.
What are three shoe colors everyone must have?
Black, brown, and white are three versatile shoe colors everyone should have. Black works for both dressy and casual looks. Brown pairs well with multiple colors like blue, gray, tan. White shoes are on trend and lighten warm weather outfits.
Conclusion
As we’ve seen, white shoes are now broadly embraced as stylish and modern wedding guest footwear after once being taboo. From glamorous pumps and strappy heels to trendy sneakers and flats, vibrant whites or softer creams suit ceremonies ranging from black tie formal to backyard casual. Yet a few common sense style guidelines apply. Save overly bulky sporty sneakers for off-duty days rather than pairing with formal wear. Allow winter brides to stand out in icy brights by selecting ivory yourself. And consider the cohesiveness of your overall outfit – some colors and prints harmonize more seamlessly with white shoes than others.
Above all, know that weddings are meant for celebrating relationships with loved ones, not fashion shows. If possible, ask the couple for any dress code insights to inform white shoe choices. But whether you select vibrant white heels or subdued oxfords, the priority is expressing your personal style without upstaging the newlyweds on their big day.
With the style possibilities expanding yearly, white shoes present wedding guests exciting opportunities for looks both timelessly elegant and playfully modern. Simply toe the line thoughtfully so the focus stays on honoring the couple over making a style splash.
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