How to Make Sure Your Wedding Dress Won't Drag on the Floor If You Change Shoes During the Reception

We put together some helpful tips and tricks.

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Photo: Elizabeth Fogarty Photography

While there's no rule that says you have to, most brides choose to walk down the ceremony aisle in high heels. Later, though, many women trade their stilettos in for a pair of comfortable, dance-friendly flats, sandals, or sneakers. But if a bride goes from three-inch heels to flats, what happens to her beautiful wedding dress, which was carefully hemmed based on the pair of shoes the bride wore during her fitting? Before you start stressing about torn and dirty hemlines or aching feet, know that this is something seamstresses deal with all the time. Here, tips for making sure your wedding dress won't drag on the floor once you change shoes.

Talk with your bridal consultant or seamstress.

Even if you're just thinking about purchasing a second pair of shoes for the reception, make sure to let the consultant who's helping you shop or the seamstress who's altering your dress know ahead of time. More often than not, the problem works itself out with a bustle, but they may need to adjust the front hemline if the height difference between the two pairs of shoes is really dramatic. If you're really nervous about your dress pooling on the floor once you change for the reception, try to choose two pairs of shoes that have a similar heel height. Wedges, despite still having a heel, can offer more comfort than a stiletto. Similarly, a fancy pair of flats for the ceremony and a more casual sandal for the reception would work, too.

Bring each pair of shoes your dress fitting.

If you can, start shopping for your wedding shoes early and bring both pairs to each of your fittings. That way, your seamstress can see how the changes she's making look with each type of shoe. The biggest problem is waiting until the last minute, as your wedding dress will have been altered and it becomes more difficult to choose two different pairs of shoes that both work well with the gown's hemline.

When in doubt, buy a short party dress.

If wearing both heels and flats is really important to you, you can always choose a second wedding dress, which you can change into at some point during the reception. If you're open to wearing a cocktail- or tea-length dress all day long, you'll be able to change shoes freely without worrying about the hem of your skirt dragging once you change out of your high heels.

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