Mismatched shoes - Bride and Bridesmaids - ok? Does the bride have to buy shoes before the maids?

My three bridesmaids wore the same shoes - but I paid for them in case they wouldn't wear them again (which they have). Originally I was going to let them get their own, but the color was hard to find. I've only been in one or two weddings where we did not have matching shoes.

That said, the bride does not have to match the bridesmaids. My girls wore a dark pewter and I wore gold. Theirs matched their dress and mine matched mine.

My ceremony shoes are silver and incredibly sparkly. My party shoes are a white lace sandal.

One of my bridesmiads bought the same sandals in black.

The other one is a bit of a procrastinator and who knows what she will wear.

Shoes are the last of my worries.

One likes heels one likes flats. As long as they both show I up, I don't care whats on their feet.

I told them a range of colors (gold, nude, bronze etc.) would be fine. Their dresses are long anyways. I encouraged my mom to buy my bridal shoes except in a different color. She was having the hardest time finding some and low and behold they released a new color. I told her to go for it...they're just shoes and no one will notice. She didn't but she could've.

I agree they don't need to match. I told my girls to get whatever they feel is comfortable and matches. They are wearing long dresses so you really wont be able to tell.

I told my girls to get something in black...other than that...i dont care what they have specifically.

Ok let me set the record straight.

First of all, calm down Maltese, I'm not asking them to wear matching shoes. I let then pick their dresses, as long as they had the same fabric and color, which they all happened to like the same one. I have told them they can wear any height shoe as long as it's the same color (silver or a shade of silver). Of course I want them to be comfortable. All I was asking is if they could buy the shoes before the dress on a sale. But we decided to wait and buy the dresses first. I asked because everybody seems to have those detail shots and I just wanted it to look cohesive.

@annakay511, thank you, that is a beautiful color! My friend had that color I think, and she went to Tuxedo Revue to get coordinating colors. Perhaps Friar Tux might work? Otherwise I would say go with a platinum.

Thank you everyone for your responses. Since they are long, I suppose it's not something to worry about unless alterations are done to the top of the shoe - then it will be same color, they can choose the shoes.

Black.....My Bridesmaids shoes will be black, that's all I told them and that's all I know.

I'm having a hard time understanding why it would matter if you bought the shoes or dress first? Why would it matter? ETA : spelling

@OP maybe your original post was just misleading/misworded but it seems completely different from your most recent comment. If you gave them a color already and they know the dress, they can buy their shoes whenever the hell their little heart's desire - that question makes no sense.

I was originally just going to say gold shoe for my BMs, but they (well, the 4/5 represented at dress shopping...other is FSIL) thought it would be better for everyone to match. I told them all to agree on a pair. They sent it to me, and I said "okay, cool, whatever" and everyone ordered them.

For the record, I was just going to go with a designer, color, fabric, and length as guidance and let them pick dresses, but they all wanted the same one.

So, my bridesmaids are matchy-matchy, but it's by their choice. I don't really care either way. I think it's because of the approach I took.

Let them choose their shoes. Treat them like adults.

My bridesmaids will have the same shoe but its completely up to you. I gave them 3 choices and they voted on the one they liked most. Fortunately, everyone liked the same shoe so everyone is happy, including me!

For the dresses and shoes, I told my bridesmaids what color. We went shopping together for the dresses and they ended up picking the same dress. It is great because it fits everyone. I was shocked and they just have to have it shortened. It is black so it is a dress they can wear again. For shoes I told them silver, it didn't matter what they look like as long as they are comfortable. They all went separately to buy shoes and sent me a picture of what they were looking at. One of my bridesmaids is wearing dressy silver sandals. Being comfortable is most important.

I don't understand why you need to buy your shoes first either, but they don't really have to coordinate unless you want them too. I'm wearing navy and my bridesmaids are wearing the nude shoe of their choice.

I just told them to wear gold or flesh tone shoes.

I don't think all the shoes need to match exactly. My bridesmaids and I brainstormed what kind of shoes would go best with their dresses, and we decided on white sandals. The whole sandal doesn't have the be white, just the straps or whatever. Two of my girls already had a pair that would work and another girl just texted us that Target has some on sale for $12. I wasn't about to make them all stand in heels and walk in the grass, and sandals would be cute with their dresses and fit our summer picnic feel.

I'm gonna let them pick a shoe as well, it will probably be grey. The trim of my shoe is the same as the color of their dress.

I don't know why you couldn't buy the shoes first if they are on sale and silver works with all the colors?

Look, you are already making all of them wear the same color. I don’t see why they all need to wear the same shoes. They are women. They can pick out their own shoes. Just because the are bridesmaids doesn’t mean they have clones.