In case you don’t know: the planner is planning a wedding! Yes, it is a bit unusual and not the way things tend to work in my industry. I am a planner turned bride and I couldn’t be more thrilled. I haven’t divulged any details of my own nuptials yet and will probably refrain from posting a lot of them. This blog isn’t about me it is about you, the reader, but I simply had to share the impetus for my wedding design. As every designer knows all it takes is one singular thought, object, color, or emotion to start the ball rolling on a design scheme. For me, it was this shoe. It was love at first shoe.

Originally I had big plans for me feet. And in big I mean Christian Louboutin. I had conceded that I would wear a ridiculously overpriced shoe and spend a month’s mortgage payment just to wear it. I didn’t need much convincing but I can assure you that my fiancée was not swayed by the beauty or prestige of a red sole! I was determined, that is, until I met Plath by Natalie Portman. Never in all my days have I met a shoe so very me. But as I said, I had already started to court another pair, and my love for Natalie and her beautiful purple shoe would be mulled over and over for weeks and weeks.

Finally, I was ready for a commitment. The shoe had a life of its own and it had started to dictate my color scheme, centerpiece design, linen choice, and the direction I wanted to go with my gown. The shoe had become my muse! I signed on to Te Casan, the website where my limited edition beauty lived. And to my horror: SOLD OUT. Not just in my size, but EVERY size. Apparently when they say limited edition they mean limited edition! How could I have let this happen? How could I design a wedding around a shoe and NOT wear it on my wedding day! I really became very upset. That is, until I emailed the staff at Te Casan and inquired about the availability of the shoe. Did they have any left, just one pair, in my very popular size of 8 ½? I figured it was a lost cause and in the meantime, cruised ebay for any sign of Natalie and her beautiful shoe. Nothing – and why should there be? Who in their right mind would sell this shoe!

The very next day I got an email on my blackberry while I was meeting with a client. They just so happened to have a pair in my size! I couldn’t dial the number fast enough (after my client meeting was over, of course). They were such a pleasure to work with and I want to thank Bernadette for her help in getting this shoe. It really meant a lot to me to be able to wear it and I received it just in time for my appointment at The White Dress by the Shore!

And now, I present to you, my wedding shoe: