Wedding Accessories: Custom-made Bridal Shoes

Being a girl with big, ugly, manly feet, finding the best pair of shoes is one of my worst nightmares. To me, it’s like finding a needle in a haystack. I have a good sense of style (yes, I’m speaking for myself) and can spot the most expensive-looking shoes 50 meters away but once I try it on, my feet just won’t cooperate. Not sure if those shoes are too pretty for my feet or my feet are just too damn ugly regardless of what I’m wearing. To make things worse, I also have a feet condition called plantar fasciitis, so strolling around the mall for more than 3 hours is not my thing. I would need some fugly orthotic shoes if I want to walk normally, but since I prefer style over comfort, all my shoes are okay-looking but painful.

Because of that, I knew it was going to be hard for me to find the perfect bridal shoes. It’s hard enough to find a chic yellow pair (I’m planning to wear yellow) and it’s even made harder by the fact that I need to find shoes with good cushioning, good arch support, pointed but with wide toe box, would flatter my feet, and would match my wedding dress.

So after a few searches on sulit.com, some inquiries here and there, I finally found my shoemaker --- it’s NX Couture. Good thing I stumbled upon them online. What I liked about them was that given the quality of shoes that they’ve been producing, they still don’t overprice. They have a shop in Marikina and that's where they make the shoes, so I didn't have any trust issues about the outcome. :))

 I was initially quoted Php 2,000 for my design (cloth provided by me), but was charged Php 2,500 after taking my measurement. But I still find their price competitive, considering I would probably be spending at least Php3,000 in other shoe stores. But with NX Couture, I’m going to have my own custom shoes to suit my feet’s needs.

Another great thing about having personalized shoes is that you can search for designs of high-fashion shoe designers and have them reproduced at a much cheaper price. In my case, I opted for a  pair of lovely wedges from Aruna Seth. I can't wait for my fitting!

If you’re still on the lookout for that perfect match, this shop is probably where you should be:

NX Couture

22 Brooklyn St., Immaculate Concepcion, Cubao, Quezon City

URL: 

http://ph.shop.88db.com/nxcouture/

http://www.nxcouture.multiply.com, 

http://www.nxcoutureweddinggowns.blogspot.com/ 
http://www.facebook.com/nx.couture 

Email: nxcouture@yahoo.com 
nxcouture.weddinggowns@gmail.com

Contact person: 

Zen - Operations Manager

0917-5791866

Office hours - Mon-Sat, 10am - 5pm
Call/text/email them for appointment.

Note: Unfortunately, they don't make shoes for the groom.

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UPDATE: OCT 6

Ms. Zen texted me yesterday telling me I can go to their shop for my fitting. Unfortunately though, she had to cancel the appointment this morning because she said the shoes didn't go exactly like the inspiration. She said she had to return the pair to the manufacturer and have them revise it until it looks perfectly similar to what I was going for. It's going to take 2 more weeks. Howell. But at least I know the shoes are being QA'd before  I get to see them.

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UPDATE: NOV 28

I finally got the shoes a few weeks ago and this is what they look like:

Anyone interested to buy these? LOL

Unfortunately, I decided not to use it to the ceremony (still not sure if I'll wear it for the reception). It's pretty alright, but that's exactly the reason why I changed my mind--it's too pretty that it can stand on its own, even when I tried it on with the dress. The shoes just don't complement the whole look, which is sad in a way, and a bit of a waste. The dress was beautiful, the shoes were beautiful, but when I tried them on, something just felt wrong. So I had to buy a nice pair from the department store. If it's any consolation, I got them for Php700.

The Day When I Realized Why Wedding Gowns Cost A Fortune

I don’t quite get why wedding gowns would cost so much when a similar beaded Cinderella gown would not cost a fortune if it’s in a different color.

 I’m not a hundred percent sure if I should be blogging about this story but I think it’s still worth sharing. There’s this one up and coming designer who makes wedding gowns for Php 20-40k. I went to her one time and brought my dress peg to show her. I just wanted to see how much she’s going to quote me. One major detail though: I posed as a maid of honor. So technically, I was inquiring for a maid of honor dress.

I had to see how much the dress would cost IF I’m not the bride. She drew something that looked like an ankle-length Kate Middleton dress and quoted me Php5k for the labor (fabric would come from me). It didn’t want beadworks, so it was a real simple dress with some lace details. Though I had to compose myself every time she would wonder why I’m having something in ecru/ivory, it’s still worth snooping around. Because of that I learned how much I should be willing to spend for my wedding dress – that Php20k would be too much.

I almost booked her right there and then because I got excited about how cheap I’m going to get my dress made. But I realized that the designer was more concerned about me not getting in the way of the “real bride”. She wanted to make sure that I won’t steal the limelight. In short, I came there as a maid of honor, and left her shop feeling like a real one. I didn’t feel like a bride. And it’s a feeling that I’ll never be able to experience and forever regret if I push through with it.

I know there are a lot of factors that contribute to the high price of wedding gowns--- there’s the materials, the workmanship, the “uniqueness” of the design, and whatnot. I never knew how to justify why wedding dresses are so expensive until I realized that it’s not just the dress that I’m paying for---I’m also paying for all the pressures of those once-in-a-lifetime thingamajigs that designers have to deal with, and for the emotions that I should feel once I try the dress on.

I called off the project with the designer and, luckily, I found a good one who quoted me Php 5k for the labor. This time though, the designer knows that I’m the bride, and I trust that she’ll make me feel and look really pretty on my wedding day.