There's nothing wrong with wanting to look your best on your wedding day.
Unfortunately, "looking your best" often means putting on an expensive pair of fabulous heels...
and risking taking a header on your way to the altar.
Not to mention giving up dancing at your reception and spending much of your happy evening in excruciating pain.
If you feel like avoiding strain on your feet, knees, back, and wallet while still looking fabulous, you might consider bridal flip-flops.
They come in a truly demented array of styles, colors, and materials, and they are most certainly not just for beach weddings anymore.
Wedding flip-flops started out as something a bride could get away with hiding under a floor-length skirt.
Or as something to wear at a casual outdoor wedding as a part of bucking tradition and formality.
Not anymore.
You can find wedding flip-flops in blazing bridal white, beautiful gold and silver metallics, and any color you can think of to suit your grateful, free-toed bridesmaids.
And for dancing on your honeymoon? Throw your little black flip-flops in your bag to complement your little black dress.
And if you do feel like splurging a little on footwear? Well, you're covered there too.
Several companies offer handmade custom bridal flip-flops bedecked in flawless Swarovski crystals.
Did you ever imagine that a pair of sandals would threaten to overshadow your bridal gown? One of the nicest things about tricked-out flip-flops is that, while they're elegant enough for fun semi-formal occasions, they don't absolutely scream wedding.
Which means they're versatile in a way that your wedding dress, let's face it, is not.
You'll have fun wearing them out again - they're sure to get compliments, and you'll have the fun little secret of knowing where you first wore them.
And your bridesmaids will be delighted to have a bit of wedding bling that they can actually take on their next galpal trip to Mexico.
Of course, any true wedding accessory offers the option of making your friends barf, and bridal flip-flops are no exception.
Some come with romantic messages merely printed on the bottom, whereas the more hardcore models have sweet nothings etched into the sole in reverse.
That means you can leave imprints of "I do" or "I'm his" and "I'm hers" with every step you take down the beach on your honeymoon.
The overall effect is definitely worth the extra coin: Your romantic friends will love it, and the cynics of the bunch will never stop retching.
Wedding flip-flops are a great option.
They're a fun way to save money without sacrificing looks, make sure you're feeling good enough to keep dancing all night long, and give your toes a chance to see what all the fuss is about.