Interview with Harriet Wilde, Bridal Wedding Shoe designer in London
One of the side benefits of compiling the list of 100 Best Wedding Photographers in the World was coming across a large range of wonderful professionals working in the world of weddings. One highlight was coming across a truly beautiful pair of bridal shoes on an American photographers blog (I can't remember who!). Harriet Wilde is a London based bridal shoe designer who makes the most beautiful, delicate lace shoes. I interviewed Ruth Shaw - Harriet Wilde is her great-grandmothers name - about her shoes.
1. How many years have you been in business and where did you learn to make such beautiful creations?
I got married in 2008 and searched high and low to find the perfect heels to match my vintage lace wedding dress, as a shoe designer I could see a gap in the market for beautiful designer wedding shoes. Harriet Wilde was established in 2008 and we first started selling our shoes in January 2009. The name belonged to my Great Grandmother, it lends itself perfectly to our brand and her name inside our shoes.
2. Whats a typical timeline in ordering?
We hold stock of our ready to wear styles, the Bespoke service can take anywhere between 4 to 12 weeks depending on the clients requirements.
3. What are the current trends in wedding shoes?
The lace shoes are very popular they work really well with both lace and satin dresses, and they can be worn again as a pretty summer shoe.
This article is part of the UK Wedding Blog
4. Can you give the readers an indication of costs of your bespoke line?
Bespoke really depends of what the client desires, they can add a strap to an existing style, make up the shoe in a different material these start at £350 or the full Bespoke service starts at £450, the shoes are a true investment as they will fit like a glove and be exactly what the client wanted.
5. Where are your bespoke clients mostly from? Do you have many international clients?
We have made Bespoke shoes for clients based in Australia and the United States, we can send samples and talk over email to take the order, with technology and post anything can be achieved, please start the process at least 6 months before your wedding, sooner if you require the shoes for fittings.
6. Can you tell us any stories about unusual shoes (complicated or just odd) that you found amusing?
Sometimes the colour people choose for their bridal shoes surprises us, we have made all sorts of colour combinations, such as orange and yellow, green and pink, not for the shrinking violet!
We love what we do and offer an excellent personal service, we specialise in bridal shoes and have a real passion to create shoes that are comfortable and stylish.
Interview by Nicholas Purcell
