Ellie Wren

Say "I Do" with a pop of color under your wedding dress! These aqua blue wedding shoes with a peeptoe front, a matching bow on the back and a silver ring accent on the heel are the perfect wedding day accessory!

In recent months, Ellie Wren has been called upon by several Indian brides to create a dream pair of custom wedding shoes, fit for a series of wedding ceremonies known for their vibrant colors and enthusiastic celebration.  The introduction to Indian wedding celebrations has been an exciting time for us -- as a custom design team, we are always open to trying new ideas and love working with bright and vivid colors.  Often, our Indian brides will send us pictures of their gown (and sometimes several, as Indian weddings are often a celebration of multiple days) and ask us to incorporate the theme of their dress into their shoes.  Here's a look at the process we take in creating these truly beautiful custom wedding shoes, as well as a collection of some of the work we've done to date!

Gallery of Indian Wedding Shoes by Ellie Wren Custom Wedding Shoes

[gallery columns="5" ids="5387,5386,5385,5374,5372,5371,5369,5368,5366,5363,5360,5359,5358,5357,5356" orderby="rand"]

Designing Custom Wedding Shoes for an Indian Wedding:  How the Process Works

[caption id="attachment_5378" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Traditional Indian Wedding Attire Sent as Inspiration for the Bride's Custom Wedding Shoes[/caption] Often, the bride will send us a photograph of the wedding dress that she will wear for the wedding ceremony (as shown above).  We'll then take this image and create a sketch of a design (like the one below).  The design is sent to the bride for approval. [caption id="attachment_5377" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Custom Wedding Shoe Sketch for Indian Wedding Shoes[/caption] In some cases, as with this bride, we won't copy the design in the same colors, but rather have the shoes incorporate the inverse of the colors -- to have them better complement the dress, like the example below. [caption id="attachment_5388" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Custom Wedding Shoes Inspired by the Bride's Traditional Indian Wedding Dress[/caption]   Custom Wedding Shoes: Capturing the Essence of the Indian Wedding Dress Example 1: Selecting a more neutral color palette to complement the bride's selected dress for each ceremony. In other cases, the bride will decide not to include all of the colors of her dresses because of the sheer variety across a three-day celebration.  As shown below, she might elect to have her shoes done in more neutral tones so as to go with the all of her selected dresses. [caption id="attachment_5372" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Custom Wedding Shoes for an Indian Wedding Ceremony[/caption]   Example 2: Adding accents to the wedding shoes so as to create one shoe that fits each dress for wedding ceremonies. Other brides may decide to design the shoes with color that incorporates a selection from their wedding celebration dresses.  One of our favorite pairs was designed to incorporate the colors of the two dresses shown below. Here, we honored the colors of the latter dress for the base shoe -- a muted gold silk shoe with crystal accents in gold, champagne silver and blush -- and then incorporated the bright colors of the former dress by adding the flowers to the ankle.  We even custom made a small adornment for the toe of the shoe. [caption id="attachment_5358" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Custom Wedding Shoes Designed for an Indian Wedding Ceremony[/caption]   Example 3: Playing up the unique patterns of the ceremony dresses And, finally, we've also been able to create really unique hand-placed crystal designs, as well as using lace appliques and other curated items to capture the essence of the dress -- right down to the patterns of crystals and beads. [caption id="attachment_5384" align="aligncenter" width="432"] Custom Wedding Shoes Designed for an Indian Wedding Ceremony and Capturing the Essence of the Dress, Here with a Leaf Design[/caption]   [caption id="attachment_5383" align="aligncenter" width="432"] Custom Wedding Shoes Designed for an Indian Wedding Ceremony and Capturing the Essence of the Dress, Here with a Silver and Purple Peacock Feather Design[/caption] We design each shoe with the bride in mind, we have the ability to match the bride's imagination.  It's really a lovely way to have something unique and special on your wedding day.  To design your own wedding shoes, please visit our website at:  www.elliewren.com.

You say po-ta-to, I say po-tat-o. Very frequently we have brides that are seeking to have custom wedding shoes made in ivory-a color that we've come to think of as the word with a thousand definitions (ivory, dark ivory, light ivory, cream, pearl, oyster, bridal white)-and it's always a tricky question.  What ivory is the right ivory? Generally, we think of light ivory, off white, and bridal white as very light shades of ivory.  So light, in fact, that you might think that they're white.  That is, until you hold them up against something that is white.  We refer to ivory as a very classic shade that you would expect.  Enough contrast to know that it's not a white shoe, but very light on any yellow or gray undertones.  Cream, by comparison, often carries a heavier yellow undertones; while pearl and oyster, often have slight gray undertones.  Of course, you also have dark options -- dark ivory and champagne -- are lovely if you're looking for a little contrast to your dress and don't want the hassle of trying to get an exact match.  And blush is a beautiful way to add just the slightest hint of pink to your wedding day attire. To help decipher this endless list of color tones and to assist our brides in selecting their shade, we've put together a collection of our shoes in the various colors below.  In addition, don't forget that we offer a custom color match service if you have a color you'd like us to match, or we can send you a sample of swatches that we have for you to match to your dress.  To design your own wedding shoes, please check out our Design Studio! [gallery columns="5" size="full" ids="5198,5201,5200,5199,5197"] Ellie Wren offers brides a unique selection of custom wedding shoes.  Each Ellie Wren wedding shoe is hand-decorated in the United States by Ellie’s carefully selected team of artisans.  Satins, laces and adornments (including the option of Swarovski crystals and pearls) are specifically chosen for quality, color and style and every design can be further customized to suit the bride’s style–platform peep toes can be redesigned as flats and a traditional white wedding shoe can be transformed into rich rouges and brilliant blues.  

Something old, something new, something borrowed and something GREEN!  Yes, that's right!  Today, we're talking about taking traditional wedding attire and turning it on its head.  Custom wedding shoes are one of those great opportunities to add just a little bit of colorful personality to your wedding day without causing your traditional Catholic wedding wanting mother (well... mine, anyway) to shudder. In an effort to convince our ever adventurous clientele that green wedding shoes can save you from a clunky pair of white pumps, we combed through our gallery and pulled out some of the highlight custom wedding shoes--everything from a simple pair of d'orsay style kitten heel peep toes with a bit of sparkle, to a towering pair of platforms with emerald green Swarovksi covered heels, to a pair of hunter green peep toe wedding shoes with a specialty lace overlay to... wait for it... a pair of green pumps with crysal leaf accents designed for the union of two horticulturalists in love (and a lovely couple they were!). [caption id="attachment_170" align="aligncenter" width="440"] Fall in love! These sage green custom wedding shoes feature a cluster of handmade flowers on the toe in shades of fall.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_153" align="aligncenter" width="440"] Make them green with envy with these vivid lime green peep toe custom wedding shoes.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_115" align="aligncenter" width="440"] Ahoy Mateys! Honor your love of sailing with these nautically themed custom wedding shoes.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_106" align="aligncenter" width="440"] It's easy being green with these stunning peep toe custom wedding shoe wedges in green with a green lace overlay.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_105" align="aligncenter" width="440"] K.I.S.S. Keep it simple sweets! Dress up your wedding day with these simple d'orsay style custom wedding shoes.[/caption] [caption id="attachment_104" align="aligncenter" width="440"] The Ruby Slippers ain't got nothing on these Emerald City party custom wedding shoes![/caption] [caption id="attachment_103" align="aligncenter" width="440"] Lovely in lace! Take your traditional lace wedding accent and make it pop with these custom wedding shoes with specialty lace.[/caption] Are you convinced yet that green wedding shoes mean GO!  Okay, okay... maybe green wedding shoes aren't your thing, but you can't dismiss the possibility of creating something truly special and unique for your wedding day... just like these green leaf accented custom wedding shoes for two horticulturalists in love! [gallery size="large" columns="2" ids="190,191"] About Ellie Wren Custom Wedding Shoes… Ellie Wren’s unique wedding shoe styles have been walking down the aisles since 2011 as part of her other company, Design Your Pedestal.  Ellie Wren Custom Wedding Shoes works one on one with each of its brides to create their dream wedding shoes.  Brides are welcome to send pictures of their dress, their flowers, their bridesmaids dress and share stories about their dream wedding day, how they met their fiance or just what makes the betrothed couple special to inspire Ellie Wren’s team of artists in the design of the bride’s wedding shoes.  To learn more about designing your own wedding shoes, visit the Ellie Wren Custom Wedding Shoes website.          

Kate Friedman (better known in the bridal industry as Ellie Wren) is the principal designer and owner of Ellie Wren Custom Wedding Shoes.  She has been designing women's shoes since 2007.  Ellie's wedding shoe designs are uncommon in that her specialty is working one on one with her clients to understand what makes them, and their significant others, unique.  A firm believer that custom wedding shoes are a opportunity to capture the essence of the couple, Ellie then incorporates what she learns into the bride's wedding shoes. Ellie shoes have been walking down aisles the world over and, in addition to her collection of lovely lace-covered wedges and Swarovski-studded peep toes, Ellie has done some pretty amazing custom work, including the "Cloud Shoes" that she designed for Good Morning America's anchor meteorologist, Ginger Zee's 2014 wedding to Ben Aaron.  Other unique wedding shoe designs include her trademark baseball wedding shoes, originally designed for Yankee Stadium nuptials that have since been recreated for the coupling of Colorado Rockies', St. Louis Cardinals', Detroit Tigers', Boston Red Sox' and Chicago Cubs' fans.  She even has a pair of "rock climbing" and "pilot meets flight attendant" wedding shoes under her belt. [gallery columns="4" ids="81,80,79,78"] While a shoe lover and style devotee by birth, Ellie (then better known as Kate Friedman) didn't have the guts to pursue her passion until after four years of a traditional college education, followed by three years of law school and eight years of law practice (good for business development, bad for creativity), but she maintains that everything happens for a reason and she is now (finally!) happily and exactly where she is supposed to be in her career. Ellie lives in the beautiful state of Colorado, where she enjoys the outdoors and the 300 days of sunshine with her husband and two children. About Ellie Wren Custom Wedding Shoes… Ellie Wren’s unique wedding shoe styles have been walking down the aisles since 2011 as part of her other company, Design Your Pedestal.  Ellie Wren Custom Wedding Shoes works one on one with each of its brides to create their dream wedding shoes.  Brides are welcome to send pictures of their dress, their flowers, their bridesmaids dress and share stories about their dream wedding day, how they met their fiance or just what makes the betrothed couple special to inspire Ellie Wren’s team of artists in the design of the bride’s wedding shoes.  To learn more about designing your own wedding shoes, visit the Ellie Wren Custom Wedding Shoes website.  

Nary a day will pass when a bride doesn't email us asking for more information about how the custom wedding shoe design process works.  It's a subject near and dear to our hearts, as we work every day to create truly original, stunning custom wedding shoes, designed to capture the essence of the bride, her partner and her wedding day in this truly fun accent piece.  If ever someone paid us a compliment, it was that we are authentic in what we do.  It's a threshold that we strive to achieve with each pair... and here's how it happens! Step 1: Telling Us A Little About Your Wedding Style Brides usually initiate the custom wedding shoe design process by sending us request through our Custom Wedding Shoe Design Tool.  Brides are walked through a 4-step process during which they tell us what they like for a base shoe style, a color palette, a selection of adornment options and a quick questionnaire about their shoe size, wedding theme and any other details about their wedding day that they'd like to share.  Often, brides like to also send us pictures of their dress, their bridesmaids' dresses and their flowers to give us a sense of their wedding style. [caption id="attachment_56" align="aligncenter" width="440"] Custom Wedding Shoes: Choosing Your Base Shoe Style[/caption] [caption id="attachment_53" align="aligncenter" width="440"] Custom Wedding Shoes: Choosing Your Colors[/caption] [caption id="attachment_57" align="aligncenter" width="440"] Custom Wedding Shoes: Selecting Adornment Options[/caption] [caption id="attachment_58" align="aligncenter" width="440"] Custom Wedding Shoes: Tell Us About Your Wedding[/caption]   Step 2: Working With Your Personal Custom Wedding Shoe Designer We're a small studio based in Denver, but among this group of artists is a huge resource for creative problem solving and an eye for design.  That's the long way of telling you that if you can imagine it, we can probably do it.  After your initial request is received, a member of our design team will reach out to you via email to sort through your selections and help you start to put together the design for your shoes.  If you're trying to incorporate a special theme, let us know!  Want your shoes to tie in with your dress?  We can do that too! [caption id="attachment_52" align="aligncenter" width="432"] Custom Wedding Shoes: Matching the Dress[/caption] [caption id="attachment_59" align="aligncenter" width="440"] Custom Wedding Shoes: Incorporating Your Wedding Theme[/caption] [caption id="attachment_60" align="aligncenter" width="440"] Custom Wedding Shoes: Incorporating a Special Element[/caption] As you're discussing your design ideas with your designer, they'll be able to send you photos of ideas and options.  For brides that really want to be able to visualize their final design, we can send you sample swatches of the materials that we will use and even create a sketch of the final design.   Step 3:  Ensuring the Perfect Fit (Optional) Custom wedding shoes are a bit of a splurge for sure!  When you're putting that much time, energy and money into your wedding attire, you want to make sure that the shoe fits!  To accommodate this need, we do offer a "Try Before You Buy" program.  You can read more about how that works in our recent blog post here.   Step 4:  Putting It All Together!  Once you have a finalized design with your custom wedding shoe designer, you'll receive an invoice with all of the specifications via Paypal.  Because of the custom nature of your wedding shoes, we do request payment upfront.  Generally, the process will take anywhere from 4-8 weeks.  Your custom wedding shoe designer will be able to give you an accurate timeline when you order your shoes.  And, of course, if you have a fast-approaching fitting or (yikes!) wedding date, we can work with you on those as well. Each of our designs are handmade by our designers here in the studio.  While we start with a pre-made base shoe, every crystal, pearl and sequin is hand placed with care.  We make every flower and paint every sole.  It's this degree of artistry that enables us to make the perfect custom wedding shoe for your wedding day. [caption id="attachment_50" align="aligncenter" width="432"] Custom Wedding Shoes: Placing Pearl Buttons on a Wedding Shoe[/caption] [caption id="attachment_49" align="aligncenter" width="432"] Custom Wedding Shoes: Lacing a Shoe[/caption]   Step 5:  Reviewing Your Shoes Before your shoes ship, we'll take pictures of them from a couple of angles so that can see what they look like before they ship.  While we're not able to make major changes at this point, we can make minor ones (you'd like a few more Swarovski crystals scattered in the lace or your changed your mind about adding a message to the soles -- all doable)! [caption id="attachment_61" align="aligncenter" width="440"] The Final Approval: Reviewing Your Wedding Shoes Before Shipping[/caption] [caption id="attachment_63" align="aligncenter" width="440"] Custom Wedding Shoes: Save the Date with a Special Message on the Soles[/caption]   Step 6:  Accessories!   While you don't have to, wouldn't it be grand to have your shoes, your sash and maybe a few little accent pieces for your updo to match your shoes?  We can do all of that as well!! [caption id="attachment_64" align="aligncenter" width="440"] Custom Wedding Shoes: Pull It All Together With Complementing Accessories![/caption]   About Ellie Wren Custom Wedding Shoes… Ellie Wren’s unique wedding shoe styles have been walking down the aisles since 2011 as part of her other company, Design Your Pedestal.  Ellie Wren Custom Wedding Shoes works one on one with each of its brides to create their dream wedding shoes.  Brides are welcome to send pictures of their dress, their flowers, their bridesmaids dress and share stories about their dream wedding day, how they met their fiance or just what makes the betrothed couple special to inspire Ellie Wren’s team of artists in the design of the bride’s wedding shoes.  To learn more about designing your own wedding shoes, visit the Ellie Wren Custom Wedding Shoes website.          

It isn't uncommon (or particularly surprising) that many of our brides seeking a pair of custom wedding shoes are concerned about the fit.  As custom wedding products, often handmade exactly to the brides specifications, it remains a challenge for us as designers to create a pair of dream wedding shoes only to find that the bride's heel slips in the back.  Returns and exchanges are tricky for both parties--brides have fittings and drop-dead dates by which they need the shoes, and, for Ellie Wren, sometimes the designs are so unique, resale isn't possible (as fun and creative as they are, how many brides are looking for custom airplane shoes?). [caption id="attachment_27" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Love Flies - Custom Wedding Shoes Designed for an Airline Industry Couple[/caption] To accommodate this problem, Ellie Wren has introduced the "Try Before You Buy" program.  For a small fee (the majority of which can be credited toward the price of the bride's custom wedding shoes), brides can order a pair of shoes for the purpose of trying them on before the custom work is completed.  Here's how it works... Shoes may be purchased in your size and shipped directly to you. They will arrive unadorned and in white. The cost of this service is $45.00 (per pair) fee and you will be responsible for the cost of shipping the shoes to Ellie Wren for completion of the custom order.   If you complete the purchase of your shoes, 75% of the $45.00 per pair cost will be credited to your purchase. You will not be credited for the shipping costs to Ellie Wren. If you do not purchase the custom design for your shoes the $45.00 will be non-refundable. If you decide you'd like a different size, we can send you another size, but the credit will be 50% of the $45 (which can only be applied toward the cost of the completed shoes). Please note that the try on option will add approximately 2 weeks to the production time of your shoes. The Try Before You Buy program is offered to U.S. based customers. We can, upon request, arrange to have “try on” shoes sent to brides located outside of the U.S. Pricing will depend upon the destination (due to costs of shipping). Since it's inception, about 25% of our clients opt for this program (a small portion of them are international brides) and we've found that it works beautifully.  In the end, you're really paying for the shipping to get the shoes to you, as you do get a credit toward the purchase of the custom wedding shoes when you commission the final design. About Ellie Wren Custom Wedding Shoes… Ellie Wren’s unique wedding shoe styles have been walking down the aisles since 2011 as part of her other company, Design Your Pedestal.  Ellie Wren Custom Wedding Shoes works one on one with each of its brides to create their dream wedding shoes.  Brides are welcome to send pictures of their dress, their flowers, their bridesmaids dress and share stories about their dream wedding day, how they met their fiance or just what makes the betrothed couple special to inspire Ellie Wren’s team of artists in the design of the bride’s wedding shoes.  To learn more about designing your own wedding shoes, visit the Ellie Wren Custom Wedding Shoes website.

Check out Ellie Wren's custom wedding shoe design of the week -- blush peep toe bridal shoes with a handmade chiffon flower on the toe.