Sand clings to a pair of red glitter wedding shoes and lace socks peeking from under a bride's tulle gown.

Bridal shoes inspirations for adventure elopements

“Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world.” – Marilyn Monroe

That’s partly figurative and partly true for our brides who traveled half of the world to make their destination wedding dreams come true.

These adventurous brides chose to say I do in unique elopement spots in Europe instead of getting married the traditional way in their home country. Some of them tied the knot above the cliffs, while others along an alpine lake and inside a castle ruin. Unlike ordinary brides, they faced a little challenge while walking down the rugged aisle, but no problem! They wore the best shoes that matched their adventure wedding perfectly.

Written by
Cristina
Our wordsmith at Peach Perfect Weddings

Comfy wedding sneakers and loafers

90% of the weddings that we plan are outdoor ceremonies in the midst of nature. That’s why many of our brides pick a pair of wedding shoes that allow them to move with ease. They prefer comfy sneakers and loafers that may seem simple, but with unique colors and added customizations, they look stunning and perfect for adventure weddings. See some of our brides' comfy shoes below.

Bride and groom cheer with arms raised on a grassy sea clifftop, her white high-top sneakers catching the wind.
White lace-up wedding sneakers with ribbon laces rest on a weathered, paint-chipped chair.
Pale blue slip-on sneakers hand-painted with a glass-slipper motif sit beside a "Happily Ever After" pouch at Wilton Castle, Ireland.
A pair of green canvas sneakers peeks out beneath a vivid bouquet of roses and tulips on a velvet chair.
A bride in a floral-embroidered gown ties the ribbon laces of her white high-top sneaker.
Bride lifts her tulle hem to slip into pale blue sneakers as a bridesmaid looks on, at Wilton Castle.
A helper laces a green sneaker onto the seated bride's foot on patterned hotel carpet.
The same green sneakers and a jewel-toned bouquet rest on a chair draped with a tartan throw.
A hand-painted glass-slipper motif decorates these pale blue bridal slip-ons, paired with a matching keepsake pouch.
Burgundy high-top sneakers sit beside a wintry bouquet of pinecones and blue thistle, at Glengarriff Lodge.

Rugged boots for adventure elopements

Most of our brides who got married in Germany’s outdoor elopement spots wore boots for their ceremony. One bride tied the knot along a lake in Bavaria, another on a mountain top overlooking the Alps, and two others in the midst of the snowy fields of Bavaria. The other bride picked a castle ruin in Ireland for her elopement, and she wore an awesome pair of cowboy boots for the occasion! Check them all out here.

Bride laces up black ankle boots while her groom, in a navy suit, waits beside her on the gravel.
Groom's suede ankle boot and the bride's jeweled ivory cowboy boot rest on the running board of a vintage car with Irish plates.
Bride in a lace gown ties her black lace-up boots, fox-print socks peeking out, after her Neuschwanstein elopement.
Rhinestone-studded lace cowboy boots stand beside the bride's lace gown on a wooden floor.
Chunky black lace-up boots and a wide-brim felt hat rest on the gravel beside the bride's blurred tulle skirt.
A hand zips up a grey suede ankle boot over beige leggings before the Neuschwanstein ceremony.
Bride in a sheer tulle skirt laces cognac boots over patterned socks, an ankle tattoo just visible.
Tan leather wedding boots stand on a moss-covered rock in a lush garden.
Taupe suede lace-up boots rest beside loose-cut blooms on a table at Ballycarbery Castle.
A closer look at the same bridal boots, worn smooth at the toe, perched on garden stone.

Wedge wedding shoes

If you’re eloping in the Irish coastline or other similarly rugged setting, but still want to add more height under your feet, wearing a pair of wedge shoes can be the solution. Wedge shoes vary in height and style, some are just an inch or two tall while others compete with stiletto heights. Some with ankle straps while others, strapless but embedded with gems and pearls. No matter the style, all wedge shoes give the needed height to the bride who wears it. But unlike stilettos, they are more comfortable to wear in all kinds of settings. Here are some of the wedge shoes that our brides wore for their elopements in Europe.

Bride buckles the ankle strap of a pale blue suede wedge, a small dog tattoo on her leg.
Crystal-trimmed wedge sandals sit beside the bride's lace hem at Gougane Barra.
Cream pointed-toe wedding flats by Viscata rest on a red-and-black chevron cushion.
A mother buckles her daughter's black shoe as the bride, in a lace mantilla veil, looks on.
Dusty blue suede wedding pumps rest on a sunlit windowsill beside the dress.
Rhinestone sandals sit with the rings and a Celtic trinity-knot handfasting cord, at Gougane Barra.
The same dusty blue suede pumps stand on dark tile, backlit by a window.

Stylish chunky heels for the bride

Chunky heels are a popular choice for brides who always wear stilettos to add height but cannot do that for their wedding in Europe. Chunky heeled shoes look best with straps, but our brides took it to the next level by adding pearls and lace ribbons to their bridal shoes. See the glamorous chunky heeled shoes of our beautiful brides.

Pointed-toe wedding slingbacks in cream leather catch the light against a bold chevron pattern.
In a lace-trimmed robe, the bride fastens a pearl-beaded heel strap in bright morning light.
Bride in a lace gown laughs beside her bouquet, white peep-toe block heels and a sheer veil trailing behind her.
A helper buckles the bride's tan block-heel sandal, her pleated lace skirt pooling over weathered floorboards.
In a teal floral robe, the bride straps on nude block-heel sandals before a carved antique wardrobe.
Nude suede block-heel sandals with crisscross ankle straps rest on a rustic wood ledge.
In a white mini dress, the bride buckles silver glitter block heels in a red damask wingback chair.
Dusty pink suede block-heel pumps stand against a blue-and-white floral backdrop.
Newlyweds embrace on a clifftop terrace above the sea, the bride in gold block-heel sandals.
White rhinestone-strap block heels rest on a stone balcony railing above a misty lake.

Minimalist flat bridal shoes

A few select brides who eloped to Europe were confident enough to wear flat shoes under their wedding dresses. No added height but the extra comfort that flat shoes give is truly rewarding, especially if you want to walk along the fields, roads, cliffs, and shores of your selected elopement spot. One of the most interesting shoes we've seen was a pair of ballerina flats from our bride who had an elopement in Northern Ireland.

Pink leather pointed-toe flats sit beside the rings and a 'Her Vows' book, from a Lake Eibsee elopement in Germany.
Pearl-and-crystal flat sandals rest beside the wedding rings on a 'J+M' keepsake book.
Rhinestone-strap tan leather flat sandals by Steve Madden rest beside an autumn bouquet of orange dahlias.
Fingers adjust the ankle strap of white pointed-toe flats, an engagement ring catching the light.
Ivory satin ballet flats with trailing ribbon ties rest on a dark upholstered chair.
The wedding gown hangs on a hand-painted wooden wardrobe, pink ballet flats and the bouquet waiting below.
Blue velvet jeweled mules sit beside the bouquet, rings and a couple's keepsake photo on a rustic table.

Fierce stilettos for destination weddings

Contrary to flat shoes and comfortable sneakers and loafers, stilettos are undeniably hard to wear, especially when you have to walk uneven surfaces on your wedding day. However, stilettos are unparalleled in terms of elegance, class, and glamor. Whatever body style the shoes have, if stilettos are under the soles, they always shine and turn petite ladies into supermodels. No wonder most of our brides wear stilettos for their big day no matter how bumpy or rugged their venues are. Believe it or not, they look stunning and quite comfortable while walking down the aisle.

Pale blue suede pointed-toe stilettos rest on a tulle-draped armchair.
White satin ankle-strap stilettos lie on a brown velvet bedspread between the pillows.
Bride's feet in pearl-strap stiletto sandals rest on a patterned rug at Schloss Sommersdorf, Germany, her tulle gown pooling around her.
A pair of metallic rose-gold peep-toe stilettos stand on worn wooden stairs.
Ivory pearl-embellished stiletto sandals lie beside a lace veil, perfume bottle and drop earrings.
Navy velvet pointed-toe stilettos rest on a windowsill overlooking Combourg, Brittany, a wrought-iron balcony blurred behind them.
Blush pink satin crisscross-strap stilettos sit on pale marble beside a jeweled hairpin.
White lace ankle boots with ribbon bows stand beside a plaid keepsake book holding the wedding rings.
A close-up of the same navy velvet pointed-toe stiletto, its heel catching soft window light.
Ivory pearl-strap stiletto sandals lie beside perfume, drop earrings and the wedding rings, a lace veil draped nearby.
A bridesmaid in a cobalt dress helps the bride into white peep-toe stiletto sandals at Château le Mas de Montet, France.
Jimmy Choo white stiletto sandals with slender ankle straps stand against a soft floral backdrop.
Seated on a green velvet sofa, the bride adjusts her pearl ankle-strap stiletto sandal, a patterned rug underfoot.
The same lace ankle boots, laces untied, stand beside the plaid book and wedding rings.
A flower girl buckles the crystal-strap stiletto sandal onto the bride's foot on a red patterned carpet.
Crystal-strap Badgley Mischka stiletto sandals with trailing ribbon ties sit on a balcony table by a wrought-iron railing.

Elegant kitten heels

Kitten heels are relatives of stilettos in terms of sexyness and height-increasing features. They take the form of any shoe styles, peep toe, D’ Orsay, Mary Janes, and many more, but compared to all the other wedding shoes, it’s the one that exudes the sexyness and elegance of stilettos without giving the brides a hard time walking.

Dangling her legs off the bench, a bride reveals embroidered lace kitten-heel mules with thin ankle straps over a patterned carpet.
Seen from above, the bride lifts her beaded hem to step into floral lace kitten heels beside a pair of double-strap buckle sandals.
Embroidered lace kitten heels with crossed ankle straps rest on a dark wood windowsill beside a beaded gown.
Seated on a gilt antique chair, the bride buckles her lace kitten heel's ankle strap, a buckled sandal waiting on the carpet.

Finally

Wherever you plan on getting married, choose a pair of shoes that makes you feel gorgeous. It doesn’t matter if it’s a pair of stilettos for a mountain elopement or flat shoes for a stately castle wedding. If these shoes make you feel confident, you will find a way to make it work. More about elopements in Europe here.