Like most women, I love buying shoes. I think a beautiful pair of shoes is one of the most fantastic things in the world. I definitely wanted a really special pair of shoes for my wedding. I have several pairs of Manolos but had never owned Jimmy Choos, and I was dying for a pair. So when I managed to get my wedding dress at half price, I immediately put the remainder of the wedding dress budget into the shoe budget and started shopping for Jimmys!

Unfortunately, I wasn't too enthralled with the Jimmy Choo bridal collection. I thought they were lovely and well made shoes, but unfortunately not what I was looking for. To me they were just a bit too plain and ordinary for what was supposed to be such a special day. I looked elsewhere, considered Christian Louboutin and Manolo Blahnik, but just couldn't find the right shoes.

I never gave up on the idea of Jimmy Choos though. I spent many hours trawling the internet, hoping to find a pair somewhere out there that were special enough, with a little bit of sparkle and just the right colour. All to no avail mind you, but I kept trying. And finally, on about my 100th internet search, I stumbled across a small article about how Jimmy Choo "lost" his name. Apparently the actual man himself, Jimmy Choo the shoe maker, sold his rights to the ready to wear Jimmy Choo stores and returned to his real love - designing and hand making beautiful shoes.

I nearly passed out from the excitement. The answer to all my prayers! Not only could I get a pair of Jimmy Choos, but I could get them from the REAL Jimmy Choo himself AND get them handmade exactly how I wanted them! I looked up Jimmy Choo Couture in the phone book and rang them straight away to make an appointment.

The experience was just wonderful. In Jimmy's lovely boutique in central London, your design ideas are discussed and you pick out styles you like or don't like from his look book. Then sketches of several designs based on this session are drawn, and you choose the design you like best, with any tweaks you desire of course. Your feet are measured exactly, all over, so the shoes fit perfectly. The level of detail is amazing, from the design of the back of the shoes to the material to cover the heel. They even matched the silk to cover the leather of the shoe to a swatch from my dress. Then a mock up of the shoe is made for you to try on and adjustments are made to it to ensure a perfect fit. Then they start to hand make the real shoes. You come in for two or three fittings, then the shoes are finished and yours to take away. It takes roughly 4 - 6 weeks in total.

My design involved intertwined ellipses partially adorned with clear Swarovski crystals, on both the front and back of the shoe. I opted for a 3.5" heel as I knew I'd be on my feet for such a long time on the day and wanted to be as comfortable as possible. The shoes fit like a dream, and they are so incredibly comfortable to wear! I've been wearing them around the house (with socks over them to keep them clean) for a half hour every day to break them in, and it almost feels like I'm wearing flats.

Thanks to the increased shoe budget, I was able to afford them. If my wedding dress hadn't been miraculously reduced by 50% there's no way I could've bought them. They were NOT cheap! But if there was ever an occasion to get custom designed, hand made Jimmy Choo shoes, this is it! Most brides are adamant about getting just the right dress that fits perfectly, so why not do it for your shoes too. Your day won't be marred by painful stilettos and you'll have a pair of stunningly gorgeous shoes that will last a lifetime, and unlike a wedding dress, that you can wear again. Believe me, they are totally worth it!

I love these shoes so much, they are unique, one of a kind, and so beautiful :)