A bride who wore her trusty "school run" Crocs on her wedding day has said the casual footwear was the perfect fit for celebrating her special day in comfort - and thinks other brides should start doing the same.
Alice Ridings tied the knot with her husband Ben in October, and although she had bought a pair of diamante-covered heels to pair with her stunning ivory gown, she ended up ditching them in favour of her lilac Crocs.
The mum-of-two, 24, said she had always planned to throw her Crocs on at the reception, but when it started raining ahead of the actual ceremony, she decided to leave her heels behind so that she could enjoy the whole day in comfort.
Alice, from Bury, Manchester, did wear her heels briefly for a few pictures, but soon kicked them off and slipped into her purple casual shoes.
She said: "I was always going to wear them in the evening. I did buy a pair of strappy heels, but it was raining and I just thought I love my Crocs, they are so comfy, I'm going to wear them all day instead.
"I just knew I wouldn't wear [the heels] as they were not comfortable. I just wanted to have fun, be comfortable and celebrate. When it started to rain again, I chucked my heels off for good and slipped back into my trusted Crocs.
"They are not even white, they are just my regular everyday Crocs that I wear on the school run or to the shops. They are so comfortable, I wear them everywhere."
Alice even wore her Crocs for her first dance with Ben, 25, and said they were much easier to dance in than her heels would have been - especially as things got more chaotic and she ended up "dancing on the tables".
The happy couple - who have been together for nine years - had an unconventional wedding all around. Alice said she had initially wanted to get married in a black dress, but couldn't find one in the bridal shops she visited.
"Our wedding was not traditional in the slightest," Alice explained, "I did want a black dress but there aren't many in the shops and I wanted to try it on, not order online. We are both covered in tattoos and I wanted mine on show for our day. I never wanted to hide them.
"While I was planning our wedding I realised everyone often forgets the main purpose. We were paying for the day so we planned it to suit us and the kids. We didn't bother with favours. It was about marrying Ben, not little bits that were going to cost us a fortune."
Looking back on her special day, Alice added: "My grandma passed away a few weeks after our wedding, she was trying her hardest to come and we were all so happy that she made it. All along she was telling me it was our day and to celebrate how we wanted. She told me not to spend too much money on one day and she helped by buying our black wedding cake."
As for wearing Crocs on her wedding day, Alice said she would encourage other brides to do the same thing - as she insisted being comfortable and happy in what you're wearing is more important than making a fashion statement.
She said: "Forget what other people want or expect, the day is about the two of you and saying your vows to each other.
"The morning after our wedding, I woke up without sore feet, so it worked out for the best. Brides wear what you want, be comfortable and just have a good time because the days go too quickly."
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