Queen Victoria married Prince Albert on 10 February 1840 in a white satin gown, and the shoes were made by her shoemakers, Gundry and Son of Soho Square. The Science Museum Group still holds a pair of her satin slippers: small leather soles, no heel, as was common for the time. They matched the white of the dress. That is where bridal shoes begin for me, a quiet pair of slippers that nobody was meant to look at for long.

The shoes grew louder after that. The old rhyme gives a bride something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and the full Victorian version ends with a sixpence in her shoe, the left one. The fashion houses took the hint. Manolo Blahnik's Hangisi pump arrived in 2008 with a buckle of 144 Swarovski crystals, and Jimmy Choo, founded in 1996, became a household name partly through Sex and the City. A bride's shoe is allowed to have a story.

Picture her walking into an October ceremony in the Manolo Blahnik Taylerbinu d'Orsay in ivory satin, with a thin stiletto and a pointed toe. In my head she is wearing the Jimmy Choo Love slingback beside it, same ivory satin, sharper line. The Freya Rose Chelsea has a mid heel set with mother of pearl, which I would choose for a long day on your feet. For a softer white, the Badgley Mischka Rayna has a sculpted bow at the vamp, and the Gianvito Rossi slingback has its ribbon buckle on the strap.

My tip: hold your dress fabric next to the satin in daylight before you decide. Ivory, cream and white read very differently outside, and the shoe should look like it belongs to the hem.

Manolo Blahnik's Hangisi has a Turkish name and a Napoleonic muse: the square buckle was inspired by portraits of Josephine, Napoleon's wife. It has since been made in over 100 materials and colorways, and the Hangisli slingback in cream satin here is one of the quieter ones. Carrie chose royal blue Hangisis as her something blue to marry Big, and brides have been copying her ever since.

If you want sparkle without the full ceremony, I would look at the Badgley Mischka Cher, a white satin pump topped with a large crystal buckle, and the Fabia, which wears an imitation-pearl brooch on the pointed toe.

Pearls are the gentler route. The Forever & Always Kristen is an ivory block heel with pearls and an ankle strap, and the Madison is a slingback with pearl details on a flared heel. The HARLO Australia Emma is an ivory satin d'Orsay with a pearl-trimmed strap, and the Freya Rose GiGi puts genuine mother of pearl on a block heel. Ted Baker's Georgie is a cream kitten-heel mule studded with imitation pearls and crystals, the one I would give a bridesmaid or a rehearsal dinner.

Fitting test: walk the length of a hallway and listen. Crystal buckles can catch on a hem, so stand with the dress on and move your foot through a full step. The Knot warns that Hangisis run small because of the pointed toe and arch, so size up half to a full size.

What I would skip: a heavy brooch if your dress already has beading near the hem. One sparkling thing is plenty.

There is a reason the best outdoor wedding advice keeps returning to the same point: grass does not forgive a thin heel. The Knot quotes a fashion director saying garden weddings call for block heels so you will not sink in as you walk down the aisle, and that a mid-height, blockier heel is the most wearable option on uneven ground. That is the lens I would use on bridal sandals.

The Nina Nigella is an ivory fabric peep-toe on a chunky block heel, and the Kailee P Sasha is ivory satin with a pearl-detailed ankle strap and a ribbon. Forever & Always has the Caelis, an open-toe block heel with a statement pearl at the ankle. Jimmy Choo's Sacaria is ivory leather and ruched mesh with an imitation pearl on the peep toe, and I picture it with a short tea-length dress in early autumn.

For a higher heel, the Badgley Mischka Xeilani in ivory silk has delicate straps, and the Jewel Badgley Mischka Nayla is white satin with faceted jewels on a flared heel and an adjustable buckle. Zena Ziora's Lady Antoinette is a barely-there flat in cream, handcrafted in Italy with a Maiorca pearl toe strap. The Stuart Weitzman Lotus slide in light gold is a metallic option for after the ceremony.

Satin on grass picks up stains, so brush off dry dirt first and blot rather than rub. A dry microfiber cloth lifts light scuffs. Buckle the ankle strap on the loosest hole before you try them and check it again after an hour of standing.

What I would skip: an open toe for a cold evening ceremony, unless the plan includes a second pair.

The second bridal shoe, the one nobody puts in the invitation, is the flat. The Knot says the best outdoor wedding shoes are arguably flats, because they keep you stable on uneven surfaces and will not sink into soft grass. It reminded me that Victoria herself walked into her wedding with no heel at all.

Ballet flats are the obvious place to begin. The Sam Edelman Michaela is an ivory ballet flat with a buckle, the Zimmermann Carousel is cream leather with an oversized bow, and the Badgley Mischka Raelyn is white floral lace with lace-up bow detailing. The Badgley Mischka Xailee is a cream pointed flat with an embellished detail. Anne Barge's Sabine sits on a micro heel in blush mesh with tulle ruching, a pointed flat I would suggest to anyone who finds white a little stark.

The dressier flats have the pearl and satin treatment. The HARLO Australia Pearl Tulle flat is ivory satin and tulle with hand-sewn pearls and an ankle strap, and the Kailee P Gloria has rows of crystal on an ankle tie. The Kailee P Maddy is a white satin flat sandal with a slim ankle strap, the most secure of the group for dancing.

Test: stand in them with the dress on and check the hem. A flat pulls the dress up an inch or two, so ask your seamstress to hem to the shoes you will actually wear. Press the ball of your foot to check there is some cushioning, since satin flats are thin.

What I would skip: a soft mesh or lace flat for a muddy field. Keep it for the dance floor and wear something sturdier to arrive.

The Manolo Blahnik Carolyne has been around longer than most brides in the room: the slingback silhouette was created by Manolo in 1986, and this ivory version is in silk-softened satin on a kitten heel. I like that it comes from the same maker as the Hangisi but behaves like a pair you could wear again to a dinner.

Block heels are where I would send anyone worried about a long day. The Kailee P Leila is a white satin pointed-toe low block heel, and the Sally adds a wrapped satin ankle tie for support. The Badgley Mischka Oaklee is a white silk shantung slingback on a tapered block heel with texture the satin ones lack. The Dolce Vita Kylo is a white satin pointed pump with a slim ankle strap, and the Prologue Zia has a faux pearl ankle strap and a ribbon bow.

Mules and kitten heels are the relaxed end. The HARLO Australia Grace is an ivory satin pointed mule with a pearl-detail strap, and the Stuart Weitzman Vinnie 50 is a pale embellished slingback on a flared kitten heel. In my mind she is stepping out of the car in October wearing one of these with a knee-length dress, and the whole look says she is not rushing.

Test: a two to three inch heel is the sweet spot The Knot gives for uneven surfaces, so measure before you commit. Walk a few stairs and check that the heel does not slip off the back.

What I would skip: a backless mule for a ceremony with a long processional. It will slip. Save it for the reception.

I would choose in order. First, the ground: grass wants a block heel or a flat, a floor allows a stiletto. Second, the hem: take the dress swatch or the dress itself and find the white that matches. Third, the shoe you can stand in for six hours, not the one you can stand in for six minutes.

Then the small things. The old rhyme says a sixpence in the left shoe, a symbol of prosperity, and a blue ribbon sewn inside would do just as well. Queen Victoria managed her wedding in satin with no heel, and she is still the standard for being comfortable and looking unbothered. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Silver Heels and Slippers or House Shoes.