Bridal fashion has blossomed in recent years, from a small boutique industry to a major designer fashion house concern. New York now hosts its own Bridal Fashion Week twice a year, giving wedding stylists sneak peek at the new wedding fashion trends for the year ahead. We’ve taken a look through the latest Bridal Fashion Week shows to give you some footwear inspiration for your 2012 wedding.

Statement Soles

Concealed platforms soles have been all the rage for the past few years now. Platforms give you a way to add even more height without losing out on comfort. This year, the designer take on the trend is to make soles a statement, not hide them away. If you’re looking for a truly fashion-forward bridal shoe choice for this year, look out for shoes that have a contrasting platform sole and upper. In nude these courts from Next are prime bridal shoes material, and tie in the spring 2012 trend for pale pastel shades too.

Pretty Pastels

This year’s runways were awash with the palest of pale pastels. From Lanvin to Givenchy, Marc Jacobs to Marchesa, the colour palette was powdery, pale and feminine, and that goes for footwear too. This year’s pastel shades are very much on the cool side rather than being too punchy or sickly sweet. This new 2012 palette is perfect for bridal wear, as all of these shades work hand in hand with white hues. Vogue has a great rundown of the trend at their site if you’re looking for further bridal footwear inspiration.

Futuristic Footwear

Futurism was a serious trend at all of the Fashion Week shows for 2012, including the Bridal Fashion Week events. For bridal shoes, this means a growing trend towards metallic shades. Keep this pale and subtle and go for bridal shoes in chic, pale silvers and washed-out golds. If you want to make a bolder footwear statement, look out for shoes that feature ultra-shine metallic accents, like statement metallic mirrored heels, patent metallic or transparent strapping or contrasting shiny metallic platform soles.

Go Organic

With environmental concerns still looming large, designers were keen to reflect this in their collections, getting back to nature and away from the throwaway fast-fashion phenomenon that rules the high street. Tying in nicely with the hippyish floral trend, designers made use of more organic materials than ever before, especially when it came to their footwear collections. Look out for all-natural materials like rope, cork and wood, all of which look fabulous with wedges, which really show off the material used.