The Australian Winery Wedding Footwear Guide: What Shoes to Wear on Grass, Gravel, and Decking (Without Sacrificing Style)

The invitation says the ceremony is on the lawn, drinks are in the courtyard and dinner is in the barrel room. That one line tells you more about your shoes than the dress code does. The best winery wedding guest shoes are flats or wide block heels that spread your weight over lawn, sit steady on gravel and cannot slip between deck boards. Choose by the ground first and the dress second, and you will still be standing, in your shoes, when the band plays the last song.

In this guide

• Why thin heels sink at a winery (and the 20 cent coin test)
• The four surfaces of a winery wedding, and what works on each
• Can you wear flats to a formal winery wedding?
• Four winery wedding outfits, worked through
• Winery weddings through the Australian year
• Six mistakes guests make at winery weddings
• The night before checklist
• Frequently asked questions
• Our winery wedding edit

Why thin heels sink at a winery (and the 20 cent coin test)

When you walk, the heel lands first and takes almost all of your weight for a moment. On a thin stiletto, that weight is pressed into a tip about 1 cm across. On a watered lawn, that is enough to push the heel straight into the turf, and it comes out again carrying mud. A block heel spreads that weight over a larger base, and a flat over the whole sole.

Here is the rule of thumb we use. Turn the shoe over and hold a 20 cent coin against the base of the heel. If the heel is smaller than the coin, it will sink into soft lawn and catch in deck gaps. If it is roughly the size of the coin or larger, it will hold on firm grass, pavers and decking, though a freshly watered lawn can still take it in. If you want no risk at all, go flat.

The other half of the equation is how the shoe stays on your foot. A heel with a strap across the instep or behind the heel, such as a Mary Jane or a slingback, holds your foot to the shoe when the ground tilts. A backless shoe, such as a slide or a mule, relies on the strap or vamp across the front of the foot. On flat ground that is all you need; on a sloping lawn, take shorter steps.

The four surfaces of a winery wedding, and what works on each

A winery wedding rarely stays on one surface. Across seven or eight hours you are likely to cross all four of these, often in the dark by the end of the night.

Surface	What goes wrong	What works
Ceremony lawn	Lawns are often watered the day before so they look green in photos. Thin heels sink, and you stand for 20 to 40 minutes on the spot.	Flats of any kind, or a block heel at least the size of a 20 cent coin.
Gravel paths and car parks	Loose stones roll under a small heel and scuff the heel cover. Thin soles let you feel every stone.	A flat with a cushioned insole, or a block heel. Walk on the firmer tyre tracks where you can.
Timber decking and verandas	The gaps between boards are a few millimetres wide, which is exactly what catches a stiletto tip.	Anything with a wide heel base or no heel at all.
Reception and dance floor	Concrete, polished timber or a hired floor on top of grass. By now your feet have done six hours.	A shoe with a memory foam insole and a lining that does not rub, so you can still dance at 10pm.

If you remember one row, make it the lawn. It is where you stand still longest, and where most stiletto plans end.

Can you wear flats to a formal winery wedding?

Yes. What makes a shoe read formal is its material, its detail and how the hem sits over it, not its height. A plain rubber thong looks casual under any dress. A flat in organza with beading at the toe, or a sandal in nubuck with studs and an engraved buckle, looks chosen.

Three things keep a flat looking dressed for cocktail and formal codes:

• One point of detail. Beading, studs, a buckle or a textured leather. The shoe should have something to look at, because it no longer has height to carry it.
• The right hem. A maxi dress worn with flats should be hemmed so it finishes about 1 cm above the ground while you stand in the shoes. Longer than that and it drags through lawn and gravel, and you will be carrying a brown hem into dinner. If the dress was altered for heels, it is too long for flats.
• A considered colour. Tan, blue and navy sit with most guest palettes. A shoe that picks up a colour from the print of your dress looks deliberate.

Even for black tie, a floor length gown over a detailed flat is correct. Nobody sees much of the shoe. They do see you walking well.

Four winery wedding outfits, worked through

Four real scenarios, with the reasoning and the one thing to avoid in each.

1. Spring, 3pm ceremony on the lawn, cocktail dress code

Wear: a floral midi dress in chiffon or cotton voile that finishes mid calf, a light knit or cropped jacket for later, and Dakota in blue nubuck.

Why it works: a midi length never touches the grass, so you can walk the lawn without watching your hem. The blue picks up a colour from most florals without matching anything exactly. Flat soles mean the ceremony lawn is a non issue, and the silver studs keep the look dressed.

Avoid: walking through the lawn after dark once the sprinklers or the dew have come in. Wet grass marks nubuck. Take the path.

2. Summer, 5pm ceremony, formal, gravel paths and a decked terrace

Wear: a bias cut slip maxi in champagne or olive, hemmed 1 cm off the ground for flats, a fine wrap for the terrace after sunset, and Sloane in tan nubuck.

Why it works: tan is the closest thing to a skin tone neutral, so the eye travels straight down the length of the dress. The studs and engraved buckle add the detail a long gown needs at the hem. On gravel, the memory foam insole takes the edge off the walk from the car park.

Avoid: an unaltered maxi. A slip dress that pools on the floor will pick up gravel dust in the first ten minutes. Get it taken up for the shoes you will actually wear.

3. Autumn, courtyard ceremony on pavers, smart trousers welcome

Wear: a navy or ivory wide leg trouser suit with a silk camisole, small gold earrings, and Selene in powder blue organza.

Why it works: a wide leg trouser covers most of the foot, so the shoe shows as you walk. The pointed toe and the beaded evil eye peek out from the hem, and that small flash of detail makes the suit look dressed for a wedding without competing with the bride. Pavers and decking are no problem for a flat.

Avoid: a trouser hem that covers the toe completely. Hem it so the front just touches the top of the shoe and the point of the toe shows.

4. Late autumn or winter, indoor reception by the fire, formal

Wear: a black or deep green midi skirt or dress in satin or crepe, sheer black tights if the night is cold, a tailored coat, and The Fiera in leopard hair-on leather.

Why it works: cooler months bring the celebration indoors to cellar doors and barrel rooms, where a block heel is at home on firm floors. The Mary Jane strap holds the shoe on across uneven flagstones, and the leopard gives a plain dark outfit its one point of interest.

Avoid: a long walk across a winter lawn in it. Ask for the path, or save the heel for once you are inside.

Winery weddings through the Australian year

• Spring (September to November): the busiest stretch for lawn ceremonies. Ground can still be soft after winter rain, so this is the season most likely to swallow a heel. Midi lengths and flats are the safest pairing.
• Summer (December to February): hot afternoons, often 30 degrees and up. Open shoes keep your feet cooler, and a leather lining is kinder to warm skin than synthetic. Later ceremonies mean the walk back is often in the dark.
• Autumn (March to May): vintage season, golden light and cooler evenings. Temperatures in wine country can drop quickly after sunset, so plan for a wrap and consider a closed toe.
• Winter (June to August): receptions move indoors, and a block heel on firm floors can outperform a sandal.

Six mistakes guests make at winery weddings

1. Wearing brand new shoes for the first time. Wear them around the house for two evenings first, with the socks off, for at least an hour each. You want to know where anything presses before you are six hours in.
2. Leaving the maxi at heel length. A dress hemmed for heels will drag when you switch to flats. Stand in the actual shoes and pin the hem 1 cm off the floor.
3. Trusting heel protectors on gravel. Clip on heel stoppers widen a stiletto tip and help a little on lawn, though they collect mud. On gravel and cobbles they do nothing for stability, and they are easy to lose. Change the shoe, not the tip.
4. Packing fold up flats as the plan. If you know you will need flats by 9pm, start in a flat that looks dressed.
5. Forgetting the weather forecast. Nubuck and organza both dislike rain. If showers are forecast, choose a shoe that can handle a wet path, and keep the nubuck and organza for a dry day.
6. Walking the lawn in backless shoes as if it were a floor. On a slope, shorten your stride and put the whole foot down. Your shoes stay on and you look calmer in every photo.

The night before checklist

Screenshot this and run through it before you pack.

1. Where is the ceremony: lawn, courtyard or indoors? If lawn, is your heel at least 20 cent coin wide, or flat?
2. Does your hem finish about 1 cm off the ground in the shoes you will wear?
3. Have you worn the shoes for at least an hour at home?
4. Is there a cold snap or rain in the forecast? If so, pack a wrap and rethink nubuck on wet grass.
5. Is there one point of detail in your look (the shoe, the earrings or the bag), rather than three competing?
6. Do you have a small cloth or soft brush in the car for gravel dust on the way home?

Frequently asked questions

Our winery wedding edit

We designed these for long days on uneven ground. Each is designed in Australia.

More from the Style Guide: how to choose comfortable flat sandals, block heels vs stilettos and comfortable bridesmaid shoes. Or explore the sandals collection.