I chose a photographer with a lot of trepidation.  Many of my close friends had nightmare experiences with their photographer.  So, when I called Angie at Sweet Memory Garden, I had a list of questions 3 miles long.

Some of the questions were as simple as ‘Where did you study photography?’ and some were more complex ‘What light do you feel is best for shooting someone who has a very yellow skin tone?’  She answered each question patiently and had a completely casual tone, as if we were old friends discussing our upcoming reunion.  She put me at ease and that was why we chose her.  That was the most important thing about choosing her, too: trusting my gut.

Planning a wedding involves so much advice and so many people telling you that you ‘have to’ this and ‘really should’ include that.  My photographer Angie gave me a really good feeling and I’m so glad I had that experience up front.  From then on, whenever I had anxiety about a vendor or a decision, I wouldn’t just brush it off with ‘it’ll be ok…’  I really listened to myself and asked the question ‘Why am I so anxious about this?’  Every time I asked that question and took a moment to just listen to myself, I could hear an almost audible, calm voice responding with a clear answer.

I just love it when wedding planning helps me learn a skill set I’ll use in future ventures!

Another example of listening to my gut was finding the material for my darling dress (can’t show pics, cause the fiance may be reading – Hi, Superman!)  I have a very talented seamstress, and I had a specific pattern for the dress.  I wanted to find the perfect material and an exhaustive search of all the fabric stores in my city convinced me that I’d be finding what I needed online. More searching there, though, and I was disheartened.

I landed on an eBay page with some viable options.  However, they weren’t right, either.  The doubting folk around me told me I should just settle for what was available.

I didn’t listen.

I emailed a lovely woman named Tresa and just asked if she had anything akin to what I wanted.  Several email conversations and one helluva search on her part later, and I had exactly the kind of fabric I’d been searching for. Had I listened to the naysayers around me, I might have been wearing a dress I merely liked, rather than loved.  Tresa worked the miracle because I asked.

Both Tresa and Angie were experienced, but that was not what made them qualified to participate as a vendor in my wedding.  Each new vendor I choose gets the same evaluation: does my ‘gut’ like them?  Do I feel comfortable with what they’re offering and how it is being offered?  It’s a simple thing, but whoy, has it made a big difference!

What difficult decisions have you finalized by trusting your instincts?