Bride: Trust your instincts when it comes to wedding vendors

Contributed photo Mike Ott and Christy Bell are seen here on their Oct. 22, 2005 wedding day. Photo by Brad Smith/Photosmith

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By Christy Bell Ott, Guest columnist 5:26 PM Monday, February 8, 2010

I can vividly remember the day my husband proposed to me. I remember the surroundings and what he said, but mostly I remember how I felt. It was like in that moment, my whole body lifted a few inches off the ground and my feet didn’t touch the floor for the rest of the day.

It was completely and totally surreal. 

The wedding planning, while not exactly surreal, was still one of the most fun periods of my life. My husband and I started by discussing what was most important to us about our wedding (in our case, the food and the photos), and that was where we spent more of our budget. We split up tasks according to our interests.

My mom also worked with several of the vendors.

I then set up a timeline so that we weren’t too rushed at the end. Sticking to that timeline and sharing the planning load ended up helping to both keep within our budget and keep our sanity. Of course, the process did have its moments.

In hindsight, my mom and I spent way too much time discussing, debating and worrying about centerpieces. In the end, Mike Meckes, the general manager of Clovernook Country Club, where we held our reception, created beautiful centerpieces within our budget. Choosing vendors like Mike that we could trust and who shared our vision for the day ended up being the smartest decision we made.

If I could give current brides-to-be some advice, it would be to trust your gut about your vendors. If you’re hesitant about working with a someone, choose someone else. 

I also often hear brides refer to the wedding using only “I” and “my.” Don’t forget that it’s your fiance’s wedding as well, and the event should represent the two of you as a couple. I found that there were very few things my husband had a strong opinion about, so when he did feel strongly about something, it was important to listen and make sure he had a say.

We also tried to personalize our ceremony to keep the focus as much on the ceremony as the party. 

Our florist, Rosemary McNair of Petals and Things, told me that she seldom sees a bride who isn’t calm and excited by the day before her wedding. She was right. By the Friday before our wedding, all my worry about the day was out the window, and I could feel nothing but giddy anticipation. And the day didn’t disappoint. 

We had chosen a chocolate and champagne color scheme with pale pink accents for our October wedding. My dress felt like it was made for me. The flowers were more beautiful than I could have imagined. The food was delicious and we had a wonderful time. Even the things that didn’t go perfectly (and there’s always something) didn’t ruin our day. 

If I could relive our wedding day 100 times, I’d do it in a heartbeat. Mostly what I remember is that surreal feeling again. We were surrounded by people who loved us and were there to celebrate us.

I swear my feet never touched the ground. There have been very few moments in my life like that, and I wish that same feeling for every other bride-to-be.

It was one of the best days of my life.

Christy and her husband Mike reside in Monroe with their daughter, Ellie, who was born April 27, 2008.

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Want to tell about your big day, from the engagement to the honeymoon? Send us your story in 550 words or less with a photo to mgambrell@coxohio.com. You must have permission from the photographer to reprint photos.

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