I live by good vibes. I seek them out and am always drawn to people who give them off. An if you need any, I’m going to do my best to send ’em your way.

The reason I’m telling you this is because I’m about 13 months into wedding planning. I still have a few months to go until the big day, which means things are starting to ramp up as far as decisions, timelines, you name it. I’ve been asked a few times here and there about how it’s going, how it’s gone and, really, how I made my decisions along the way. I’ve thought about writing a bit on wedding planning over the last year, but have never just taken the time to do it. After casually mentioning that I was thinking about this blog, I was told to “just do it!” And that was all the motivation I needed.

I’m not going to run down every person I’m working with just yet, but I will when it’s all said and done. I’ve been really fortunate to find some amazing people (friends and family included!) to bring my vision to life. I’m excited to sing their praises because this all wouldn’t be possible without them.

And their good vibes.

Rachel J. Events

Let’s be honest here. Rachel kicked off the “vibes” thing for my wedding. I met her at a bridal fair and just instantly knew. She’s it. I want to work with her. I got home after the bridal fair and told my fiancé that Rachel was going to be our wedding planner. I was that sure from one quick meeting.

I knew I wouldn’t be able to really plan a wedding with my job. I’m basically working non-stop from August-January every year with football, and my schedule makes it tough to sit down and make calls, check in with vendors, etc. I can barely take care of myself during football season, so I knew I needed some help. Rachel has handled it and kept everything on track, and I’m very thankful for that.

Plus, there’s just something about her. She’s easy to like, easy to want to work with. And I could tell that from the moment I met her.

Molly B. Photography

You know who I love? Molly and her husband Joshua. I want to be their friends forever and I’m really not joking. They are just the raddest humans alive.

I actually followed Molly on Instagram long before I was engaged. I was just an instant fan of hers. Before we ever even met, I could just tell she was a great person. She far exceeded my expectations when we met.

Our engagement photos were really great, which only makes me more excited for our wedding photos. I know they’re going to be great too, because Molly and Joshua have such an ease to what they do. It’s hard not to feel comfortable around them, which I know will translate to the best photos/video. But again, I want to be BFFs and all that.

By the way, go like their Facebook page.

Rhylan Lang

Owner Tracy and my consultant Deena have been nothing short of incredible. My first visit to their beautiful space in Omaha’s Old Market was fun, personable and ultimately successful. I mean, I found my dress with them!

And while I don’t want to say much here yet, the vibe I got from Tracy and Deena knowing this was just right was the same feeling I got about the designer of my dress. It’s hard to explain, but it was a feeling I couldn’t shake.

Tracy sees a lot of brides, as does Deena, but neither have ever made me feel like anything but the most important person when I’m in their shop. The same goes for all of their consultants, including Bree Coffey (who has made me smile more times than I can count talking about my dress, my shoes, all of it). There’s something about stepping into a space that so clearly celebrates women that makes you just want to stay there.

Noa Brides

I knew the moment that I met Noa Brides owner Rachel Campbell that I wanted to work with her in some way. The best way I can explain Rachel is incandescent. There is a brightness to her that is only matched by her kindness. Take a look at the “About” page of her website and you’ll quickly learn what moves and motivates her. She promotes inclusivity, provides eco-options and ethical production and gives back to the community (as in “20% of net profits back to the community, prioritizing organizations that support entrepreneurs of color and women-owned ventures” kind of giving back).

Rachel helped me find an incredible piece I’m excited to wear through the rest of my engagement (and for the rest of time, let’s be honest) from Claire La Faye (an amazing designer from Portland, Oregon), is going to help me bring my accessories vision to life and is going to be a big part of my bridal shower. It makes me happy to know I have so much more to look forward to with Rachel.

Arc Bridal

While I didn’t find my dress at Arc Bridal, I will always be so fond of Megan and her beautiful shop. She is ultimately the person that got me over my fear of trying on dresses. I was so nervous about the whole experience but she made it wonderful and lovely, which is fitting since those two words describe her well. She basically became the voice of reason as I sorted through my feelings on dresses, which was pretty incredible for her to do knowing that could lead me elsewhere. She’s just good people and I could tell that from the moment I walked into Arc Bridal.

What I’ve learned through wedding planning so far is simple: trust your gut. Those vibes you feel when you meet someone? They mean something. That’s not to say anyone you don’t jive with is a bad person (hardly that!) but it just means maybe it’s not the person you are meant to work with. We all connect to one another differently, so I know what’s right for me won’t necessarily be right for all. That’s why I’m big on trusting how you feel.

For me, every person listed above (and those I have yet to mention, but will soon!) was someone I instantly connected with. I felt good in their presence. I felt like I’d found friends in people I had just met. That’s pretty cool. And so when people have asked me how I picked X, Y and Z vendors to work with, I tell them just that. It maybe seems arbitrary (and it is to a degree) but it’s honest.

Omaha—and Nebraska!—have some incredible people doing incredible things, and you know from the moment you meet them that there is just something special about them. And there are a lot of those people in communities all over.

So cheers to all of you, the people putting good vibes out into the world.

Erin