Weddingbee boards

YES!!!!!

It depends on what kind of bride you are.  If you need to have everything P E R F E C T down to every last detail, hire a professional.  If you are ok with a few missing tealights or an escort card not at a right angle, I think you can enlist a friend/family member.  If you need it to be flawless, I think that is way too much pressure to put on a loved one. 

I am having my 3 aunts take care of everything.  They are not involved with the wedding otherwise, and they were THRILLED to have an 'official' role.  Also, I think cause there's 3 of them, it's not as much pressure.  My setup will be pretty easy, too.  Good luck!  This was a worry of mine, too, and I also could not find a DOC for less that $1200.  One tip, I did find a "professional organizer" who said she could take care of some things for $50/hour.  Maybe look into that.

If you were in LA I could recommend someone for $300, but I think your profile says DC. Keep looking.  If I can find one in LA for $300 there must be someone out there for you that doesn't cost so much! 

I think it also depends on how much you are doing things yourself versus depending upon other people.

Is catering taken care of?  Is there someone that will be setting up the guestbook, placecards, etc., or is that your responsibility?  Are you doing flowers yourself, or have you hired someone?  If you have hired people, how much do they coordinate amongst themselves?

The more you are doing yourself, the more important it might be to hire someone, although you could delegate the task to a responsible and organized friend or faimly member.   

Yes.  Yes.  Yes.  Two of us were the "very organized friends" helping the very organized bride - and yet she was in tears before the wedding.  You need a professional.  Someone who is 100% NOT a guest, but there to WORK at your wedding.  Best money you will spend - it will allow you to enjoy your day.

I'm having one because I don't want to burden a guest with all that responsibility.  I helped out at my friend's wedding once and it didn't really allow me to enjoy the reception that much (ended up missing the ceremony entirely because of it!).  If you could find someone affordable, I'd go for it!  Try to find someone new... go on wedding message boards (especially The Knot) because new brides are always trying to start their own wedding business after they plan their own weddings.

i concur with everyone above.  i'm a wedding coordinator myself and i made the mistake of not hiring a professional.  i figured i had it all handled with my very organized friend, right?  my very organized friend who i gave a very nice thank you gift/tip to was great, she really did so much and i'm so grateful.  but it still wasn't what a professional could have done (or what i could've done if i wasn't the bride)  i just told myself, it's okay, it's not a big deal... a few times more than i would've liked.

I'm not getting a coordinator.  Of the three most recent weddings I've been to, only one of the couples had hired a coordinator and all of the weddings went just fine - without the brides being too stressed.   I have a site coordinator who will handle deliveries and the catering and a family friend is helping with anything else (final vendor payments/tips, and anything that comes up).  Our catering company will set up things like centerpieces, placecards, etc...  I think if there are a lot of outside vendors and set up involved it is helpful to have a coordinator, but if you don't have too many vendors and are organized, you can do it without one.  Of course, my wedding hasn't happened yet, but I don't expect to regret my decision.

oh hell yes.

I work in the industry and know how this stuff can go....even though I know weddings inside out and upside down, hiring DOC was a non-negotiable IMO.  my friends (aka: fab vendors) are all throwing down for me (event design, catering, floral) but I still hired a planner I work with regularly to do my Day Of Coordinating so that I can completely chill with my family the day of the wedding. I'm not interested in being the point person on my wedding day!

Unless you have a girlfriend who wants to get into being a planner, often times having a friend do it can be more headache than help (for your friend especially). It's a lot of work running a party and if you've invited this person as your guest, then expecting them to attend to all the details is A LOT TO ASK and it's kinda presumptuous IMO.

You will save a ton of time and stress by just hiring someone. It will be one of your best investments for sure.