- Blog
- Bios
- Boards
- Classifieds
- DIY
- Gallery
- Vendor Reviews
- Shop Weddingbee
Weddingbee boards
We're planning the wedding ourselves too, but I've decided to hire a day of coordinator to ensure things go as smoothly as possible. I don't want to be answering questions every two minutes and having to deal with this and that. I spent too much time planning this day for something to go wrong. Besides, everyone says the day goes by so fast so I want to enjoy every minute of it :)
I wasn't thinking of hiring a day of coordinator but the closer we get to the big day the more I realize the amount of little details there are involved. I don't want to have to be worried about all the details coming together, so we decided to hire one. I think that more than anything it's for peace of mind, which is well worth it to me.
we haven't so far...I have 2 sisters, and I think we'd rather use that $ elsewhere...
The problem with relying on the venue coordinator is that he or she wroks for the venue, not for you. The coordinator at our venue will be overseeing two receptions on the same night. That is why we hired our own coordinator. If you really want to make sure someone is completely focused on your needs without relying on family and friends, then I think a DOC is the way to go.
Our wedding is in a little over 3 weeks and we're not having a day of coordinator. We too have a site coordinator who is overseeing our event only. I also have a few of my mom's friends assigned to help out/answer questions. Since the caterers are exclusive to the venue and we don't have a lot of vendors, I think it'll be just fine. We're using the money for a photobooth instead. :-) Also, I've had three friends get married within the past year without coordinators and everything went well at all 3 weddings.
We have a catering coordinator and a venue coordinator so hopefully they'll be able to figure it out between the two of them.
I have however written out an extremely detailed timeline, and created diagrams and actual photos of how I would like everything set up. All the different set-up pieces will be packaged together with a duplicate set of instructions. If something is slightly off noone will notice and it's not worth $500 to me.
I planned the wedding myself but hired a DOC and it was by far the best money I spent. I woke up the day of the wedding and didn't worry about a single thing. She was on top of everything - and the few weeks before the wedding contacted anyone and everyone involved in the wedding to make sure they knew when/where to be places. The night of the wedding everything went off without a hitch, and I didn't have to burden my mom or other friends/family with any responsibilities so they too could just enjoy. The wedding would have still been great without her, but I would have been checking on all the little things, making sure vendors were there, etc etc,
If you have the $ and a good referral, I highly recommend it.
Thank you guys for all your recommendations!
Vyeta7 - I think I'm going to so what you are doing and write a detailed description AND provide pictures of how I want the venue set-upf. That way it will be executed according to what I want.
Thank god our venue only allows one Reception per day so i'm sure they will be focusing on mine only for that day.
I'm glad there's such thing as Day of coordinator becaus if worse comes to worse and there's still money left in our budget, I can always hire one a month before the wedding.
I just recently hired a DOC. I am planning the wedding myself and am fine with doing that, but I do NOT want to worry about the details on the day of. It's great that she will confirm all vendors beforehand and "run the show" on the day of the wedding. I don't want my family or friends doing any of it because I want to be able to enjoy the day without working. I feel as if that is the best investment I have made so far.
I just got married to two weeks ago and spent the last year planning the wedding on my own. The days before the wedding were rushed trying to get things finished. The rehearsal and wedding days were the two most stressful days I had and would definitely have hired someone to do all that for me if we had the money to do it. Even if its a friend or family member that is organized enough to handle everything I would suggest letting someone else do it. I burst out crying at the rehearsal because the stress was so great. We did a rehearsal/decorating party and it was a madhouse with everyone bombarding me with questions and waiting for me to tell them what to do next. I had detailed charts and timelines of everything but accidentally left them at home which was in another city. I had to deal with a reverend that didn't even show up to the rehearsal and who showed up at the ceremony five minutes before it was supposed to start and did the worst job ever of performing the ceremony. The cake was destroyed in a near car accident on the way to the reception and had to be taken back to be fixed as best as could. The guys were running late and had to get dressed in a bathroom. The flowers were messed up and I didn't get them until the day before the wedding. I was so stressed out by the time of the ceremony that I had to hold back the tears. As much as I enjoyed planning our wedding, I would definitely suggest putting someone else in charge of overseeing the rehearsal and ceremony day. If you can't afford a DOC then definitely have someone you can entrust with the big task to handle it all.
AAngelo6554.jpg (34 KB, 49 downloads) 2 years old
To be completely honest... We hired a DOC and it was the best money we spent on the entire wedding. We met with her a few times before the wedding and she was with us for the rehearsal and all of the wedding day. She did EVERYthing- seriously. I thought I was pretty organized, but she went above and beyond anything I would have expected. She ran the rehearsal, set up the reception, helped get me dressed... she even negotiated with our venue to buy our centerpiece vases after the wedding! I was stressed because I'd wanted an area set up for our photo guest book rather than just having guests stand in front of a wall. Well, there it wsa- when and where she got supplies, I have no idea, but it was perfect. She'd heard my mom and I talking that I didn't have a purse for the day of the wedding; after the reherasal, she gave me one that she bought for me. After our wedding, I recommend her to anybody that getting married in Cleveland. She made the day go SO much more smoothly- not only for me, but for my husband and my mom, too, who had her hands full with taking care of my elderly grandmother. I say that if you have the money, and kind find someone good, then it is well worth it.
I relied on family members to set up our ceremony decor (which was minimal), and had my brother's girlfriend (who works for an event planning company) be our last-minute DOC. She was incredibly helpful, but I think you can get by without a professional. Maybe try mapping out on paper exactly what needs to be done the day of, and see if it's something your family/friends can help out with, or if you need a professional. The good thing about having my bro's girlfriend do it was that she was comfortable with 'working' that day... I wouldn't have asked someone who would've rather laid back and just experienced the day (like a best friend or close family member).
I just was married last weekend and take it from me Definitly hire a DOC!!! I was not going to at first and like everyone else I have done everything myself as well but if it was not for the DOC I would have went crazy. My dad was against paying money for this as well but after everything was over he gave him a huge tip b/c he realized that the DOC was a life saver. We were able to take it all in without worrying if everything is being taken care of or if a vendor is late, so on and so on..... I would never advise otherwise do it and I promise you will not regret it. Congradulations
Jacket_Back_View.JPG (2053.3 KB, 55 downloads) 2 years old Front_Beading.JPG (2055.7 KB, 52 downloads) 2 years old Gown_2.jpg (1475.1 KB, 61 downloads) 2 years old Gown_with_Jacket_Back_View.JPG (2038 KB, 63 downloads) 2 years old
We were thinking about hiring a DOC but decided not to. I was worried about all the details that needed to be done, but our caterer's party manager was GREAT! I spoke with him for about 5 minutes before doing my hair and make-up to give him all the instructions for:
- guest book table
- votives (168 of them)
- torches
- menus
- place cards
- chair numbers
- betting voucher that needs to be placed in the correct seat (bc it has the guest's names)
- pillar candles and hurricane vases
- floating candles (150 of them)
- cake, how to decorate with the flowers that the florist left
- set up the tables
- favors
- etc. etc.
I was worried that he won't be able to finish everything in time but miraculously he did. Everything went well and I did not regret not having a DOC.
I planned my wedding by myself and delegated the reception set-up to a friend. Although the reception looked good, it didn't look great. It wasn't what it was supposed to be. My friend disregarded the list I provided her with, made a last minute change to my design, and assumed that I wouldn't mind. I minded. I don't regret not having a DOC (my wedding came in $1200 under budget which is a blessing after what just happened to my stock portfolio. In view of what happened to that portfolio, it's a good thing I saved the extra $ by not having a DOC......). On the other hand, if I had a DOC, the reception would have looked the way I wanted it to. 5 years from now, I probably won't care because the reception turned out fine. However, it is only 3 weeks after the event, so I'm still a little irritated. Therefore, my vote is go with the DOC *if* you can swing it. :o)
2nd Janna19.
Had our September 6 event. Convinced DH to hire one (prior to knowing that our venue required one) and was he ever relieved after the fact.
If it is within your budget or you can squeeze it, go for it.
She and her assistants helped me arrange details and specifics before, during, and after the wedding.
She ensured that the right favors got to the right people, the right things such as guestbooks, props, decor, got set up correctly. She contacted vendors and took over everything a month out from the wedding. I didn't have to worry about a thing. She created timelines and logistics for everything and was the complete liason. I woke up on the morning of the wedding and all I had to worry about was what my bridesmaids and I were going to goof off about.
I didn't hear about any hiccups the entire wedding day although I know there were some. If I needed something or wanted something, all I needed to do was call them over and they would get things done.
Everything from last minute song changes, request to the caterer, etc. She managed loading-in and loading-out of all vendors.
There is a misconception that an event manager at a venue or a catering manager/director is a replacement or sufficient of a coordinator. This is NOT the case. They will not go out as far to do the things I described above (especially taking over and handling all the details). With that said, I also had a catering manager (AND director, AND the owner came and they all closed shop that day for our event), AND a venue event manager as well as venue electricians, etc..
With that said, we had a really complicated government venue (the 27 page contract was a hint), so it may not be really necessary for everyone. I want to reiterate if you have the luxury or the budget to fit it in, go for it.
I would recommend check with past brides who have used the same venue you are & see what they did & what their experiences were. Thats what I did. I emailed past brides and asked if they had their own coordinator or not. I received helpful pointers about what they wished had been done differently for their day at the site. Many said they recommended someone besides the venues DOC for a variety of reasons- & many expressed due to the venues needs how beneficial a coordinator might be. Ultimately I hired a wedding coordinator. Besides the input I received, it came down to the fact that (although all my friends and family said they would LOVE to help out where needed) I wanted my family and friends by my side relaxing enjoying the day with us- I didn't want anyone to stress out getting things done on our behalf. So I did the research and found a coordinator who has been very helpful, was within our budget, and also respects our overall budget goals (meaning won't try to get us to spend more than we wanted).
I have to agree with some of the other posts - having a day of coordinator was the best money we spent also. It gave me total peace of mind and I can honestly say that I got really enjoy myself at my wedding and didn't feel as though I was "hosting" the entire night. She made sure all of our guests were happy and handled the little things that came up throughout the night. Looking back I do wish that I had hired her to help me full time but I think that is more because I planned my Colorado wedding from NYC, where I live which was difficult. I don't think a full time planner is necessary for everyone but I highly reccomend getting a DOC.
6459T.jpg (3.8 KB, 44 downloads) 2 years old
Thank you for all your responses! I really appreciate it!
My question is for those people who hired a Day of Coordinator, how much did it cost you or will cost you? Just so I know if it is something that will fit our already small budget =D
Thank you!
Well- I found someone who can do services al la carte. So to make it manageable for us- we hired her to do a contract review (she will do contract negotiations if she saw something that she knew we could get more within our budget), get bids for party rentals, unlimited email and telephone correspondence (included), two in-person meetings prior to wedding(one for event design and conception/walk-thru of venue, the other a final meeting regarding the timetable for the day of), wedding dress rehearsal, since our wedding is a destination wedding we're able to use her vendor book (since we don't know all the vendors near our location), day of coordination for five hours (even though I have the venue booked for seven). And she will contact & keep up with all the vendors leading up to the wedding so everyone is on the same page (her references say she was impeccable with making sure vendors kept to what they said they would- to the point that if a vendor didn't the coordinator would follow up after the wedding to get monetary reimbursement for the bride for breach of contract from any said vendor). Since we booked her ten months in advance I think we get a little more use of her for the money. Overall= $1,850. And I think from what I have seen on the boards we will be giving her gratuity. She would have cost more had she done the leg work- which we're capable of doing: like making appointments with vendors, interviewing vendors, making my own appointments for hair, makeup, accomodation research, etc etc.
Just like you, because of a limited budget, we hired a DOC for my sister's wedding which's about $2,500. But as far as i know, the price range is wild. I have a co-worker that hired a friend to do it just for $1,100. Before we decided to hire one, we thought we could plan the wedding on our own, but it just got too tedious with so much details to take care of. But one other thing i think i can really share with you is this site called le viette (leviette.com), they sell towels made to look like real desserts, very elegant-looking while useful. My sister and I adore them and have decided to place those "dessert towels" on the guest tables at the wedding. while looking exquisite, they're also great gifts for the guests to take home. hope the info. i provided is helpful!
I just got married in May in a building at a park and wrote the entire ceremony myself. Our rehearsal had to be at our rehearsal dinner site because we couldn't get into the actual space on a Friday night without a considerable fee. I wrote an extremely detailed "script" (for lack of a better term) well in advance of the rehearsal. In addition to the actual flor of the ceremony, I included phone numbers for all of the vendors, lists of who got what flowers, timelines for after the ceremony, etc, and bestowed the title of "wedding coordinator" on the girlfriend of the best man, who has also become a close friend. She completely ran the show day of, and it didn't cost me a cent (well, we bought her a gift that we gave at the rehearsal, but other than that...) She was honored to be given such responsibility and did a great job with everything. If you have a close friend or sister who wants to help out in some way but isn't in the bridal party, this is a great way to include her and to save yourself a TON of money and worry.
I am planning my whole wedding myself, although we are also having a 2 year engagement so I can take things one day at a time for the most part. I think if I had a year or less to plan (and I"m in graduate school and work, among other things) I would definitly need a coordinator! I think it depends on what type of person you are and what else is going on in your life.
I am a very organized person and a perfectionist. So hiring a DOC was a must! Unfortunately one piece of advice I can lend is make sure that you meet with more than one DOC and get referals. I had originally hired a DOC and 6 months after hiring her I emailed her to bounce a few ideas off of her. To make a long story short I had to sue her to get my money back becuase she moved out of state and disconnected all her previous forms of contact information.
Our new DOC is AMAZING I actually plan on working with her after the wedding. Since I have become wedding obsessed!!
Shay! Thats great you found someone amazing! I've heard of horror stories about wedding coordinators! (Which looks like you also found a bad one!) I know someone who went through 2 DOC and then gave up because she could do better then either one of the DOC's!
You must log in to post.
| Visit our sister sites | eHarmony Online Dating |
eHarmony Advice Dating Advice |
Project Wedding Wedding Songs |
JustMommies Pregnancy Calendar |
Create the honeymoon of your dreams.
| User | Posts Today |
|---|---|
| Brielle | 44 |
| ndreighton | 36 |
| caseyleigh10 | 30 |
 vorpalette |
29 |
| les105 | 24 |
| ellisrobertson | 24 |
| mypinkshoes | 23 |
| fishbone | 23 |
| lionskitty | 22 |
| SouthernGirl | 21 |
| User | Posts Today |
|---|---|
| Katherine27 | 12 |
| HappilyEverAfter54 | 11 |
| bump | 10 |
| ellisrobertson | 9 |
| j_jaye | 8 |
| KimKimmieKim |
7 |
| julies1949 | 6 |
| Brielle | 6 |
| lindseyl06 | 6 |
| tonights | 6 |
Anyone here not having a coordinator? I've been planning the wedding myself. I don't think I need a coordinator to plan it. It will save me money also. My venue is providing their own coordinator on the day itself but will that be enough to make sure everything is going to run smoothly? OR must I hire a day of coordinator. I don't really want to spend if I don't really have but at the same time, Im just scared that something will go wrong.