Post # 1
Member
302 posts
Helper bee
Hi Bees –
I don’t have a wedding planner, planning has gone smoothly so far, and my family and friends have been awesome in volunteering to do anything at all to help with our day. Because I will be focused on being the bride on the actual wedding day, I’m wondering if I need a day of coordinator.
Please share your experiences, thoughts, etc. on day of coordinators. If you aren’t hiring a day of coordinator, do you have someone assuming the role of directing the ceremony, dealing with vendors, etc.?
Post # 3
Member
3625 posts
Sugar bee
We had a month-of coordinator, although really, it was more like a rehearsal and day-of coordinator. I didn’t need her to contact or vet out any vendors and the majority of my vendors were already familiar with the space and each other, so that helped cut down on logistical issues.
That being said, I absolutely would push for a day-of coordinator if you have the budget for it. It’s nice having someone that’s not caught up in the energy/magic of the day (unlike a friend or family member) that can keep an eye out on everything and make sure things are running smoothly. She acted like our baby sitter, and made sure we got from point A to B and that we were never thirsty/starving/etc. Even DH thought the world of her and was really thankful we hired her.
I think ours charged about $950 or so for day-of coordination. It was like an extra $100 or something to add on the month. The other two I contacted were about $1k for day-of too, but I think this varies depending on the region. Everything here tends to be pricier.
Post # 4
Member
1769 posts
Buzzing bee
We aren’t allowed to start setup in our reception space until 3pm the day of, and our ceremony is at 2:30, so we’re hiring a DOC (starting interviews next week!). I thought I was going to have to convince my mom and Fiance that we needed one – imagine my surprise when my mom told me out of the blue that we should hire one.
Besides the reception set-up, a DOC will be nice for the following things:
Cleaning up at the end of the evening
gathering gifts/cards/keepsakes/momentos and making sure they are put in the right spot
checking the B&G into their wedding-night hotel
seat any late arriving guests with minimal disruption
open the door for the bride’s entrace/make sure her train is straight
handle any last minute calls/questions from vendors/guests/etc
keep the B&G on time
make sure the bride always has a drink and eats something
Around here, most DOC services start around 1200
Post # 5
Member
302 posts
Helper bee
@lilbluebird:
@StL.Ashley:
Thanks to both of you for your detailed responses! There are clearly things I hadn’t even thought of that can go wrong 🙁 It sounds like most of the day of coordinators here charge just under $1,000 which sounds crazy expensive to me, but I think I’ll ask the owners of the venue as well as my photographer if they know anyone who can do it for less. Otherwise, I may try to find a friend who wants to take on the role up through the reception. (Our DJ will keep everyone on the reception timeline, and I think my friends will make sure I eat/drink as I assumed that role in their weddings.)
Post # 6
Member
963 posts
Busy bee
We had neither, but we did go over a rough timeline with our caterer and DJ, and everything was fine and they kept things on track.
Post # 7
Member
1769 posts
Buzzing bee
@SavBride: The fees do seem expensive, but when you think about it, just the day of your wedding you’ll have at least one person with you for over 12 hours (typically), and usually it’s two people, and most DOCs attend the rehersal. So, with two people for 12 hours, and an hour long rehersal, that’s 49 hours of work – at $1000, that’s only $20/hour – not a bad deal!
Also, lots and lots and lots of people get married just fine without a DOC – if you can’t fit it in the budget, I’m sure things will work out just fine!
Post # 8
Member
59 posts
Worker bee
I’ve handled it all on my own thus far, think I’ll take my chances without one. 🙂
Post # 9
Member
2080 posts
Buzzing bee
@SavBride: Our wedding venue came with a day of wedding coordinator. Honestly, I don’t know what we would have done without her. We met her during our rehearsal, the night before the wedding. She explained and showed us what to do and when to do it. Prior to that, I hadn’t been to a wedding in years and couldn’t remember the usual order of things. I also had a bit of a panic attack prior to the ceremony and she went to get me a snack and water. We didn’t know how to do the traditional cake cutting and she showed us how to do that, as well. She made sure everything ran smoothly on my day so it was one less thing for me, the groom, or the bridal party to worry about. She also asked how everything was at the end of the wedding.
Post # 10
Member
344 posts
Helper bee
- Wedding: September 2013 - Lake Anna Winery
One of my good friends said she wants to be involved as much as she can in the wedding, but works a ton, has 2 kids, and just found out she’s pregnant again! But she has the BEST personality for the DOC job, so I’m going to ask her. That way she doesn’t have the “responsiblity” of a bridesmaid, but is going to be a major part in our day 🙂
Post # 11
Member
396 posts
Helper bee
We have gotten a DOC because I am such a hands on, want to be in charge kind of person that I needed someone else to make sure everything was right so I wouldn’t be so stressed. Plus, she sets up and takes everything down! That way once the reception is over we can go back to our hotel room and not worry about cleaning up everything.
Post # 12
Member
1115 posts
Bumble bee
We did not have a DOC or have anyone “point” person. I had gone over all timelines with our vendors and set up the deliveries of flowers/cake/etc myself. Honestly, if you are organized everything will work out fine. We had everything planned out and figured out ahead of time so it all went smoothly. There were a few minor hiccups but nothing major.
Post # 13
Member
1782 posts
Buzzing bee
Oh my goodness, it is a must! You have to have someone running the flow of events– mine is my mom’s coworker, who wedding coordinates on the side. She’s doing it for free, thank goodness! We’re giving her a list of our vendors, their contact numbers, point of contact, and she’s put together a scheudle of events for the day. She even helepd us with the floorplan, and will be doing all of our annoucements!
I can’t imagine my wedding day without someone in charge!
Post # 14
Member
4045 posts
Honey bee
The main woman I work with at the venue basically acts as a day-of coordinator. She is AMAZING and is half the reason I booked the venue. She makes sure other vendors are where they need to be and that everything runs smoothly.
I don’t know how I’d do it without her. I wouldn’t want to burden a friend or family member, and I would want someone who knows what they’re doing.
Post # 15
Member
551 posts
Busy bee
@SavBride: I discovered that Day of Coordinators are more expensive than I had anticipated ($1200-$2500 for ones that I contacted), so we are hiring one of my sister’s best friends! She actually works for Google so she’s certainly bright enough to coordinate a small wedding. We offered to pay her $500 to make sure everything goes smoothly on our wedding day and she can party with us after her duties are fulfilled. She’s a lot of fun, too, so I’m really excited!
Post # 16
Member
850 posts
Busy bee
@SavBride: We have a Day-Of Coordinator but really she’s been doing a fair bit of work for us in this last month of planning as the final logistics are getting nailed down. Her time is work every penny! Our venue has a facility rental coordinator, but as far as I’m concerned she’s pretty useless!