Coordinators....why??

I think another part of it also is that I have 13 months to plan things. I know it will go quick but I already have the venue, photographer, officiant, possible Dj, dress picked out...waiting to go order it when my mom and I can coordinate schedules, a dress for my bridesmaids, so Im not sure I need the help of coordinator and I have a bridal concierge the day of to do all those things for me so it wont' be my MOH or family or bridesmaids....

With that much time to spare I think you could tackle all the planning yourself if you were looking to save a little money. I had a year to plan and there were so many tiny details that came to me during the process that I know would never have made it into the day if I had just handed over the planning to someone else. For the record, I had numerous vendors and 3 days of events and it all went beautifully. The key is to stay organized. I do reccomend a little help on the day though. But, if you have detailed instructions and a good timeline any DOC should be able to help you to execute to satisfaction.

I didn't mean to insult anyone but coordinating a wedding is not for the faint of heart; if you think the women here can be mean, wait until a wedding gets messed up for lack of experience. New DOC's should apprentice or intern with an experienced planner, and ideally, also for a few vendors; florists, catering companies or halls, even rental places.

Planning and choosing vendors is one thing, but having all those vendors come together on one day? It's a pretty wild task.

I know...I was just trying to make a different point/side point...and don't worry...I wasn't offended

We hired a DOC and got her extended planning package since I am 4000 miles away in another country. She's local and can take care of some things that I can't. But my biggest reason for hiring her is bc I don't want my family or friends to be the ones running around setting up my tables, making sure the decor is in place. You have to think about the fact you are spending a lot of money on your wedding, you need someone (well I do) who will execute it and make sure everything runs as planned and as smooth as possible. I think Kris described her day well and all the little things that she needed that was taken care of, mine will move the earth for me if need be. She works for me, not the venue. My venue also comes with a coordinator that will help a lot but at the end of the day she doesn't know my vision and my DOC will.

You should also know the types of questions to ask your prospective planners.

If they planned their own wedding, or planned their sister's best friend's mom's wedding, then chances are the only thing that separates you from them, is the fact that they've done it ONE more time than you have.

Even though it isn't regulated in our industry, a wedding planner needs to hold some sort of certification, now I know that probably sounds like I'm plugging myself, but in reality you as the customer need some sort of assurance that the planner you are hiring has made some sort of personal investment towards improving their craft.

And lastly, a good planner knows how to negotiate other vendor contracts to save you money without compromising quality, or making the vendor feel like they are giving their services away for free which also improves your wedding because the vendor feels valued, and that is important.

A wedding planner helps you with finding vendors and how you want your day to be. Some are hired from the very start of your wedding planning.

A DOC executes the wedding as you have planned. He/she will take care of any obstacles during throughout the day. I would say this is the most important and useful vendor.

Ok then I think the conclusion is that I do not need a wedding planner, or a DOC because my venue comes with a bridal concierge (what they call her) to do all those things on the day of!