Using a Day-of-Coordinator?

I'm thinking of asking a really close friend who isn't a part of the wedding party to do it. I heard it's good to have. Less stressful.

I thought about that . . . but I really want my friends to enjoy the day and not be stressed.

I am having one only because I have a large wedding party. I have 2 MOH, 8 BM's, 2 Bestman's, 8 GM's, 2 Jr. BM's, 2 Jr. GM's, FG, Angel, Broom Boy, and 1 Mini Bride and 1 Mini Groom. I don't want to be stressed out on my day. Also, I didn't have to pay for it; my godparents are paying for it. It's our wedding present. I think ppl get a DOC to reduce their stress level. I agree with Ladayl try asking a friend, relative or a co-worker to do it.

Halley!! YES! A wedding planner will be a huge asset to your wedding. Trust me, they make sure that everything is perfect...and if something goes wrong, it's their JOB to make sure it gets fixed and that YOU NEVER FIND OUT! It's your day to relax and have a good time, be in love, and enjoy your family and friends. Having a DOC will make sure this all happens along with ensuring all your details and ideas come to life!

I wish I had a short answer for this... but I don't.

I wrote a blog post about day of coordination back in March of this year.

http://firstdayent.com/tag/day-of-coordinator/

Another great article I referenced in that post is entitled 'The myth of day of wedding planning' and was published by Special Events. It was written by Jenne Hohn.

http://specialevents.com/weddings/myth-of-day-of-wedding-planning-by-Jenne-Hohn/

These might help you with understanding what a day of coordinator does, how they can help, and who you might want to take on that role.

If you want someone to be a guest at your wedding PLEASE don't have them do your coordination. They'll either become a guest and fail at doing the coordinating or get so busy coordinating they won't have a chance to enjoy themselves. It's just something to think about when trying to decide how to approach this.

My venue comes with a day of planner, but she starts working with you the month before. I have enlisted the help of my coworker who will be attending the wedding with assisting the coordinator, because I want things to run (as) smoothly (as possible).

I'd definitely recommend having one so you can enjoy your day and not worry about when it's time to cut the cake, take whatever pictures, etc. I seriously had no clue which way was up after my ceremony, so our DOC (included w/ our venue) was a major lifesaver. She made sure we ate enough, had water/drinks, made sure the DJ knew what to announce next, and somehow managed to get us out the door on time.

I think a DOC is really helpful if you can afford it. I've been in a bunch of weddings, people can get really nervous and all kinds of weird stuff can happen. It's so nice having a calm, organized stranger around when you:

*smudge lipstick on the wedding dress 10 minutes before the ceremony

*step on/rip out the bustle

*have vendors blowing up the bride's phone on the wedding day with random questions or problems

*have a random wedding emergency- like, the DJ no-shows and you have to scramble for a replacement

*realize you're missing a bouquet

*have guests who must be herded on/off a bus/shuttle into the right direction

*are waiting to walk into the church. It sounds silly, but having someone there to say, "breathe, smile, and go" makes it a lot easier to do those things gracefully.

In downtown Chicago you can hire someone to attend the rehearsal and do full DOC for $500 or less, I would think other areas would be cheaper.

I am definitley having a DOC. Although both my FMIL and son's grandmother both coordinate weddings I chose to hire someone. I want everyone important to me to enjoy the day. My DOC will be responsible for making sure my groom and I don't have to deal with anything but enjoying our day.

A DOC is definitely worth it. Some venues do offer an on-site coordinator, however you want to be careful and confirm in detail what is included. Most on-site coordinators for the venues will only ensure that their staff and what they are paid to do gets done while others will definitely go out of their way to make sure the whole day goes off without any issues. Check with your venue to see if they offer it. If they do not, ask if they have any referrals and also check with your other vendors as they have a network of people they work with.

A DOC will not only make sure your vendors are arriving on time, the ceremony and reception is setup perfect, but will also make sure that every little detail that you may not see or think of is in it's place. I always have my wedding emergency kit which includes anything from a bandage, hairspray, extra garter and anything else that may go wrong.

It most definitely helps!! pro-DoC all the way.

The question is: What do you expect them to do?

If you only want someone to keep the 'flow' of the night and be able to help with emergencies, there are a number of people who may be able to really help with that. I work with my wife who double checks things for me and handles the inter-vendor communications to keep things sane. Most of your better wedding pros will bring an emergency kit - so ask if that's important to you.

But if you need someone to do more than double check things, maybe verify that vendors show, answer all those little questions for vendors, then you may need a person dedicated to that role. But expecting them to just 'show up' and to perform is crazy. It takes time to talk with the vendors, understand the plan you have in mind, and then figure out how to implement that plan effectively.

If you think someone can just 'walk in' and make 'magic' happen without any prep work you're going to be disappointed. In all honesty, you can save money and use it elsewhere.

Our venue came with one but if I didnt have one, I know I would have totally regretted it!

A lot of planners add in some type of DOC service to accommodate brides who want to handle most of the planning themselves, but want someone else to handle the final details and pull things together. That being said, though, I think that it is virtually impossible for an outside DOC to walk in to the venue the day of the event and expect to get up to speed on everything that is going on.

If you want to hire a DOC, look for someone with a package that starts about a month or so before your wedding day. This person will handle all final vendor communications, review all of your wedding elements, put together the itinerary, co-coordinate or coordinate the rehearsal, etc., before the actual day. Also, look for someone who will be there the whole day - 8 hours isn't enough to cover most weddings. The DOC needs to oversee set-up, be there for the ceremony & reception, and oversee teardown.

A good DOC package is about 40 hours worth of work, so expect to pay a reasonable and fair price!

We had a small wedding, only 40 guests, and have a DOC was a must! She took care of everything! She helped me with the time line, she worked with the other vendors so I didn't have to on the wedding. Everything was coordinated and everything flowed so smoothly thanks to her! I really don't think it would have been half as great without her to keep everything on track.

We had a DoC and she was very helpful. I'm really happy she was there because she relieved a lot of stress from me. I'm firmly believe that your guests should enjoy the party you're throwing for them, except if you need something minor.

That said, I only hired her because I found somebody with a decent price. DoC in my area start well over $1,000 and that was not the price I was willing to pay for the work we needed done.

Consider me your wedding day assistant!! I am in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. I do everything from decorating, to organizing, dealing with any emergencies that arise, keeping the timeline on track, completing checklists, running errands, working with vendors, or ANYTHING else you need!!! All phone calls/texts/emails to prepare for the big day are free.

I charge an affordable rate of $55 an hour (2 hour min) or $385 for the day (up to 8 hours) and require only $50 deposit to hold your day!

Contact me soon to see if I still have your date available! Looking forward to hearing about your wedding and how I can be of service.

-Tina Wojciechowski

(231) 233 5605 or *******@*******.***

Check out my website for more info: http://www.wix.com/tina393/phoenixweddingdayassistant

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