We want this...not that...
(photos stolen from friends of me dancing and me trying not to fall asleep as the end of the night)
We definitely considered
hiring a professional… a DOC (aka: day of coordinator). However, we never considered
hiring a wedding planner because I wanted to spend our money in other ways and
because I wanted to do a lot of it myself. Honestly, if you already have a
wedding vision, you have pretty strong opinions and you plan on finding the vendors on your own, I have NO idea
why you would have a wedding planner.
But a day of
coordinator (DOC) is an entirely different matter. I debated hiring a DOC and
decided it was not necessary for us. But, here’s some things to think about if
you are debating the issue:
Are your venue and
the event manager amazing? Maybe you can trust them to make your day beautiful!
Waldenwoods is amazing. The event manager, Terri Bendes, is amazing and super
detail-oriented. Just like me. Ha! Waldenwoods has an option to pay $250 and
they will help you set up all of your crazy DIY décor. I gave them the stuff
for the sweetheart table, guest tables, photobooth table, cupcake table and
fireplaces and they set it all up. The rest of the décor Wes, my family and I
set up ourselves. I was done in 2 hours.
It was an awesome feeling knowing at 12pm that I could simply enjoy the rest of
my day.
Is your family
amazing? I hope you noticed above that my family and friends help a lot when it
came to setting up and taking down. If you know your family is going to be
there for you, then skip the DOC. My friends and family did lots of little last
minute things for me while I was getting my hair done. If I didn’t have them,
then I would have been very sad and very sweaty running around with 1 hour to
go.
Are you super
organized? Yes? Maybe you don’t need a DOC. In my opinion, DOC organize for
you. Since I was fairly organize and had that super awesome event planner who
could make something look beautiful in an pinch, I truly had no need for a DOC.
Here’s a tip: Sort your décor. I had a box for each different space (i.e.
ceremony, reception room, cake room, entrance, etc.). I also had a master list
of each thing that needed to be set up in each space including the materials
needed to set it up. This was super helpful when it came to making sure each
box had what it needed and also it meant that I didn’t forget to set anything
up. I started that list months ahead of time! Each time a DIY project was done…
it immediately went on that list. Not just that, though! I also used 16 large
USPS shipping boxes (for free, just go to USPS.com) and used them to pack each
table décor separately… for instance, all the décor for table one went into the
box labeled “table one”. I had 7 different centerpiece arrangements so this
helped a lot. I also had a “key” for however stuff in the box should be set up
taped to the top of the box. This was also good because the florist was able to
come in and use the key to make sure the different flower arrangements all went
on the right table. This will make your life a lot easier if you don’t have a
DOC.
Example of my "key" for Design 1 which went on tables 4, 7 and 13.
Are you hiring a DJ?
I hired a DJ who works with Waldenwoods all the time. Mega props to Kurt Lewis
in Michigan! Worth his weight in gold. If you are hiring a DJ, seriously
consider hiring a really good one. Not just for the music, but how smoothly
they can help run the day. Terri Bendes and Kurt Lewis work together all the
time and they had walkie talkies or something to cue the ceremony and reception
perfectly. AND, he is an amazing DJ. I danced pretty much the whole night.
If your venue’s
staff is wonderful and they do weddings all the time, then consider the fact
that a DOC that doesn’t normally work with that venue might just get in the
way! And for sure, that would have happened at Waldenwoods. If you hire a DOC,
then I think you should pick a venue that they work with often…but that can be
so limiting…
Are you having a
wedding in a place not normally used for weddings? Then, hire the DOC. My
vendors pretty much all worked with Waldenwoods very often and while I
scheduled all the delivery/pick up times, Waldenwoods did all the confirmation
for me that day. If you don’t have someone to do this for you, then you are
going to be so busy the morning of your wedding. You deserve to have some down
time before you get married! Side note: Waldenwoods uses specific vendors for
their chairs, linens and fabric that you see on the ceiling in the pic below.
Yes, I was worried about being limited to those specific vendors. But, those places
offered me very competitive prices and they had exactly what I wanted anyway.
That’s it!
If you have a situation similar to me, then skip the DOC. Even if you have tons
of DIY! I was very very worried that it wasn’t going to work out and then it
worked out better than I could have ever imagined. What a pretty room!
Photo by Kristen Taylor Photography
I guess what I want DIY brides to know, is that it can be perfect even if you don't have a DOC! So, don't freak out just because you want your wedding to be filled with lots of homemade items!
i had no idea that DOCs existed... had i done my research, i probably would have hired one. our venue was the home of my in-laws, so the event manager/DOC/etc was yours truly. i don't think i would have survived if not for an amazing family friend in attendance who happened to know her ish regarding DOC, and who gracefully shoved me out of the kitchen and took care of setting up the food and cake. haha... bless her heart.
ReplyDeleteThankfully those amazing people who shove you out of the way exist! I am glad you didn't have to do that all by yourself, and I agree, in your case I would have hired one! And, you were (still are?) in graduate school... I guess, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. :)
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