Weddingbee

OK. Granted, even though friends and family refer to me as a “groomzilla”, I’m still not well acquainted with some intricacies associated with whole wedding planning process. In my quest to expand my wedding planning knowledge base, I ran across the idea of a “Day of Coordinator (DOC)”. So, if any guys are reading, DOC has nothing to do with emergency medical personnel for the day of your wedding (which might not be such a bad idea??).

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard brides mention that if they could have changed anything about their wedding day, it would have been to hire a DOC. I guess it’s because they can take a huge load off your shoulders and give you some time to soak up the wedding fun.

In any case, Ms. Mango and I decided it would probably be a good idea to hire one for our Walima (wedding) ceremony. Now, I have to warn you, I am a very visual person. During my planning, I usually try to envision exactly how various elements of our wedding will actually materialize on the actual day. For example, I have a vision of exactly how our linens will go with our chair covers, and how our centerpieces will go with the ambiance of the room, etc.

When Ms. Mango asked me what type of a DOC I would like, I started thinking more about the different people I would love a DOC to emulate. Basically, they would be people that GET THINGS DONE. While some of you ladies may instantly think of strong figures such as Martha Stewart, Miranda Priestly, Oprah, Rachel Ray, and Mindy Weiss, I present to you, the people that I hope our DOC mirrors in personality, and certain characteristics that I feel a DOC should embody:

Robert DeNiro
I mean, let’s face it, what vendor is going to mess with a DOC with the facial expressions and charisma of De Niro. Just imagine your florist trying to duck out of his contractual agreement.

What to do?

Get DOC DeNiro to pay him a visit:

*De Niro voice* “Bring my flowers..or else!…Oh, and bring those purty chrysanthemums too.”

(Characteristic #1: A good DOC should be able to “hold their own” with troublesome vendors)

However, I guess merely using DeNiro as a DOC personality template is a bit ambiguous since his personality is multi-faceted. I guess you’d have to be careful what personality of DeNiro your DOC captures. For example, while DeNiro from “Casino” is a spiffy dresser

(Characteristic #2: A good DOC should be able to look and conduct themselves professionally)

…you definitely don’t want your DOC having a Cape Fear DeNiro personality

(Characteristic #3: A good DOC should come fully clothed)

Hulk Hogan
Are any of you ladies truly aware of Hulk Hogan’s potential prowess in wedding planning? It is my firm belief, that if a DOC envelops even a few of Hogan’s characteristics, you’ve got a winner. Just picture it for one second. The “lighting specialist” is 1 hr late and the Hulk is pacing in and around the banquet hall, eagerly awaiting the tardy vendor. He/she finally walks in. The Hulk then proceeds to rip off his spandex bright yellow shirt without a care in the world because, after all, he is the Hulk.

This would be proceeded by him getting in the lighting specialist’s face and yelling, “Whatcha gonna do brother, when these 20 inch pythons and Hulkamania run wild over you ?!.” I then fall to the floor laughing and forget about the lighting specialist being late.

(Characteristic #4: A good DOC should be able to calm the bride and groom on their most important, yet sometimes stressful day of their lives)

He-Man
I don’t think anybody can argue with me on this one. (Oh, and high-5 for anyone that can name He-Man’s little friend there). I mean, it’s He-Man, he’s got a sword, and is confident enough to walk around in chinchilla underwear. Granted, maybe the hairy undies is a bit of a stretch for a DOC, but let’s just think about the way He-Man would deal with a caterer giving you flak. All he would need to do is pull out his sword (where he keeps it? I don’t know) and just yell, “I have the power” and instantly our hors d’oeuvres would be served.

(Characteristic #5: A good DOC should take control of any situation with authority)

MacGyver
I’m not quite sure why I didn’t think of MacGyver before ? After all, MacGyver is the human embodiment of the Swiss army knife. I would even go so far as to say that Wikipedia’s description of MacGyver as an, “extremely resourceful secret agent,” severely understates the true value of MacGyver. His use of common household items to save lives alone warrants my desire to have a DOC that is as useful in wedding planning as MacGyver is in making the world go ’round. Just think of the many ways MacGyver could be put to use in wedding situations:

a. Groom’s car breaks down - MacGyver it!

b. You lock yourself out of the car with the wedding rings in the glove compartment - MacGyver it!

c. Nothing to cut the cake with ? - MacGyver it!

d. Circuit trips at venue ? - MacGvyer it!

Is this not reason enough to have a DOC that could fill MacGyver’s shoes ?

(Characteristic #6: A good DOC should be handy with tools (ie. emergency kit, cell phones, carpet cleaning kits ) and be able to use his/her hands to remedy any type of wedding situation)

Now that I have shared what goes on through my mind when I envision my own perfect DOC, what criteria did/do you use to pick your DOC ?

Also, can any brides provide any advice from their own personal experiences with DOCs?

Pic Sources: (DeNiro: tvfilmactor.com, allocine.fr, oldmovies.net.au; Hulk Hogan: zimbio.com, starplus.com; He-Man: speakeasydesigns.com; Macgyver: furiousmind.org)

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