Weddingbee Blog

I went back and forth, back and forth on whether or not we needed a day of coordinator (DOC) for our wedding. I even went so far as to contact some coordinators last year to find out pricing. But then I allowed our budget to rear its ugly head and decided that this was an extra cost we

just couldn’t justify.

Fast forward to this past January. I started to worry more and more about the actual events of the wedding day and who would do what. It was these babies that really started to have me worried:

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I was planning to have tealights across all of the tables, which I know is a very common wedding decor item. Other brides probably don’t have mini breakdowns over them. But I seriously just couldn’t fathom who might be lighting all of these candles before the reception started.

My reception site - while fabulous - doesn’t really have someone who I felt would be running around on our behalf to attend to these little details. While our contact there is so great to work with, I don’t really see this as her role. I didn’t really think this was the job of the catering staff, either. Certainly they will have more important things to attend to than running around with a lighter!

I decided enough was enough! A DOC was just what we needed, and the tealights gave me justification, I felt, to hire one. I sent emails out to almost everyone I could track down in the Chicago area (unless they had their prices on their websites and I knew off the bat they were out of our league!).

In the end, we hired Marilyn of Honey Bee Weddings. When we sat down with her, she was so incredibly nice, but we also could tell that Marilyn wasn’t a pushover and that she would make sure our timeline stayed in place and that the day went smoothly. Hiring Marilyn as our DOC is something that I’ve never looked back on with regret, even as money for the wedding gets tight! When I think about my family, Mr. S, and me not having to worry about things running off course/not arriving/not being set up, etc., the peace of mind is worth every penny!

Of course, DOCs aren’t just there to light candles, duh! Who else would be there to stand behind you, making sure your train is laying flat before you walk down the aisle?

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And, I don’t know about you, but I want that clock to be a happy fellow on the day of. But I don’t want to even so much as glance at a timeline of the day!

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And, of course, there are a million other odds and ends that a DOC can take care of, from making sure you and your bridal party have something to eat while you’re getting ready as well as setting up and breaking down the ceremony decor, to coordinating your rehearsal and making sure your gifts are taken to the car at the end of the night.

Who says you can’t buy peace of mind?

Are you considering/have you hired a DOC? What tasks are you pleased that he/she will be taking care of?