Wedding Wedding planner?

[PearlDahhhling]

So I just received the email with the contract from our venue and I was reading it over and it stated that they''re not responsible for setting up decorations, place cards, etc.. which I pretty much knew already, but it dawned on me... Who IS going to do those things? So I googled wedding planners in my area and there are some that you can hire for just the day pretty much to get things set up and make sure everything is running smoothly so I''m considering this. Has anyone used one? For just the day or for the entire wedding planning period? And if you didn''t have a planner, then who did you get to set up everything on wedding day?

 

[choro72]

I think they are called "Day Of Wedding Coordinator". Wedding planners are people who does all the planning, phone calls, and negotiations for you. I think wedding coordinators are worth having. They will make sure the decorations are done correctly, make sure the cake arrives safely, work together with the photographer and the DJ to be sure that dances, cake cutting and things like that go as planned. Basically, they are there to take care of details. They know how to prevent damage better than we do because they have more experience doing this.

Luckily for us, our venue comes with a wedding coordinator and she is fantastic. If the venue didn''t come with one, it was either hire one or my family take care of it (which they would happily do). Unless you have a close family who would love to help you, like the Big Fat Greek Wedding, I think hiring one is the best option.
Usually if you hire one, you can contact them as often as you want via email or phone and they can give you referrals so some perks there.

 

[SparklyGirl*]

FI and I will probably be setting up the decorations for our venues the day before...I have to have things perfect and the way that I want them so that is why I would never hire someone to do that decorating/setting up. Besides I think that it will def. give FI and I some quality time together/teamwork and itll be fun and relaxing.....then we wont have to worry about how the coordinator put it all together and if she/he put things the wrong way etc. We can decorate it and set it up exactly the way we want it to be. I also LOVE decorating and setting up things. But we are already going to do things all by ourselves.....as in we are making our invites, STDs, ceremony and reception programs, favors, table numbers, guest cards all from scratch...I just figured that if we take a few close friends/family members and have them help out with all the DYIs then it will go quickly and we can all bond. Same goes for the reception/ceremony sites.....take some friends some family and get to work! Bonding time is always good. And again I am very picky about how everything is supposed to be so thats just me. I see it as an amazing opportunity to make it how we want it.

 

[neatfreak]

My best friend had a day of coordinator and really, she wasn''t worth it. So make SURE that whoever you hire you have solid recommendations for. Ask for lists of past clients you can call, venues they''ve worked with, etc.

 

[newbie124]

Date: 11/13/2008 1:04:40 AM
Author:PearlDahhhling
So I just received the email with the contract from our venue and I was reading it over and it stated that they''re not responsible for setting up decorations, place cards, etc.. which I pretty much knew already, but it dawned on me... Who IS going to do those things? So I googled wedding planners in my area and there are some that you can hire for just the day pretty much to get things set up and make sure everything is running smoothly so I''m considering this. Has anyone used one? For just the day or for the entire wedding planning period? And if you didn''t have a planner, then who did you get to set up everything on wedding day?

I think some of these things may be taken up by the caterer and/or florist, although you may have to specifically ask them if they''d be willing to help with certain things.

Otherwise, I think people often will have help from family members or people in the wedding party.

If you can afford it, though, I would highly recommend that you consider hiring a Day of Coordinator. That way you can hand off all of the details to someone else on your wedding day and also not have to burden your family/friends with extra tasks. As neatfreak warned, though, just make sure you do a thorough vetting and talk to their references and other vendors who they''ve worked with.

 

[goldenstar]

I have a wedding planner that has been working with me since day one and so far she has been worth her weight in gold. There is SO much that I am NOT stressed about. Among other things, she got us a fantastic deal on a high end florist because of their relationship.

Its definitely a splurge to hire a planner, but I''m so happy I did.

 

[marchswallowbird]

Pearl, ask your venue if can get access to the reception room the day before. Get your bridesmaids together and set up as much of the room as possible then. Usually the florist will set up the flowers for you on the day of. Make sure the florist has really detailed instructions on how you want things. The catering manager should take care of the other last-minute extras. Otherwise, yes, I would look into a day-of coordinator, but do be sure you find someone who is as detail-oriented as you are and whom you trust to set up the room just the way you want it. The day-of coordinator usually also coordinates the ceremony, in terms of cueing musicians, getting the bridal party down the aisle, and making sure your train looks beautiful just before you go. If you have a large bridal party and/or a complicated wedding, it may be worth it to hire someone. They''re not cheap though, the ones I looked at were between $600 and $1,000 and I ultimately decide I didn''t need one.

 

[PearlDahhhling]

Thanks for the input everyone!

I would absolutely love to set everything up the day before but unfortunately with our venue, that isn''t an option. The entire wedding it taking place at a restaurant in their courtyard area and so setting up beforehand isn''t possible.

I''ve contacted a day-of coordinator and we''re gonna meet up for a consultation so we''ll see how that goes, and see whether she''s within budget. Thanks for the advice Neatfreak! I will definitely ask her for references and check up on them!

I''m just concerned about who will take care of coordinating everyone and everything and making sure it all runs smoothly! I don''t want to burden any of my family or friends with that giant task as I just want them to enjoy themselves.

 

[marchswallowbird]

Pearl, it does sound like you definitely need a DOC, or you will be a nervous wreck the day of your wedding. Just make sure to pick a good one!

 

[Haven]

I would try to find someone through a personal reference--put the word out to people you know that you''re looking for a day-of coordinator.

I only say this because I have at least three friends who have hired day-of coordinators, and all three said they were not worth a dime.

 

[honey22]

In Aust, we would hire a themeing and events company, they would come in the day of the wedding and make the place look fab.

 

[Italiahaircolor]

I had a wedding coordinator and a wedding planner. I used these services because my job totally clashes getting into the trenches of planning my own wedding. I designed my own wedding, sought out my own details and trusted a planner to put them into motion...I called her my Bride Assistant because she didn't plan anything, but did the grunt work (just like my real life assistant, lol). My coordinator was my 2nd man on deck for the wedding day of...like another assistant to the planner. My DOC was with the men...my WP and her assistant were with me. It was smooth sailing.