a happy panic!

A planner will be helpful with finding and booking vendors. If that is something you feel you can do alone, you can hire a day of coordinator. A lot of DOC's offer different packages where they just start to help within the final couple of months before your wedding, and then of course, the day of your wedding.

Personally, I had no issue finding and booking my own vendors, so a planner was not necessary for us. However, having a coordinator was very nice! She took care of our rentals, our set up and break down on the wedding day, was the point of contact for all of our vendors, and it really took a lot of stress off of us. I recommend a coordinator, or sure!

View Quoted Comment That sounds lovely! I personally love planning so day of will be just what I need ☺️

We used a DOC and she and her team were helpful with being just the conductor/air traffic control for everyone during the ceremony, since of course, I couldn't be! Since the Husband and I were still leading nearly all of the planning and communications with vendors right up through the rehearsal, I'm glad that we negotiated that the DOC couldn't use photos of our day to promote their services without our permission.

Make sure to include the DOC's fees in your budget too and as you begin to set up your timeline, confirm whether the DOC will help decorate your venue, set out favors, etc. The contract should clearly state what services they'll provide. However, as you identify your unique needs, you should check in with your DOC to reiterate what is covered. As an example, they may include a set number of site visits. If your venue requires a meeting with your DOC and vendors 2-3 weeks before the wedding, you'll need to reserve one of the DOC's allotted visits for that meeting. We had already used the number of site visits available to us by the time that two-week meeting was scheduled. I would've saved one of her visits for that meeting had I thought to ask.

If you have the budget for a coordinator, then go for it. But i would prioritize the following over a coordinator any day: DJ, bar, food. Those are the things that people remember and you have to make them great. I say get an idea about how much those things will cost and then see if you have room in the budget for a coordinator bc you really want to prioritize those things.