Blank canvas venues - planning for everything!

Sounds like a DOC would be perfect for you. Don't make your friends work on your wedding day.

You need a doc. Please don't ask your VIPs to work your wedding.

It's saving you money? I found this route to be more costly!

I would hire a wedding coordinator. The ones I've spoken to have different packages so you can look into how long you'd think you'd need them!

We do - and we hired a very experience day of coordinator. I promise you, it's worth it. I'm a month out from my wedding and if I didn't have the DOC I would be FREAKING OUT. There's too many logistical things to deal with, and I don't want my family or friends to have anything to do the day of the wedding other than hang out and enjoy the day with me.

ETA: And my friends/family all say they are "happy to help" too, but I did not take them up on their offer because I'd rather leave it in the hands of a professional (and not have my family/friends provide free labor for my wedding).

My venue is similar. I am only looking at caterers that also do rentals for utensils and plates. We do have the options of using the camp's supply but I would prefer something nicer. I would suggest a DOC though. Please don't make your friends work your wedding.

Please don't make your bridal party set up the venue. My sister did that at her wedding and I'm still bitter about it 2 years later. We did not get to leave the venue until midnight when all the guests got to leave at 930pm.

It's definitely been more costly for us. We rented an airplane hangar that didn't come with even the tables and chairs. The only area we may have saved is catering where we got a terrific vendor who is not the typical wedding caterer. We do have access Friday to Sunday for set up and tear down but hired a DOC to coordinate vendors' arrival and overall flow of the wedding day. It's helped me create what I was envisioning so it's totally been worth the stress and planning I've brought on myself lol. Just can't wait to see it come together.

That's how our venue is, but they have 2 caterers to pick from. Since the caterers are there all the time, they know how the venue works and handle setting up the tables, chairs, and some decorations. I would think most caterers would have plates and utensils you can rent from them too.

Our blank canvas venue requires that we have at least a DOC. I would have hired someone whether they required it or not. I really don't wan't to worry about anything that day.

I don't have anything more to add to PPs but thought you might chuckle that at my first glance I read "We're hiring servants to set up..." lol

Duplicate

I've been using the weddingwire checklist, keeping a binder of everything I plan, and I'm using a DOC. I also made sure all the vendors I booked did setup for their own area. For example, the linen lady delivers them to the venue and puts them on all the tables.

Similar situation here... it's overwhelming! We have a DOC (really month of) and have had our caterer walk through the site as well. We are trying to do as much as we can in advance since it's on our families' private property.

Hire a DOC and find a caterer who can handle all food and booze service and also provide all of your basic rentals (tables, chairs, linens, plates, flatware, etc.)!

We rented an old hangar. Even though we're doing most of the planning ourselves, our DOC will put it all together and she's given us referrals to vendors that gave us discounts for having a wedding planner. It's made the huge space a little less intimidating. Other than that, we're living by spreadsheets. We have to submit our floor plan in May, but we have rough sketches right now.

Yup! Our venue is Hardy Farm in Maine, which is a beautiful barn in the White Mountains. They provide us with gorgeous tables and chairs, lawn games, their grounds, the patio, some signage if we want, and the rest is up to us.

I actually love it this way. No shitty $**** food minimums, bringing in all our own alcohol (which is saving us tons of money), I'm DIYing my decor, and basically get to shop around for the lowest prices on EVERYTHING because the venue isn't telling me who I can and can't use.

I have a massive spreadsheet/budget that I update every time I purchase something for the wedding. Whenever I see something in the forums or groups I didn't think of, but need, I put it as a list item.

The venue is so pretty that we're really letting the venue just be the decor. The woods, mountains and beautiful natural barn IS our theme, so there's no crazy decor needed.

The only thing I was ever stressing about was getting our centerpieces and table settings set up. We can't get in the venue until noon and the ceremony is at 3, 30 minutes away. I ended up hiring someone I know (we traded services) to do this for me, so it cost nothing but my time!

See if the venue has DOCs that have worked there before and know the space as well as other vendors who have worked in the space. We looked at a venue like this and they had a DOC who'd done at least 50% of the weddings there who they highly recommend. Some caterers have tables, tablecloths, plates, silverware, etc you can rent from them and they will set up and tear down as well.

Find vendors that offer multiple services....such as a rental company that does all linens, dinnerware etc or a catering company that offers to do dinnerware, linens, etc. We are doing a from scratch non-wedding venue at a farm and I was able to find an amazing rental company and caterer that will supply me with everything from tent, dance floor, tables, linens, buffet stations, and so on.

And yes a D.O.C is an excellent idea!

We started out with a blank canvas venue and quickly realized we needed a DOC to manage all the different vendors.

Then we said screw it and booked an all inclusive venue instead because the blank canvas one ended up not only NOT saving us any money, it was more expensive. And stressful. And outdoors. Just a logistical nightmare. I'm so glad we mutually decided to give up our deposit on that place and start anew somewhere else.

I have a blank canvas venue. I'm honestly not overly stressed about it. I have a DOC, but I'm honestly not expecting her to need to do much more set-up or anything than she would have to do at an inclusive venue. My venue lets me come in the night before, so I can set up whatever I would like to, so I will definitely do most of my set up myself or with some of my BP. I'm not having extravagant anything, so my décor will be minimal. My DJ has worked multiple events at the venue, and know exactly where to set up. My DOC will show my caterer and cake lady where to go. Uhmmm. Like I said, I'll be doing my centerpieces the night before, so my florist wont need to show up the day of. I know some people end up spending more, but I've saved SO MUCH. Just be careful. Make sure you check out every option for vendors, make sure you are organized and keep everything you do straight.