Trying to save on a day-of coordinator

This is a ton of responsibility for a family member, especially one that you want to enjoy your wedding as a guest. There's a reason that DOCs can be so pricey, it's sooo much work. Is there any wiggle room in your budget? Anywhere that you can cut costs to afford a DOC? There are less expensive options on Thumbtack. Some of them are just starting out, some just really enjoy it and do it on the side so they don't charge as much. The way I see it, we spend so much time and money on planning our wedding, if it's at all possible to pay someone to take care of the little things so that you can actually enjoy the event that you worked so hard on, it's money well spent.

I also think that’s a bit much to put on guests, even if they are close friends or family, because they’re going to want to enjoy the event too not just work.
Our venue came with an assistant and our caterer came with a DOC so we’re set. I second looking into Thumbtack for someone who isn’t on WW.

Bite the bullet and hire somebody. That's too much for guests to do. I found my DOC on craigslist for $500 & she was fantastic!

I am all for hiring a DOC! They do so much more than I originally had thought. We have a strict budget but it’s worth every penny to us to not be stressed out on wedding day

Seriously. Cut some expenses and hire someone. I refuse to be the point person on my day because people WILL COME TO YOU because who has been planning the wedding for a year? The bride. Who knows all the details? The bride.

I would cut some flowers or something similar where you can cut $200 here and there to squeeze it into my budget. If you phrase it in a way that you will have to bother your family on the day of, magically they may chip in too

My nephew got married on memorial day weekend. On the day of the wedding, there were some issues that needed attention, and the bride and groom were off getting ready. I noticed that no one else was taking charge, so I took it upon myself to take care of those issues---even went to a grocery store to buy extra flowers (and coming from out of town, that's not an easy task.) My sister was offended that I stepped in, saying that I didn't have the right to tell people what to do in place of the bride. But I made sure to be in contact with her in most everything; I was able to ask about the important stuff, for sure. Later, I found out that my new niece had hired a day-of coordinator, but found out on the Friday before the wedding, the coordinator wasn't going to show up for the wedding---so she was abruptly fired! So there they were without a coordinator! I'm pretty sure things would have worked themselves out---or just wouldn't have been done if I didn't step in, but both my nephew and his new bride let me know they appreciated my efforts to try to make their special day go a little smoother. And my sister had to suck it up that I told her what to do. LOL!! But, really, she's just a stickler for protocol, and I can't blame her for that---I love my beautiful sister!😁🤗 What I'm trying to point out is that you might find someone willing to take the punishment as a wedding day drill sergeant, but it is true, you have quite an extensive list of responsibilities for one person who is not an expert on all things wedding-ish! Hopefully, you can get two or three friends or family members who may have had some experience in weddings that would be able to help you. I was able to have a lot of fun at my nephew's wedding, so I think if you find those who are willing to lend a hand, they'll still be able to enjoy your celebration even while helping! Good luck on your search, and God bless you and your husband-to-be.

P. S. I forgot to mention that your "day of" list sounds very organized, by the way! Just try not to get too stressed out if things don't work out exactly the way you want them to. There will be stuff that just doesn't get done, and that's a fact. Just enjoy your beautiful day and the love you have for your husband-to-be!

I too am in a dilemma about the DOC. Budget isn’t an issue but rather purpose. I am not struggling with the same things you are so, I definitely see more a need for you. However, if your budget can’t stretch for a DOC these are my thoughts:
How many people are in the wedding, who’s not in the wedding that is responsible and accountable and wouldn’t mind and, how supportive are your parents and future in laws?

Mostly, your wedding party and in laws and parents will be with you before everyone joins. Take your task list and assign one (only one) responsibility to each member. Assign this task based on convenience. For instance, MOH can pick up flowers because the florist is on the way between her house and the venue. Assign the task based on responsibility. Example, BM can meet with the vendors beforehand because he’s good at working with people.

The catch is that everyone will need prior notice. First, to give everyone a chance to say “yay, I’m responsible enough” or “nay, not my thing.” Secondly, everyone’s prepared and have knowledge of these expectations.

My brother is my go-to and FHs cousin is also a go to because they LOVE these type of things. We’re doing so much beforehand that they are aware of what will be needed day of.

Again, if your budget can’t stretch - you have to be strategic about these roles and responsibilities and to make sure it’s not taking away from people enjoying their experience too. But, if your budget can stretch, go for the DOC.

Wow. That is quite a list.

I'm all for cutting costs and kicking a DOC off my budget. But am considering hiring a couple college kids to do a few things for me.
But I have a list of maybe 5 things.

I'd cut down that list before asking anyone to do it for free.

It's really not appropriate to ask a guest to work at your wedding, and especially not with all of that. Find a way to pay for a DOC.

Bite the bullet girl! You’ll take away a guest’s opportunity to enjoy her day and without experience, it’s SO easy for a guest to miss something.

That’s quite a list. Also includes some things you should be responsible for — like supervising table visits and making sure the vendors are paid for example. And some of these things just aren’t necessary (especially on the supervising and overseeing front)— if you WANT someone to be your organizational point person, you need to hire someone. Otherwise, you can do without. For example you shouldn’t need someone to oversee entrance or cake cutting or shoe game. You should give the info and schedule to your DJ who should announce them when it is time. There is a way to do this all without a DOC it’s just that the “way” is pre-organization on your part rather than having a guest basically follow you around to watch over you telling you where to be when. If you want someone doing that— that really should be a professional and not a guest.

Yea....put this in the hand of a professional of hire someone of Task Rabbit. There you can find a cheaper version of what ypyr looking for. But remeber you get what you pay for.

We just hired a DOC to do some setup/breakdown and greet guests at the reception venue for $50/hour. Can you afford to hire someone just for the reception? Our officiant is handling the rehearsal and I will make sure everyone knows where they need to be and when. Our mantra throughout the planning process (especially with decor) was simplify! If it was going to take my partner more than just him to do the ceremony decor, we eliminated it or worked it to be more manageable. We have over half of our guests are OOT and didn’t want to overburden the handful of local people.

Way, way, way, way, waaaaaaaay too much to ask anyone to do for free/cheap. Cut anything you can to hire a DOC or use some of the tips other people have posted to try and find a cheaper one.

Everything you listed is a big ask. These are all the "not fun" aspects of running a wedding. There's a reason DOC's are expensive.

It sounds like you def need a DOC. We found one for $975, which is much cheaper than I thought it would be! She handles almost that exact list you have. I did not want to have any stress on our day, so to us it was worth the money. Cut back on something else in your budget, I def encourage you to find someone!

Both my sister and I got married with a friend being our DoC. Do you have any friends or acquaintances who are into DoC or event planning? My sister found hers through her best friends roommate, and mine was my husbands coworker. Even posting on Facebook could find you someone! We paid our friend $150, which she barely accepted, we basically had to force it into her hands lol.

It is definitely worth it to have someone to be the point person, but I don't think it's necessary to spend thousands of dollars unless you're having a very intricate wedding.