{Advice} To hire a coordinator?

It’s been a while since I’ve posted. All weekend I was without internet (crazy, right? But AMAZING!) in Moscow, while visiting my friend. (She’s not one of those anti-technology types, she just moved and hasn’t gotten internet at her new place yet.) And then I returned to a ton of meetings, a few of them with potential wedding coordinators.

As most of you know, I’ve been on the search for the perfect wedding coordinator lately. I want someone who is just as gung-ho about budget weddings, about practical and relational weddings, as I am. I want someone who offers their services at a reasonable rate. I want someone with whom I can laugh! (Wedding planner and bride is a relationship too!)

Originally, I had no intention of hiring a wedding coordinator. My nana is a wedding planner, and she had expressed interest in helping me plan and coordinate my day, and I had figured that this was a great idea.

But then I started thinking. First, there’s family issues that I won’t get in to that really make having my nana coordinate a bad idea. But there’s also the issue that she’s my nana. She should be in my bridal suite, helping me do my hair and makeup and calming me down before the festivities begin, not running around making sure that everything is set up just perfectly.

So I decided. I’m hiring a day of coordinator.

That’s not to say that I think a coordinator or planner is necessary for your big day. That’s not even to say that you’ll save loads of money by hiring a coordinator (although they really can get you a lot of discounts). But it is to say that hiring a coordinator is the right thing for some budget couples.

Here are some dos and don’ts to consider before deciding either way:

DO … run through your day in your head, thinking about who will be where and who will do what, and consider whether an additional person will be needed in order to execute your vision.

DO … call up a local wedding coordinator and ask about what kind of deals they can get for you; find out exactly how much you can save.

DO … look at your own schedule and make sure that you have time to meet with vendors and completely put together a vision for your wedding.

DO … meet with a few planners in person before choosing one, if you do decide to hire someone. Like all vendors, you need to look them in the eye and know that your personalities click.

DON’T … plan on doing everything yourself. Make sure you have plenty of help for set up, vendor management, getting ready, etc.

DON’T … assume that you can get the best bang for your buck one way or another (in any aspect of wedding planning!). Research to find out the pros and cons of hiring a planner in your area, and with your personal wedding desires.

DON’T … put all of the burden on one family member or friend. If you choose not to hire a wedding coordinator, make sure you have plenty of volunteers so that one person doesn’t end up doing everything.

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