We All Need Somebody to Lean On

During my planning research, I've come across a mythical being in the wedding world: the multi-talented always available and incredibly nice friend or family member. This person may offer to arrange the bouquets and centerpieces with flowers from their garden, or sew satin pintuck tablecloths, or bake cupcakes for your guests. The most common version of this magical creature is the group of friends who will help bring your vision to life on the wedding day.

J and I could find some friends willing to set up the reception and ceremony sites, but it was important to us that guests are able to relax and enjoy the day. We have a lot of DIY decorations planned that require assembly at each site, and the timing of the day and distance between venues would make it challenging.

Enter the Day of Coordinator (aka the DOC). A professional and experienced person you can trust to follow your meticulous directions! A DOC is able to help you during the final month of your planning by with creating a wedding day timeline and working to keep that schedule, organizing the ceremony and confirming details with vendors. The real advantage of a DOC is that you can spend your wedding day in blissful ignorance while they act as a liason between you and your vendors and use their expertise to solve any problems that may arise.

We hired Devon Hird from Fairy Godmother Weddings to help with our big day (that's her on the right). She was so friendly and professional during our meeting. Even though it was only a consultation, Devon made some great suggestions on some logistical issues and took the time to really learn about our vision for the day. She has 5 years of experience in planning, is WIPC certified and has worked with both of our venues so I know we're in good hands.

Fairy Godmother Weddings has 3 packages available: day of coordination, coaching and full wedding planning. Our DOC package includes a 1 hour consultation meeting, a final check-list meeting one month before the wedding, time-line development, vendor confirmation, rehearsal coaching and supervision, management of vendor set up, ceremony orchestration and direction, placement of wedding favours and other reception items and use of their emergency survival kit. They charge based on the number of guests attending your wedding and their pricing is very reasonable. If you need additional help during the planning process, they are available for an hourly fee.  Check out their blog too!