The Final 180 Degrees

My last two posts described what would turn out to be a 72-hour flirtation with the idea of hiring a DOC. I went from not even considering a DOC to exuberantly calling a dozen DOC's. Even though we had a venue coordinator, I didn't think the venue staff would provide everything that a DOC would and I didn't want to bother the venue coordinator with tasks that she may find inappropriate or overstepping bounds.

From all my conversations with the DOC's, these are the general services that they provide:

• Meeting anywhere from 1 month to 3 months out to discuss overall vision of wedding
• Unlimited emails and phone calls until wedding day (I didn't call any DOC's who indicated on their website that there was a limit to email and phone contact)
• Collection of vendor contracts and confirming schedule with vendors, making sure they are paid/tipped, etc.
• Collect and set up escort cards, menus, programs, any other DIY or decor
• Direct rehearsal
• Cue ceremony
• Make detailed day-of timeline
• Bring emergency kit
• And the big one--essentially making sure that nothing bothers you or your family on the wedding day. Electrical fire in the kitchen? Speak to the DOC. The DJ didn't bring the right song? Speak to the DOC!

I'm sure I'm missing some things and it differs from DOC to DOC, but those are the basics.

Source

But wow! What a list! Who wouldn't want a DOC?

I called our venue coordinator to see if she had any opinions regarding the DOC's that I found, and she told me bluntly (in a good way) that I did not need a DOC considering the size of my wedding and what services she would provide.

But who would set up the menus? Who would set up the dozens of candles of the windows? Who would set up the ipod? Who would help me decide the format for the ceremony (this was the big one)? 

The answer was: She would!

I think I teared up.

In the end, would it be the exact same thing as getting a DOC? No. But in the end, getting a DOC was beginning to look like an extra security blanket that I wanted on top of the services of the venue coordinator, and I could not justify the cost of that security blanket (sound of teeth chattering, feeling a little cold from my lack of security blanket).

So in the span of a few short days, I went from no DOC to absolutely yes DOC back to no DOC.  It's like the circle of life.

What made you decide to have or not have a DOC?