Pretty early in our planning process, Lotus Dude and I knew that we wanted to make sure there was room in our budget for hiring a wedding coordinator.  I was pretty sure that we could handle most of the early planning as we had a little more than 12 months between the engagement and the wedding.  In addition, I had several friends and relatives that have gotten married recently, so I knew I could count on them for help.  They’ve been even more help since we decided to get married in Ohio.  The venue, the videographer, the caterer and the D.J. we have chosen are all a result of personal recommendations from friends and family.

Photo from celebrationsbykate.com

However, I know that the last thing I want to do the month before my wedding is run around focusing on last minute details and checking in on vendors.  I don’t want family and friends to have to spend the day of the wedding setting up decor items, dealing with emergencies, and keeping tabs on vendors.  It is important to me that my family and friends are free to enjoy the day with me, especially as a lot of people will be traveling to be with us that day.  I know it will give me peace of mind to have someone I trust who can take care of those details and any unexpected emergencies that crop up.

So after choosing a venue, the next decision we made was to choose a wedding coordinator.  We met with several people in a day, and they all seemed highly capable.  However, there was one that we just felt really comfortable with.  At the end of the day, Lotus dude, my parents, my brother, and I all agreed on the same person unanimously.   So we have hired Celebrations by Kate to take over 4 to 6 weeks before the wedding.  I’m sure I will still have a lot to do, but I will feel a lot more comfortable knowing that I have someone else to help me take care of the details.  And of course, I am ecstatic to be able to have Kate’s expertise on things like creating a schedule, keeping things running on time, and creating an emergency kit.

Photo from celebrationsbykate.com

Has anyone else decide on having a wedding coordinator or even full wedding planning services?  I know that I might have been tempted to go for that if I didn’t have a full 12 months or the help of family and friends.