We had our wedding reception in a tent on my husband's parents' property. We decided to hire a day-of coordinator, since our reception was going to be in a tent, and we had lots of decorating and DIY details that we wanted to make sure were carried through. We also needed someone to be at the site for deliveries, etc. during the ceremony and to make sure things were running smoothly during the reception.
Well, our "professional" day-of coordinator was so not worth her $500 fee. She was really nice and everything, but she ended up stressing me out more than helping. She came over to the reception site the day before, when us and our families were setting everything up, flower arranging, etc etc. She helped a bit, but really she was just an extra pair of hands.
What really got me upset was how she handled little things that went "wrong". First, the night before the wedding, I thought about a couple (really simple) details I wanted her to do that I'd forgotten to tell her, so I emailed her about them. She emails me back the most stupid questions, like if there was tape left for her to hang a banner- why would she have to ask that, just bring some tape yourself! Not a big deal, but it bugged me- just not professional.
Then in the morning when I was getting ready with the girls, she called me multiple times with this panicked tone of voice, asking about things that she was hired to take care of for me, so I wouldn't have to. I had to tell her how to handle the situations. So stressful! Then, pretty much immediately when we arrived at the reception, she came up to me to tell me about all the little problems that had come up, and how she dealt with them. Like I want to know, especially during the reception! It was like she wanted to be congratulated for taking care of things, which again, was her job.
She has her own wedding planning/DOC business, so I thought hiring her would relieve a lot of stress for me and our families during the event, and would keep things moving at the reception. But the caterer and band were really good and were the ones that made sure everything was running smoothly.
Basically, I wouldn't recommend not hiring a DOC, especially for a DIY, outdoor wedding, but I, personally regret it. I wish I had talked to other brides who had her before we hired her! Get references before hiring!