I know a lot of people aren't sure whether a day of coordinator is worth the money. and yes, they don't come cheap. but if i have learned ANYTHING during the whole wedding planning process, it is that you absolutely NEED a coordinator, and her name is ellen hwang!
ellen was simply amazing during the entire process. she literally had two different schedules laid out minute by minute - one for vendors and one for the bridal party/participants. there was never a question of where people were supposed to be or what they were supposed to be doing. although i found out after the fact that there were glitches in my vendor arrivals and setups, ellen ensured that i had no idea of any of the hiccups going on outside the hotel room that i was getting ready in, and made sure that every detail met the gold standard. even when other vendors lacked in service, she picked up where they left off so everything from my vantage point seemed seamless and stress-free! i literally didn't worry about a single thing the day of my wedding except for concentrating on getting down that aisle and savoring every moment of the day....this is why a day of coordinator is absolutely worth the splurge if not for any other reason!
not only was ellen an organizational guru, she was also a therapist! weddings can definitely become political and emotions can run high, and she totally knew when to remove certain family members from situations, and had the discernment to know when to politely refuse some requests and when to honor others. she was able to diplomatically handle all conflicts while still staying true to my vision for the wedding.
ellen also gained a lot of respect from all of my vendors. when i was unable to effectively communicate things to them, or got frustrated at how inflexible some of them were, ellen quickly stepped in as my advocate and quickly got things sorted out. they all had amazing things to say about how much they enjoyed working with her and how well organized everything was. she was the glue that held everything together.
i can honestly say that ellen was the single best vendor that i hired for the day of the wedding! she is clearly a seasoned event planner and i would wholeheartedly recommend her for any event planning and/or day of coordination needs!