Lift it in one end at a time. Don't try and lift the full weight of the axle by yourself. Use carts, hoists, and jacks to your advantage.
I vote for DIY. I just swapped the 8.8 rear in my Mustang a few weeks ago by myself with no helpers. It took me six hours start to finish, but I was swapping identical axles. I also have a fair amount of experience, especially with Ford 8.8s. If I weren't experienced, I'd plan a full weekend.
In lieu of real people, floorjacks and jackstands are your best friends. To get my axle in place I propped up one end and got a jack under the pumpkin. Then I wheeled the axle where I needed it.
Stop and plan your lifting at each step. Use the leaf springs to your advantage. In my case I bolted on my lower control arms to keep my axle steady as I jacked it up to the third link.
I had a second jack handy, and that helped.
Do you know for sure if your new rearend uses the same u-joint? You don't want to get stuck waiting for parts.
My car has rear discs so I didn't have to bleed the brakes. Plan in that time.
Before you even start, run bolts through all the holes to make sure they're not full of rust. It took me forever to get my pinion shims right, so I'd put bolts into the driveshaft flange about a hundred times. Those bolts went in smooth!