What Does a Day of Wedding Coordinator Do?
Attendant helping the bride with her wedding dress.
Planning your own wedding is a great way to save money. You’ve done your research, picked the best vendors. You’ve even done some fantastic DIY. Now you just have to figure out the logistics. On the day of your wedding, how will your projects get set up? What if a vendor is late? If you’re getting married, you’ve already got a lot going on. There just isn’t enough time for you to meet deliveries, answer questions and solve problems. Besides, you shouldn’t have to on your wedding day! This is where a Day of Wedding Coordinator is worth their weight in gold.
Is a Day of Wedding Coordinator Worth it?
If you’ve planned your own wedding, you’ll probably do as much as you can ahead of time. But there’s no getting around the fact that a lot of details need to be handled on the actual day of your wedding. Someone will have to set up your DIY projects, meet your vendors and accept deliveries.
As you start to get closer to your wedding date, you might start to worry you’ve missed something. You’ve probably haven’t. But if you’ve never planned a wedding before, you just don’t know what you don’t know! Having a professional double check your plan is never a bad idea. The coordinators’ job is to carry out the plans you’ve made, but if you’ve missed any major details, they can let you know ahead of time. While you still have time to fix it.
If you’ve planned your wedding at a non traditional venue, there might be even more details to consider. At a typical wedding venue, the staff have all worked at many weddings, and they can do their jobs without a hitch. But if your wedding is somewhere without experience holding weddings, they could be missing important details. Having a professional planner check and evaluate your venue and your plans can head off problems before they even start.
What Does a Day of Wedding Coordinator Do?
The coordinator will meet with you ahead of time and go over your wedding plans. They’ll help you set up the timeline for the day of your wedding. On your wedding day they’ll come to your venue and keep everyone organized and on track. They’ll take care of all the details and make sure your wedding happens the way you’ve planned it.
Different coordinators offer different services and packages, but most of them will offer to:
Help you set up your wedding day timeline
Coordinate your rehearsal the night before
Act as the contact person for your vendors
Oversee vendors setting up at the venue
Set up items at your venue: escort cards, guest book, favors, plus all your diy projects
Distribute bouquets and boutonnieres
Organize the bridal party for the walk down the aisle
Check on set up at your ceremony and reception venues
Help with timing events at your reception
Take care of gifts and cards
Hand out final payments and tips for your vendors
What Can’t a Day of Wedding Coordinator Do?
Most coordinators will set up your guest books, picture displays and other small DIY projects. But they don’t have time to create centerpieces or any major decorations on the day of your wedding. If you need a lot of decorating done, they can help you hire or organize people to do it ahead of time.
How Much Does a Day of Wedding Coordinator Cost?
Most coordinators offer packages that range from low priced, basic services up to higher priced luxury packages. With a basic package, you can expect to have a meeting with the coordinator where they go over your details. They’ll help with setting up your timeline and work for a certain number of hours on your wedding day. Average prices for a basic package for a Day of Wedding Coordinator are $500 to $1,200.
A more complete or luxury package will include more meetings and more help with the details. The coordinator will meet you at your venue to do a walk through and double check your timeline, event flow and all your details. A complete package might include extra meetings, unlimited emails and coordinating your rehearsal the night before. Depending on where you live, and their level of experience, a complete day of wedding coordinator price typically starts at $800 and up. For luxury packages or weddings with a lot of details, expect to pay more.
When Should You Hire a Day of Coordinator?
As soon as you decide you need a day of coordinator, you should start searching for one. Like all vendors, the good ones get booked up fast. Most will accept bookings a year in advance. Depending on the service you book, the coordinator will schedule your first meeting anywhere from 6 months to 6 weeks ahead of your wedding date.
What Should You Ask a Day of Wedding Coordinator?
As well as asking all the questions, notice how you feel when you’re talking to them. Do you feel comfortable? Are they listening to what you want for your wedding? They’re going to be at your side for your entire wedding day. They don’t need to be your best friend, but they should be someone you like. The best coordinator will be friendly and professional. They’ll pay attention to details and find out what’s most important to you. They’ll do their best to carry out your wedding day the way you want it.
Are you available on our wedding date?
Are you available to coordinate a rehearsal the night before?
Have you ever coordinated a wedding at our venue before?
What’s the typical budget of weddings you’ve coordinated?
Have you ever coordinated a wedding the same style as ours?
Can you set up my DIY projects for me?
What is your cancellation or date change policy?
Before You Sign the Contract
If you decide to hire a day of coordinator, make sure everything you talked about is included in the contract. Especially if you’ve made substitutions, received a discount or asked for extra services. Verbal agreements don’t count - make sure to get it in writing.
Your Contract Should Include:
Number of meetings you’ll have ahead of time
How many emails you can expect to send and receive
The hours that they’ll work on the day of your wedding
Tasks that they will perform
Any extra services you’ve agreed on
Deposit amount and due date
Final payment and due date
Overtime policies
Payment for overtime hours
Cancellation and refund policy
How Do I Find a Day of Wedding Coordinator Near Me?
Check if your wedding venue has required vendors. If they do, you’ll need to hire one of the coordinators on their list. If they don’t have requirements, ask if they have any recommendations for a Day of Wedding Coordinator.
Ask your other vendors. If you’ve already found a great vendor that you trust, ask if they’ve worked with a day of coordinator that they would recommend.
Check with your family and friends who have recently been married or attended weddings. See if they used a coordinator and if they would recommend them.
Search online. Most people depend on Google to find vendors. It’s a great way to look at prices, packages and services offered by Day of Wedding Coordinators in your city. Remember to use good online shopping practices: check reviews, pay with a credit card and if it sounds too good to be true - it probably is. Choose a coordinator with a good track record and reasonable prices.
A Day of Wedding Coordinator isn’t absolutely necessary. But if you can fit it into your budget, having one can make your wedding vision come to life. Your projects will be set up and all those special touches you planned will be taken care of. You won’t need to worry about details on your wedding day. You’ll be able to relax and enjoy the moment. Of course there will be problems, but if you choose the right coordinator - you’ll never hear about them. Your wedding day can be just as easy, fun and stress free as you’d hoped.
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