You have spent most of your engagement diligently planning the most special day of your life, your wedding day. You have hired all the vendors, signed the contracts and made most of the planning decisions. Now it is time for you to relax on your wedding day and let a professional handle the logistics.
Because you want to feel totally stress-free on your wedding day and enjoy every moment, you startlookingfor aprofessional that will take over what you have planned and tie all the loose endsso thatyou can have peace of mind while thecoordinator worries about the details.
Couples nowadays are more likely to hire a professional wedding planner, but there is still a misconception when it comes to hiring a “Day Of” coordinator. There is confusion for many couples, especially when they call around to get price quotes. Contrary to popular belief, a “Day Of” coordinator actually enters into the wedding planning during the final 4 to 6 weeks of preparation before the wedding so she/he can understand your overall vision, review your vendor contracts, create time lines and confirm all vendor commitments. A lot of work goes into creating a seamless wedding day. It isNOT only one day of work!
You may get a price quote that may seem very attractive, but beware of the people that say they can handle the “Day Of” only. Any reputable professional will agree that there is no way to understand what a bride’s true dream is in a few quick meetings. It also doesn’t make sense for a planner to show up on the wedding day and be expected to run the show without knowing a lot of the details and without preparing for it. What good is it if the “Day Of” coordinator you hired “just” for the day comes to you every time she is asked a question she does not have the answer to? The bride and groom should not worry about details and the professional they hire should be able to know what the plan is in order to direct other vendors accordingly. You may be paying “less”, but you are getting exactly what you pay for.
All the meticulous research in the world won’t help you make all the right choices in the planning stages or make you able to deal with the inevitable issues that occur the day of the event. Every piece of the puzzle must fit together and there is only one chance to make it right. This is why you want to hire a professional who will make sure your plan is realistic, so there are no surprises on the wedding day. Every professional is trained to do what they do. In the same way you use an accountant to prepare your taxes or work with a lawyer to prepare contracts, you should use a trained wedding planner to help you with your wedding.
Even for “Day Of” coordination, a planner may work 30-40 hours the week prior to the wedding. Your coordinator’s to do list will include answering questions, creating the timeline, final meetings with the venue and the vendors, reviewing layouts of ballrooms, coordinating deliveries, set-up, break down, confirming final payments, going over every little detail by crossing all the T’s and dotting all the I’s to ensure nothing has been overlooked.
A professional planner will schedule all wedding day activities, for example, pre-wedding/post-wedding formal picture taking and letting everyone, including ushers and wedding party, know where to be and at what time. Contact names, cell numbers and emergency backup contacts cannot be gathered on the “Day Of”; it all takes time. Take into consideration the more your planner anticipates and prepares ahead of time, chances are likely your wedding day will run smoothly and turn out exactly how you envisioned it to be.
More and more wedding vendors such as photographers, videographers, caterers and rental companies are encouraging brides to hire a planner. Some even offer brides that have a planner a discount. They do this because they know without a wedding planner; they will end up doing more than they were hired to do. They may even be faced with solving a last minute problem that has nothing to do with their expertise. These vendors would much rather focus on doing what you hired them to do, because they are good at what they do!
When you decide to hire a Day Of Coordinator, be sure to ask them these questions:
- When do you start coordinating my wedding?
- Are you going to review contracts to be sure they meet my expectations?
- Do you contact all my vendors?
- What kinds of details will you handle for me?
- Will you create an itinerary/timeline for me, my wedding party and my vendors?
- Will you attend and coordinate the rehearsal?
- Will you have an assistant/s with you on the day of my wedding?
- Do you bring an emergency kit with you on the wedding day and what does it include?
- Will you make sure all our gifts, gift envelopes and personal items like the cake knife/server, toasting glasses, etc. are returned to us at the end of the night?
- Will you stay until the VERY end of the reception to make sure all is taken care of and no valuables are left behind?
Give yourself the gift of relaxation and enjoyment on your special day! Consider having a professional “day of” coordinator for your wedding day. You deserve it!
