No matter how hands-on you want to be with wedding planning, nobody wants to spend their big day in manager-mode. When the day comes, you are going to want to sit back, relax, and enjoy the perfect event with your partner and loved ones. That’s where a day-of wedding coordinator comes in! At its core, a day-of coordinator is a wedding professional with industry-specific knowledge and experience who can answer questions, offer advice, and coordinate all of the people and details on your wedding day—so you don’t have to.

Day-Of Isn't Just Day-Of

The name may be a tad misleading, because day-of coordinators do a lot more than simply show up on the wedding day! There is a lot of preparation and communication starting months before the actual day.

First, a day-of coordinator will meet with each couple to learn more about what they envision for their day, understand their priorities, and gather all of the important details necessary to execute their dream wedding (and anyone who’s planned a wedding before knows just how many details there really are!).

Wedding Day Timeline

All of these fun details and priorities then get used by your day-of coordinator to make a solid wedding day timeline.

Funnily enough, the more fun and relaxed you want your wedding to be, the more thoughtful your timeline should be! Timelines are the secret to a smooth event, and it’s invaluable to have someone who understands not only the logistics and flow of an event, but who knows exactly how much time you will need for each part of the day so that you and your guests can have the most enjoyable experience possible.

Timelines aren’t just for the wedding party to stay on track, either! A good, achievable timeline is extremely necessary for your vendors, so they aren’t racing against the clock and can provide you with the best service on your special day.

Recommending Vendors

Speaking of vendors, another super important benefit that a day-of coordinator provides is vendor recommendations! Truthfully, your vendors make your wedding. And when there are SO MANY vendors to choose from, your wedding is one time you don’t want to rely on guesswork.

Day-of coordinators have seen it all and will be able to recommend not only the vendors they trust to do the job right from start to finish, but ones that align perfectly with your wedding style and vision. It’s all about saving you headaches, so you can enjoy both the planning process and your big day!

Confirming The Details

After all of the important details are decided on, they also have to be communicated to the right people. Trust us, you don’t want to be at your rehearsal dinner worrying about if vendors have confirmed their arrival times yet! Leave it to your day-of coordinator to take this worry off your plate and make sure everyone is on the same page prior to the wedding day so things can run extra smoothly.

Ceremony Rehearsal

The last piece of the prep puzzle is having a day-of coordinator to lead your ceremony rehearsal. Just like a play or a dance, a wedding ceremony involves tons of choreography. There are so many people who need to be in the right spots at the right time, say their lines in the right order—otherwise it could take away from the beauty of the moment for you and your guests. Practice truly makes perfect!

Instead of confusion and distractions, having an experienced day-of coordinator to take the rehearsal reins will put you and your wedding party at ease, ensure a smoother ceremony, and help you focus solely on you and your partner’s bond. It’s why we are gathered here today, right?

When Your Wedding Day Arrives

When the big day finally arrives, your day-of coordinator is there to make sure you and your loved ones can sit back and enjoy every single moment! The day goes by so quickly, you want to spend it having fun and being with your people—not answering a thousand questions and telling people where things are supposed to go.

Here are some tasks that a day-of coordinator handles to eliminate stress and create a fun, worry-free atmosphere:

Manage Your Wedding Day

One of the most indispensable jobs of a day-of coordinator is coordinating with the venue and assisting with the setup of the ceremony and reception. There are a ton of moving parts, and a day-of coordinator will be there to guide it all. Between the wedding party, vendors, and guests, there are possibly *hundreds* of people to manage on a wedding day! And without a coordinator, all of those people will look to you as the go-to person to talk to. That feels a lot like work on your wedding day. Again, your only job should be to relax, get ready, and celebrate!

While you are in the makeup chair or on the dance floor, your day-of coordinator will be making sure everyone stays on schedule, while also using their expertise to solve problems, answer vendor questions, make last-minute decisions on your behalf, and be the main point-of contact for all communication—so you don’t have to be bothered about ANY of it. Just like in a relationship, it’s the little things that count. Day-of coordinators stay on top of everything from pinning boutonnieres and passing out bouquets, moving wedding gifts to a safe space and ensuring each place setting is picture perfect, to making sure your VIPs are there before toasts begin and helping pack up at the end of the night.

Set Up Your Personal Decor

As we’ve said, you and your family and friends are going to be busy enough on your wedding day. Between hair and makeup, getting dressed, pre-wedding photos, meal breaks, the obligatory glass of champagne, etc., you’ll need someone else to be at the venue setting up the array of items you’ve brought for the wedding day.

We’re talking place cards, favors, family photos, card boxes, guest books, signage, table numbers, charger plates, menu cards, ceremony programs, ring pillows, flower baskets… the list goes on! It’s a big job that can take several hours, and having a friend or family member take on this stress is a huge ask, especially when they need to be getting ready for your celebration, too.

Thankfully with a day-of coordinator, you’ve already talked through all of your priorities and details beforehand, so they can make sure everything you planned for so long is taken care of.

Coordinate the Processional

Even with practice, nerves can still be high when the ceremony music starts. So even if people forget their walking cues, day-of coordinators are there to be a reassuring presence for you and your wedding party. They’ll remind everyone to smile for the photos, make sure the best man has the rings, cue the DJ, send you down the aisle at the right time, and give the final fluff of your dress and veil before your big moment.

Take Care of Any Unforeseen Hiccups

Hiccups on a wedding day will inevitably happen. Whether it’s a blister from your wedding shoes, a plus one that never RSVP’d, bad weather, or last-minute schedule changes, a day-of coordinator (aided by their trusty emergency kit) is ready to jump into action and handle these unexpected challenges, so you never know there was a problem to begin with.

The bottom line is you are spending a ton of time, energy, and money on planning the wedding of your dreams. You want to make sure you can actually enjoy the day, and a day-of coordinator will help you do just that! Interested in hiring someone for your upcoming event? Check out our Day Of Coordination package or Contact Us for more information!