Learn What a Day-Of Wedding Coordinator Does

If you’re in the middle of planning a wedding, you’re likely pretty overwhelmed. From centerpieces to bachelorette parties, a wedding has so many moving parts that you have to account for.

To deal with the intense pressure, some people hire a wedding planner. However, if you’d like to keep the third-party participation in your wedding minimal, you might be interested in a day-of wedding coordinator.

But what does a day-of wedding coordinator do? Below, a full breakdown of the reasons you may want to hire a day-of wedding coordinator.

What Does a Day-of Wedding Coordinator Do?

A day-of wedding coordinator does just what the name says– they handle everything that goes into the day of your wedding. The day of the wedding is when everything happens, and there are vendors to coordinate and schedules to keep to. This is the role of the day-of coordinator– they see all of this through. 

Some of the more nuanced details that a day-of wedding coordinator might take care of would be decorating, working with the venue to make sure everything is up to par, and checking in that the wedding party is following the day’s timeline. These are responsibilities that a bride and groom don’t need!

Difference Between Day-of Wedding Coordinator and Full-Service Wedding Planner

As opposed to the on-the-spot responsibilities of the day-of coordinator, a full-service wedding planner works with you for months in advance to the wedding. They are involved in all of the wedding decision making, from budgeting to aesthetic choices.

A lot of people who hire a planner are those who feel sort of clueless about the wedding process. They don’t know about the best vendors in the area, what kind of look they want, or even where to begin planning.

If this sounds like you, a full-service wedding planner is probably something you should look into. Find out what wedding planners do here.

 

Should I Hire a Day-Of Wedding Coordinator?

If you’d like to DIY most of the wedding planning but are concerned about everything going to plan on the big day, it is definitely worth looking into the prospect of hiring a day-of wedding coordinator.

A day-of wedding coordinator is especially helpful if you’re getting married at a non-traditional venue, since there may be some small things about the location that need to be tweaked for the wedding. 

They can also be helpful if you’re an extra anxious bride or have a very perfectionistic family– you and your loved one’s nerves will be calmer knowing that a professional is there to make sure the day is perfect.

 

Day-of Wedding Coordinator Cost

A day-of wedding coordinator is definitely an investment, though cheaper than a full-service wedding planner. Statistically, the average day-of wedding coordinator charges between $600 and $950, according to Thumbtack. However, this chunk of change is affected by several factors.

For one, your location plays a role in how much coordinators will charge. If you live in an area with a lot of weddings, they will likely charge more. Further, some day-of wedding coordinators charge differently based on the amount of time they spend on your wedding.

Some also charge based on the size of the wedding, since that directly affects how much work they will need to do.

 

How to Find a Day-of Wedding Coordinator

You might be wondering how you would even find a day-of wedding coordinator that is available and trustworthy. It is a rather niche job and there aren’t very many of them hanging around.

We recommend hiring one at least six months out from your wedding– even though they might not have much of a role at that point, it’s worth making sure they’re available.

The best way to find any sort of wedding assistant is through word of mouth. Ask your venue first— they might have a shortlist of wedding coordinators that have worked with the venue before, or they may even have one on site.

If they don’t, try your other vendors, like your caterer and photographer,  since they will likely have worked with them before. If neither have any good recommendations, try talking to recently married friends or prowling social media.

 

Different Kind of Day-of Wedding Coordinators

Since we have already established what a day-of wedding coordinator is, you might be wondering if there are even more specialized variants of a day-of wedding coordinator. And there are!

If you are especially concerned with a certain aspect of the wedding, a more specialized day-of wedding coordinator might be a better option. It is all about whatever levels your stress.

 

What is a Wedding Director?

If you’re largely concerned with the performance aspects of the wedding– the ceremony, the music, the bridal party– a wedding director will act as your maestro. Quite like a literal theatre director, the wedding director will oversee everything and make sure it runs smoothly and is enjoyable for your guests.

A wedding director will be concerned with timing. They will make sure that the ceremony begins on time, and that everyone walks down the aisle at the right moment. Going into the reception, they will coordinate the timing of events like dancing, toasts, and of the cake cutting.

A wedding director has a handful of duties, as listed here.

 

What is a Venue Coordinator?

A venue coordinator is another specific type of day-of coordinator. A venue coordinator works directly for the venue, so you will likely work with this person at a venue that holds a lot of weddings, like a hotel or specific event space. 

A venue coordinator is helpful because they are among the venue’s workers, so they can communicate efficiently with the food staff or other service staff. When talking with venues, ask if they have a coordinator as a part of their package and see if they are an extra fee.

It is also important to keep in mind that a venue coordinator works for the venue, and will set their own terms as to which aspects of the wedding are really in their wheelhouse.

 

What is an Event Designer?

An event designer or decorator are focused exclusively on the visual aspects of your wedding. They will be focused solely on things like centerpieces, lights, and flowers. If you are concerned about your wedding’s aesthetics or carrying out a specific theme, you probably want an event designer.

Since a wedding designer is only in charge of the visual things, it will be up to you to manage schedules and vendors without them. This is something to consider! Learn how much wedding decorators cost.

 

Finding the Best Day-of Wedding Coordinator For You

After reading all of this, you may have decided that you’ll need a day-of wedding coordinator, or perhaps more focused assistance like a wedding director or a wedding designer.

If you’re in the early stages of wedding planning, keep all of these ideas in mind as you get a clearer idea of what aspects of your wedding may need some extra help. 

 

More About Wedding Planning

If you’re anxious about planning your wedding, Yeah Weddings has a ton of planning resources you should check out. 

Good luck with your planning!

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