Did you know there’s a difference between a day-of wedding coordinator and a wedding planner? Often, couples hire a wedding planner and miss the difference between their duties and a day-of coordinator. While a wedding planner helps prepare the wedding atmosphere and assists in decision-making throughout the engagement period, they are not responsible for the logistics of their couple's wedding day.
When picking your planner, check if they offer day-of coordination in their package. If they don’t, you’ll want to hire a day-of coordinator to be onsite for your wedding. This will be the person who takes the preparation from the wedding planner and couple to execute the timeline, manage vendors, and overcome any obstacles or challenges throughout the wedding day.
When should you book your day-of coordinator?
At Twickenham House and Hall, all our planning packages include day-of coordination, but for brides looking to get married elsewhere, we advise couples to hire the individual 4-6 months before the wedding day - around the same time as your "save the dates." Because the individual operates events professionally, securing them early for your wedding weekend is essential. Think of hiring a day-of coordinator similar to ensuring that special guests reserve your wedding date in their calendar. If you desire their presence, you will prepare ahead of time.
How do you select the right one?
We suggest meeting with a potential coordinator for lunch or coffee and engaging with their personality. Would you trust them to make executive decisions? Do they understand the wedding vision and aesthetic? How would they deal with your aunt and uncle's aversion to punctuality? If your day-of coordinator is responsible for making executive decisions and relieving stress, it is essential you can trust their judgment and personality.
Furthermore, if your wedding coordinator is representing you as a couple, ensure they are genuinely enthusiastic about participating in the biggest day of your life. From the venue to the flowers to pieces as minute as how many buttons are proper on a suit jacket, no decision is taken lightly in the wedding process. Likewise, this detailed decision should be considered when selecting the person coordinating the actual wedding day.
What does a day-of coordinator do?
Perhaps most importantly, the day-of coordinator is responsible for the wedding's timeline. Because couples hire the venue, caterers, and photographer for an allotted period, the wedding timeline must stay on track. The coordinator will evaluate and manipulate the schedule as needed throughout the day. When unforeseen events happen (because they will), the coordinator reorders the plan to seamlessly alter the day without the couple or their families stressing or being affected negatively.
Your day-of coordinator will also communicate with the vendors to smoothly manage the day. Understanding the couple and their vision for the wedding, the day-of coordinator can answer any questions and organize the various contributors to the couple's wedding. This responsibility allows the couple and their families to savor each moment and trust the wedding day to operate smoothly.
An often forgotten responsibility of day-of wedding coordinators is organizing and administering the order of the wedding ceremony. The coordinator ensures each honored member of the family or wedding party enters the ceremony in the correct, timely order. The ceremony's details are frequently forgotten; ironically, this is the event's whole purpose. The coordinator is responsible for ordering the ceremony and ensuring it is seamless.
How much should you budget?
Your wedding's location, season, budget, and more all influence the price of a day-of wedding coordinator. Peek season, weddings from June to October, typically have heightened costs due to the demand. Likewise, location can dramatically influence the expense of a day-of coordinator. A suburban wedding will vary from a city's expenses. Typically, a couple can expect to spend between $500-2,500 on a day-of wedding coordinator. This price varies depending on the demand and length of service a couple expects from their coordinator.
Is a day-of wedding coordinator worth it?
With the hundreds of weddings hosted at Twickenham House and Hall, our couples have never regretted our day-of coordinator services. No matter how much the couple chooses to plan on their own beforehand, having someone else other than the bride or groom be responsible for the execution of their plans enables the couple to savor every moment and be present during the biggest day of their life.
A coordinator's attention to detail and professionalism eases the stress typically held by the couple, their parents, and the wedding party. The family can embrace the day with the coordinator's services and not worry about finer details.
Want to speak with one of our planners about making your big day happen at Twickenham? Click below to get started!