Why I Don’t Offer Day of Coordination

Hi Everyone!

Today I am going to be talking all about ‘Day of Coordination’. A ‘Day of Coordinator’ is someone you hire- that doesn’t work for your wedding venue- to come in a run your wedding day.  You’re probably thinking: “Val why don’t you offer that service?!” Well actually I do, I just don’t call it “Day of Coordination”, I call it “Wedding Management”. In the wedding planning community, we’re trying very hard to eliminate that “day-of” job title, The reason behind it is simple: It implies that we only do one day of work, and thus we shouldn’t be paid more than what, 10 hours of work?

In reality there is so much more that goes into coordinating someones wedding day.  To truly run someones wedding day perfectly, your coordinator must know your wedding like the back of their hand! They need to know your timeline exquisitely (which they took hours developing), know everything there is to know about the venue, know all your vendors, know all the vendors arrival times, know your wedding colors, know exactly what your centerpieces should look like, and an extensive list of other notes which include that the grooms grandmother is in a wheel chair, and that the ring bearer is severely allergic to peanuts. 

I put an average of 20 hours into my wedding management couples weddings, BEFORE their wedding day. I for one don’t feel comfortable coming in and running someones wedding without knowing EVERYTHING there is to know.  No planner should ever go in blind when it’s the most important day of someones life. So if you’re a bride looking to hire a coordinator, understand what goes into making your day absolutely flawless and stress free.  If you’re a fellow planner, value yourself and your time, and start offering “wedding management”.

xo, Val