I found out about day-of wedding coordinators when one of my friends got married. She said that the day-of wedding coordinator is the person behind the scenes who makes sure everything goes perfectly.
Joe and I hired day-of wedding coordinators so that our bridal party, our parents, and other relatives wouldn’t have to do any work at our wedding. We wanted them to enjoy our wedding, be happy, and be relaxed.
Our wedding coordinators made sure we ate a little and had enough water before the start of our reception. They also had white nail polish on hand in their emergency kit when some of my nail polish chipped right before I was about to walk down the aisle in church. They also got Tylenol for Joe’s mom.
Here’s a list of duties we asked our day-of wedding coordinators to do:
Confirmation of services with vendors
Execute wedding day timeline from “setup” to “teardown”
Assure that ceremony and reception area are set up according to floor plans
Coordinate and assist the set-up and break-down of the ceremony and reception sites: Program, Menu, Escort & place card set-up, gifts & favors, toasting glasses, guest book
Distribute/pin all flowers in a timely manner for the wedding party and loved ones
Coordinate instructions with ceremony greeters (distribution of programs) and ushers (seating)
Act as a liaison between Joe & Celeste and wedding vendors
Ensure all vendors are on time and in the proper location
Ensure the photographer takes the appropriate photos.
Coordinate vendor breaks and meals
Stay in communication with banquet staff to ensure things are going smoothly
Cue all services for the reception (grand entrance; dances–first dance, father-daughter, mother-son, anniversary dance, money dance; toasts, cake cutting.)
Greet and instruct guests
Assist wedding party and guests as needed. Make sure guests with special needs (wheelchair, special meal) are attended to, assist guests with questions.
Prepare and provide use of wedding day emergency kit
Distribute final payment and gratuities to vendors
Coordinate transportation of gifts; Ensure gifts are secure and delivered to designated person/location
Ensure all personal items brought in for the event are returned to the designated person or location (maybe hotel room or residence). Some items include guest book, portraits, unity candle display, cake topper, cake knife and server, toasting flutes, and CD photo montage
Ensure all rental items are returned and the venue is left in good condition.
We’re so glad we hired wedding coordinators! Overall, our wedding day went smoothly. The peace of mind in having professional wedding coordinators was worth it for us.
