This post contains affiliate links.
In my experience, a day-of wedding coordinator is essential and ensures all loose ends come together nicely. The day-off coordinator also helps put out all the little fires that flare up before they become infernos.
The wedding coordinator’s duties are overseeing and managing all preparations on the day of the wedding. The responsibilities include directing the vendors and venue staff to execute the setup details and timeline according to the coordinator’s step-by-step schedule and floor plan.
Continue reading to find out more about what makes a good day-of wedding coordinator worth every cent.
What are the responsibilities of a wedding coordinator?
- Meet with the couple before the wedding to understand their wishes for the flow of the day and general setup ideas
- Prepare Timeline Agenda
- Prepare Ceremony, Cocktail, and Reception Floor Play Layout
- Email all Vendors and Venue the Timeline and Floor Plan 1-2 weeks prior
- Confirm with all Vendors and Venue 1 week prior
- Ensure all vendors have arrived on time
- Manage the setup and assist where needed
- Check-in periodically with the couple and parents to see if there are any questions or concerns
- Make sure the couple has eaten and are both drinking plenty of water
- Make sure the welcome table and gift table(s) are set up (guest book, pens, etc.)
- Line up the Wedding Party
- Ensure guests are seated but not in the first row
- Ensure the DJ has set up a mic for the officiant
- Make sure all essential details are set up at the altar, table, candles, lighter, etc.
- If the center aisle is roped off – take down the rope
- Start Ceremony
- Ensure staff, Bar, and Appetizers are set up and ready
- Make sure all guest signage is set up, and guests know where to go at the conclusion of the ceremony
- Usher the wedding party to a private spot immediately following the ceremony that is out of sight from the guests
- Have champagne and appetizers ready for the wedding party to celebrate before the pictures begin
- Make sure guests have made their way to the cocktail reception so the wedding party and family can take photos at the ceremony site.
- Move any flowers to the reception site
- Make sure the photographer is staying on track with the timeline
- Make sure the chef is ready for dinner service to begin shortly
- Let the bride freshen up
- Make sure the reception is set up, and candles are lit
- Make sure guests have found their seating assignments and are seated
- Champagne is served & sparkling cider for minors
- Make sure the couple’s specialty champagne flutes are at their table
- Check-in with the DJ since they usually manage the grand entrance, toasts, and all other announcements moving forward.
- DJ lines up the wedding party for the grand entrance
- Coordinator takes the bride’s bouquet and places it on the sweetheart or head table while the first dance takes place.
- Ensure the DJ is clear on who is speaking first and the order of speakers for the toasts when handing out the mic
- Coordinator serves the wedding couple (for buffet service – never make the guests of honor walk to a buffet on their wedding day).
- Dinner Service Begins
- Offer to get the couple a drink at the and make sure they have water
- Setup cake table with a small plate, the couple’s cake serving set, napkins, and wipes just in case 🙂
- Hand out any tips and thank all vendors
- Make sure venue staff is watching out for any over-drinkers and ensuring they are not driving. This is what I like about a professional valet service. They are trained to look out for drunks and help ensure they are not getting behind the wheel.
- Say goodbye to the couple and parents before departing to check if they need anything
What is the difference between a wedding planner and a coordinator?
Wedding planner – Works with a couple from the beginning and handles every detail from the venue, theme, design, and booking vendors. In a nutshell, holds the couple’s hand from start to finish.
Day of Coordinator – Usually hired for a certain amount of hours and will have consultation meetings about 6-8 weeks before the wedding. The primary responsibility of the day of coordinator is to execute each step according to the wedding timeline. Therefore, the bulk of the coordinator’s work is done on the wedding day.
The day of coordinator is more big picture duties, and the planner is both big picture, task-oriented, and everything else in between.
How to Decide – If you are someone who wants to plan every detail of your wedding and knows exactly what you want, how to go about it, and has the time. Then maybe a day of coordinator is best to execute your wishes. However, if you are someone who feels completely overwhelmed at the thought of planning a wedding and does not have the time to plan an elaborate event, then a wedding planner might be best for your needs.
How much should you give a wedding coordinator?
The average cost for a day of wedding coordinator is $650.00, and the average range is between $650.00-$950.00. This range varies based on how much extra time and effort the day of wedding coordinator is involved and the size of the wedding. Also, keep in mind that there is an allotted amount of hours the day of coordinator should be expected to work on the wedding. For example, there is an initial 1.5 to 2 hour meeting prior, followed by only a few phone calls, emails, and 8-10 hours of service on the day of the wedding.
A day of coordinator is not the same as a wedding planner, so there is only a pre-set amount of time allocated. Any additional time spent should be compensated fairly.
How do you coordinate a wedding ceremony?
- Give everyone a 30-minute and then a 15-minute heads-up warning
- Confirm with the couple and parents that all key people (family & friends) are present and accounted for before beginning the ceremony
- DJ makes an announcement for guests to be seated, but only after you have confirmed that the couple are ready and everyone has arrived who must be present. Especially the wedding officiant.
- Ask all children in the wedding party to go potty
- Make sure the DJ has a mic for the officiant at the altar (or individual lapel mics for the officiant and the groom (only 1-2 mics are needed. Possibly a 3rd mic for scripture/bible verse readings).
- Line up the officiant and wedding party (groom and groomsmen in separate areas if the couple are not seeing each other prior).
- Line up parents, grandparents, etc. that are walking down the aisle
- Make sure rings are accounted for, and the best man and maid of honor are clued up about this part
- Make sure the ring bearer has the pillow and fake rings (and his shoes are tied – if lace-up shoes)
- Make sure the flower girl has her basket of rose petals and knows what to do. Have backup petals to add if needed. (children will be children 🙂
- Once everyone is in place, have the DJ cue the music AND make sure the DJ is clear on the wedding party music and the music the bride is walking down the aisle to.
- Wedding Processional Begins
- Remember to straighten the bride’s train
- The Recessional is the end of the ceremony when the couple and wedding party walk back up the aisle, followed by the guests.
SPECIAL NOTE:
1. Have a conversation with the wedding party prior and if the ceremony is outside, get on the same page about wearing sunglasses or not wearing sunglasses. Everyone should be in sync.
2. Check the temperament of the children in the wedding party, and if they get stage-fright have a backup plan. Their parents may need to walk them down the aisle and they may not want to stand at the altar the entire ceremony. Just go with it, whatever happens, will be fine and funny to watch. Children and their natural behaviors always lighten any wedding tension or jitters.
3. Tell the wedding party to turn off their phones or leave elsewhere. Typically the groomsmen are the culprits.
4. Bride, maid of honor, and bridesmaids carry their bouquets level with their belly buttons. This keeps everything uniform and is better for photos.
5. Tell the wedding party to NOT lock their knees when standing at the altar, or they will pass out and faint.
6. Avoid bothering the bride with any questions 30 minutes before the ceremony starts.
7. Allow the wedding couple to spend at least 5 minutes alone with their parent(s) or the special person(s) in their life that helped raised them. Many couples have told me after their wedding that this was one of their favorite details of the wedding. Because after the ceremony it is hard to find time to do this later.
8. Make sure there are chairs available for seating on the ends of the last few rows in the back for any guests that arrive late.
9. Make sure the couple and wedding party know where to go directly after the ceremony concludes.
Why is the Bride on the Left & the Groom on the Right?
I used to get this question a lot from couples and their families. The theory dates back to when men carried swords during the Renaissance period. A groom would have a sword fastened on his right side and keep his right hand free (note: being left-handed during the Middle Ages was not accepted). Therefore, a man could draw his sword and protect his bride from danger.
Story Time Wedding
Several years ago, I coordinated a wedding for a couple. The groom was in a rockabilly band and was the lead singer. They were a lovely couple, and for the most part, they were straightforward and uncomplicated.
In my experience, whatever the couple’s temperament, their guests and wedding party tended to mirror a similar disposition.
It was time to get the wedding ceremony underway, so I went to the groom’s cottage for their 15-minute heads-up. The bride and her four bridesmaids were ready and had been for the last 20 minutes. The ladies were relaxed and swapping stories about their time in high school together.
Meanwhile, guests were being provided parasols and refreshments and making their way to the ceremony site on the lower lawn. It was now 3:45 pm, and the three-piece instrumental band began playing Bruno Mars – Just The Way You Are.
Before I even knocked on the door of the groom’s cottage, I knew chaos was on the other side of the vintage oak entry. “Where is my hairspray?” I heard a voice shouting. “Should we wear shades?” I heard another male voice. “I can’t find my other sock.” Finally, a third voice called out. I rested my forehead on the knotted wood door, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath.
I chanted calmly to myself: Pretty pink ponies – pretty pink ponies – pretty pink ponies.
Tap-tap-tap, I politely knocked. No response, so I used my fist the next time. The other side of the door went quiet. “It’s Lisa. Time to line up.” I called out. “Shit!” was the next word I heard, followed by frantic movement. Finally, the door swung open, and I was greeted by five men who were dressed straight from the 50s, but that’s not what caught my attention. It was their hair and the overwhelming smell of toxic hairspray.
The groom and the other four groomsmen styled their medium-length hair, so it was combed straight up and standing about ten inches from the tops of their heads. It was a masterpiece.
The bride had her hair gathered in a messy low bun and covered in a white laced netting cap, similar to what you would see a cook in a kitchen wearing at a restaurant. When I let the bride and her gals know the fellas were not ready to start on time, she said this:
“It’s a good thing I’m not marrying him for his punctuality. Nine months ago, when Danny proposed, he told me that on our wedding day, he would remind me that on the first day we met, it would be a reminder that our love was true love at first sight and would be always and forever. I met Danny at the bar I used to work at flipping burgers, and his band was performing. I love his crazy blonde hairdo.”
Sally – the Patient Bride
*** Check out my article: What Does a Wedding Planner Do For You ***
Conclusion
In my opinion, a day-of wedding coordinator is well worth it, especially if a wedding planner is not within your budget. This is your dream wedding, and the bride should be carrying a bouquet, not a clipboard.
~ Happy planning and enjoy your wedding day steps ~