Make sure your family and friends can enjoy the day without having to fret the details. Having coordinated more than 200 weddings in her career, we asked Teresa Speight, our super experienced coordinator to give us some insight on why a coordinator is so important.
After spending months planning every aspect of your special day, don’t leave the expectation of your final details to chance. Brides often rely on family and friends to help carry out plans on the day of their wedding. When this happens, I often see the last-minute mishaps before the ceremony go unnoticed as the family member or friend leaves the role of coordinator to get ready and attempt to be a part of the bridal room activities.
Remember, your family and friends are your guests also! You want them to be able to relax and enjoy your wedding and not end up feeling like “event staff.”
In most cases, your ‘volunteers’ have little experience in the role of coordinator/planner. They often end up feeling overwhelmed as they try to keep on top of everything that must be done to ensure that the day runs smoothly for you. For example, I often see mothers of the bride take on these responsibilities and they end up missing out on the important personal moments of their daughter’s special day.
Just a few months ago, our team arrived at the venue to set up for the wedding which was to be the following day. I noticed the mother of the bride sitting in a corner table, her head bowed, and definitely showing signs of frustration. I approached her to see if I could be of any help. She immediately broke out in tears. "I am trying to coordinate this wedding," she said, "and I am so frustrated. I have so much to do and the wedding day is upon us!" I began to ask her what she needed help with -- which was a pretty long list -- and told her that I was a coordinator. She immediately asked me to take over. Even though I was there to help with our DJ setup, I agreed to help. After the wedding, she could not thank me enough for helping make her day such an amazing one.
There are generally two types of coordinators:
Partial service planner/coordinator - this coordinator will work with the family from day one, making sure all facets of the wedding day are covered. This is the perfect plan for those who want a professional to handle all of the planning, decoration and venue execution.
Day-of coordinator - this coordinator will work with the family on the day-of to assure execution of ready-made plans. This is ideal for a family who wants to plan the details themselves, but would like a professional to step in to manage the day on their behalf. This is the most popular approach.
As your day-of coordinator, here's what I will do:
Set up detailed schedules for the ceremony and reception
Discuss with the officiant the order of events for the ceremony
Be in charge of the layout of the room(s)
Coordinate with the DJ/Band or other entertainment to assure on-time set up
Coordinate with the photographer and the photographer's schedule and shot list
Assure rented materials (clothing, decorations, chairs, tables, etc.) are purchased, delivered and returned
Coordinate the ceremony; organize and direct the entrance of immediate family members, groom, officiant, groomsmen, bridesmaids, maid/matron of honor, flower girl, ring bearer and bride
Coordinate the family/cocktail hour, assuring the food and beverage are in-place, the bartenders (if applicable) are ready and all supplies are present
Coordinate the reception to include the grand entrance, meal cadence, first dances, cake cutting, toasts, departure
Coordinate the departure, making sure the bride and groom are prepared and have everything they need before leaving the venue. The coordinator will also make sure the marriage license has been properly executed.
Assures final details are taken care of, such as getting gifts packed up, decoration removal, return of linens and other rented items, DJ/Entertainment break down, cleaning per venue requirements.
As your partial service planner/coordinator, here's what I will do:
All of the duties of the day-of coordinator, plus:
Consult with all vendors and approval of all vendor contracts
Consult on all facets of the wedding and help family choose all vendors
Assist with budget considerations
Assistance with decorating and decorating ideas
Work with decorator and florist to assure venue is completely decorated
"Whew, that was a lot!"
As you can see, there are many little details that go into making your wedding special and as stress-free as possible. My mission is to do all I can to help your special day be EVERYTHING you dreamed of!
For more information, or to book our coordinating services, email info@yourtunesnow.com or give us a call at 706-575-1527.