What is a Day of Coordinator?

You can't go into a Wedding Day (at least here in Austin, TX) without a Wedding Day-of Coordinator. It's like making a movie without a director, an airplane without a pilot, having a kitchen without a chef, a football team without a coach. You need the best coordinator to be a point person, you need a professional advocate, you need someone to make sure that things happen with though, you need to have a person who knows everything about your wedding day - EVERYTHING - and this kind of representative of your day needs to start preparing to be the best director of your wedding day approximately 4-6 weeks out. Many people refer to this person as a Day of Coordinator, in Austin, Texas you may hear people call this person a Event Manager or someone who does event management, where others call it a Month of Coordinator. Here is what a Day of Coordinator and Event Manager and a Month of Coordinator are NOT...

A wedding day of coordinator is not any of these people ..

1. A venue coordinator or on-site coordinator (the person who runs your venue)

2. A Mother of the Bride/Groom

3. An Aunt of the Bride/Groom

4. Uncle John or Cousin Cindy who does weddings

5. A Bridesmaid / A Groomsman

6. A Friend who is ALSO a guest who interns with a wedding planner

7. Someone that comes in for ONLY the day-of to help with your wedding - remember your day-of coordinator is really a month-of coordinator - or someone who comes in the final 4-6 weeks of your wedding

8. Someone you found randomly on the Nextdoor App...

9. Your Vendors - DJ / Wedding Photographer / Florist

10. YOU...

Here are ONLY 5 reasons you need a day-of coordinator - and why you should never go into your wedding day without one. (I have many other reasons... but these should be highly considered!)

1. You need someone to build a well thought out wedding day timeline. A wedding timeline is put together by someone who knows how to build one - they build it themselves, they know what structurally needs to be in there, and they know why events are placed where they are placed. They know what can't be missed. They might have their own master timeline with details and might have a separate one given to vendors with their info they need (at Wedding Day Girl - we do one large master timeline for everyone). It must be composed with great thought, after all planning a wedding takes a lot of effort, energy and thought - a great day-of coordinator can not drop the ball or slow down your pace with a mediocre timeline - it needs to be good - the finisher. Every single person involved in your wedding must have a place in this timeline in some capacity. The person that created this timeline knows this timeline like the back of their hand. They are able to run the show. It's like a wedding day bible - it tells the story of the entire day and where it must go.

Our wedding timelines at Wedding Day Girl are incredibly detailed for a reason everything must be in there so we don't miss anything - your day-of coordinator's wedding day timeline needs to be this way as well - and it will NOT leave their side the entire wedding day because it is their reference point for vendors, venue, and wedding party.

2. You need someone to conduct the flow of events throughout the day - execute the timeline, but beyond that - evolve the timeline with the day. If you are running behind, we need to make adjustments, if you want longer with couple photos and less Wedding Party photos, we need to make adjustments, if food service starts to run behind, you need someone to handle the adjustments so it doesn't effect you and your guest experience. Your Day-of coordinator makes sure Moms are in the room for cake cutting, that the photographer is there to capture the photos, that the DJ or Band director knows where those that are making toasts are seated, someone to assist in handing the mics, giving the toasters heads up on the evening. You need someone to be in charge of these events and you need them around ALL day and ALL night to do it.

3. You need to have someone who knows how to troubleshoot wedding issues. A great day-of coordinator will have a plan B and C in their back pocket. They will have been through so many scenarios for weddings that they know how to fix issues that may happen. Maybe it's dealing with transportation that is running behind, maybe your DJ needs a set of ears to run sound check with them, maybe there is a power issue and you need a generator, maybe we have to orchestrate a rain plan which involves moving in lounge furniture that once was outside, dealing with a drunk uncle or a guest that gets sick, maybe the venue didn't put out enough tables or chairs at one of the tables, that the rental company that brought chairs are wet and need to be replaced, or that the drape that was ordered for the tent is not enough so a good day-of coordinator will dig in their box of resources and wedding contacts and make adjustments. Things happen that you didn't plan for - you need experience to roll out the adjustments like it was meant to be apart of your plan.

4. You need someone to know what the venue and vendors needs are so that going into wedding day those needs are met and someone is present on your behalf to assist the venue and the vendors arriving onto property to manage their needs. The best day-of coordinator will review all venue and vendor contracts prior to wedding day. They will make adjustments, give final counts, even help build the venue's banquet order as needed so all the information that the venue needs are accounted for in your banquet orders as well. When a vendor arrives to property, a good day-of coordinator will make sure they double check the wedding couple's contract with that vendor to make sure that what you paid for is at your wedding. When it isn't, refer to #3 above. Also, as the venue and vendor have questions throughout your event, your point person is you day-of coordinator. They are answering all the questions that need to be answered on your behalf - because they know your wedding, they took time to understand it and learn about you guys within those 4-6 weeks. Can you imagine if you didn't have someone, not only are you getting married, but you are handling your wedding questions on wedding day... no thanks - this alone is why you should hire a day-of coordinator... but there is more.

5. Your day-of coordinator is basically your assistant - she handles everything from 4-6 weeks before your big day, she learns about your wedding needs, she contacts all parties involved, she fields questions, she compiles your timeline, finalizes your venue and vendor needs, she gathers your contracts, she comes prepared to rehearsal, she handles everything on wedding day - everything - the needs you may have, the needs of your wedding party, your family, your guests, the venue, the vendors. She sets up, she accounts for everything, she assists with personal flowers, photographers, she runs the show and all the flow of events, productions, handles issues, brings you drinks throughout the night, helps you with your dress changes, and then she cleans it all up for you at the end of the night and post wedding as needed. She is your rock. You can't go into the day without a Wedding Day Girl - you simply can't afford to. Check out our package here if we convinced you!

Again, there are so many reasons - but these 5 reasons really should push you in the direction of hiring a Day-of Coordinator, and if you think your venue will be your day-of coordinator, think again... see this article - 10 Things a Wedding Venue Coordinator Won't Handle - Austin, TX — Wedding Day Girl