What is a day of wedding coordinator? What do they do? Do I REALLY need one?

Today I am SO excited to have Michaela here to share with you all about a day-of coordinator and why you should have one. I learned so much by reading through this that I just know it will be helpful for so many couples! I met Michaela at a TuesdaysTogether meeting a couple of months ago, and she has the most infectious smile! She would be an absolutely joy to have around on your wedding day.

(photos submitted)

Hello Lovely! My name is Michaela and I am a certified wedding planner in the Chicagoland area who specializes in event design and day-of coordination. I’m a lover of coffee, the color gold, HGTV’s Fixer Upper, and fresh greens & flowers! I live in Bourbonnais with my husband and adorable maltipoo puppy. Traveling to weddings with my videographer husband sparked something in my heart about three years ago. My heart began to break as I watched client after client stress out during their wedding day because they couldn’t control everything going on (why would they?! It’s their wedding day!!). That is when something began to flourish in my soul. I have always had a heart for event planning and designing and realized that I could combine my passions for loving people and event planning with excellence. Whether you need someone to stand by your side from day one or you just need someone to keep your event moving smoothly I am prepared to be your personal cheerleader, designer, organizer, encourager, coffee getter, and planner!

On your wedding day, there will be a huge temptation to be everyone BUT the bride or groom. There will be temptations to be designer, question answerer, timeline keeper, decision maker and problem solver. The problem is, these temptations pull away from letting you just be you on one of the biggest days of your life! So what is the solution? Hiring a day-of coordinator!

So what is everything you need to know about day-of coordinators?

 

• What is a day-of coordinator?

 

Many people ask me if I offer services for day of coordination. Technically, the answer is “no” because there really is no such thing as day-of coordinating. Think about it; you wouldn’t really want some random person showing up on your wedding day ready to help run the show, would you? Typically, day-of coordinating is really more like month-of coordinating. But to keep things simple, we’ll keep using the term.

Truth time: “day-of coordination” is actually my very favorite thing to do. I love being able to step into someone’s wedding day and bring their dreams to reality. I like to spend time with my clients before the big day getting to hear their story and taking in their vision so that when their wedding day is here I am fully prepared to bring their vision to life. It gives me time to know what is really expected of me and also allows me to bring the best services on the day of.

 

• What do they do?

 

With so many DIY wedding planning guides on Pinterest, people often wonder why it’s even worth it to hire a wedding planner to help coordinate the day-of. And BELIEVE me brothers and sisters, I hear you! When I was planning my own wedding I too wanted to plan it from A to Z. However, what the Pinterest self-help tools fail to highlight is just what a day-of coordinator actually does and how helpful they can be.

I am here to take away the guessing and answer a simple question: What does a wedding planner really do?

A wedding planner does anything you need them to do.

I know, I know! It seems too simple. But it’s the honest truth. When push comes to shove, wedding planners are there to be whatever you need to be. Good wedding planners are trained in understanding the different types of brides out there and in return are able to give them the type of guidance they need for their day. They are problem-solvers, troubleshooters, coffee getters and everything in between. They make sure everything you have dreamed of is overseen and cared for.

 

• Do I really need one?

 

My heart has never broken more than when I see brides and grooms, and their loved ones, stressed out on a wedding day. But “stressed” doesn’t have to be the heartbeat of your day! Pinterest and self-help guides are great, but unfortunately, they won’t be able to bring you coffee or light candles on your wedding day. So another truth time: you need a day-of coordinator.

I know your venue could be providing you one. And I know that you think your mom can handle it. I know that your photographer might keep his or her own timeline. BUT what if one or any of those things don’t happen? What if something even crazier flies off the handle? You’ll be pulling your (or your maid of honor’s) hair out trying to make everything happen. Spare your updo. Let your venue coordinator handle the venue and let the day-of coordinator take care of you.

Even me, a wedding planner, hired another planner to help make sure everything ran smooth. When you hire a wedding planner to coordinate you aren’t paying for another vendor, you are paying for peace of mind for yourself, your bridal party, and your friends and family. Wedding planners aren’t there to make things more complicated, they are there to bring a sense of coordination to the many moving elements of a wedding.  

Don’t let those temptations sneak up on you! Let mom be a mother of the bride and your photographers take incredible photos while your wedding planner keeps everything moving along and lighting candles at the right time. Let your vendors be vendors. Let your family be family. Let your bridal party be a bridal party. Let yourself be a bride or groom. And let your day-of coordinator take care of the day.

Thanks so much for hanging out with me today!

Michaela is now an amazing wedding florist! You can find her over at www.michaelamantarian.com.

 

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