Are you newly engaged and wondering where to start? Are you feeling overwhelmed and inundated with wedding how-tos and realize that you will need assistance but have no idea how to discern the differences between the help out there? Wedding planner, day-of coordinator, vendor coordinator, oh my!
Let’s dive into the different wedding vendors that exist to get you down the aisle and ensure your day runs smooth as buttah!
The Two Titles + What They Mean
A wedding planner is a professional who assists with the design, planning, and full event management of a client’s wedding. A day-of coordinator is someone who, after you’ve booked them, won’t be involved in your wedding until — you guessed it — the month of, week of, or sometimes day of your wedding. Can you spot the difference?
A wedding planner is involved in ideating, managing, and planning your event down to the color palette, vendor procurement, and day-of timeline. No detail goes unthought of, and no management falls outside a wedding planner’s jurisdiction. The show is theirs to run and theirs alone.
A day-of coordinator is ideal for the bride and groom who plan the wedding themselves and just need help getting over the finish line. They typically start working with the couple 30 days from the wedding day, take over all the vendor communication, and create the rehearsal schedule and day-of timeline.
There is much chatter among couples and vendors alike about how these roles are so different yet are commonly confused. Both require a very specific skill set, and not every wedding planner can be a day-of coordinator and vice versa.
Being a Wedding Planner is Nothing Like the JLo Movie
This always makes me laugh, and I hear it all the time. At every single wedding, there is one person who says, ‘You remind me of Jennifer Lopez from that one movie!’ And no, they do not mean I look like JLo. They mean that I am laser-focused on the tasks at hand and am juggling 50 things at once with a smile on my face.
To plan a wedding from start to finish, you must truly understand task management, customer service, and event design. While every wedding vendor is crucial to the event’s success — not only did you plan the whole damn thing, but you are running the entire show. It is YOUR job to prepare for every single scenario with a plan B, C, and D and to make it look effortless while you do it. The cardinal rule of wedding planning is you can never EVER let the couple or the guests see you sweat on the wedding day.
From what I gather from those outside looking in, the wedding industry looks glamorous. There are some truly beautiful moments during wedding planning – and I have formed incredibly strong friendships with my clients, which is truly an invaluable and surprising perk of this job. But at the end of the day, this is still a job! The behind-the-scenes tasks needed to make every wedding happen can be likened to wrecking your kitchen while cooking – the final product is stunning, but we fought for our lives and had many stressful moments to make it happen!
Day-Of Coordination is an Art in it’s Own Right
The biggest issue I’ve seen is that everyone underestimates the value a day-of coordinator brings to the table. Day-of coordination is not for the faint of heart! Coming in at the eleventh hour to integrate into the planning and management process of the biggest day of a couple’s life is truly a monumental task! This individual will devote an average of 30+ hours within a month’s time to ensure the rehearsal and wedding events go off without a hitch. That’s true event management prowess.
Frankie, the owner of The Eventful Gals – a true event planning professional and powerhouse in Northeast Florida – said it best when talking about this topic:
Calling it ‘day-of’ is misleading. There is also a very low respect factor, which can be super dangerous for a client-vendor relationship. That phrase sets you up for absolute financial failure because you are assuming you are having to pay too much for a minimal service, and it’s not true.
A day-of coordinator may not be along for the entire ride, but they are there when it matters most. I would actually argue that entering the chat and getting your bearings 30 days out is far more stressful. You are cramming months of planning and knowledge about the couple into just a few weeks, which is no small feat.
So, What Does Wedding Planning Look Like For You?
That is the question, isn’t it? This highly personal decision depends on your budget, skillset, and time. It’s always an option to hire a consultant to evaluate your situation from A to Z and create a wedding planning roadmap! However, I always remind my couples to HAVE FUN. You’re planning an incredible party for the people you love and care about the most — don’t forget to enjoy it. At the end of the day, you’ll be married to the love of your life — and that’s a damn special thing.