WHAT’S A “DAY-OF” WEDDING COORDINATOR?

When discussing Chestnut & Vine with potential clients, I am often asked (1) exactly what is “day-of wedding coordination,” and (2) what made you decide to focus solely on “day-of” services?   What better place to address these questions than here on “The Corner of Chestnut & Vine”?

“Day-of Coordination” is wedding industry lingo for when a couple hires an organizer to implement their wedding plans for them.  In other words, the bride and groom choose their theme, colors, venues, vendors, menus, entertainment, decorations, etc. themselves, but then they hire a coordinator to handle all of the event details the weekend of the wedding.  “Day-of” is a deceiving description because the coordinator actually begins working on the wedding details well before the big day arrives.  For instance, I meet with my clients 6 weeks before their wedding day to discuss timelines, exchange contact information for vendors/venues, review transportation plans, and identify details that they may have overlooked.  In the weeks leading up to the wedding, the day-of coordinator drafts the wedding weekend schedule, contacts all of the vendors, and confirms that all of the details will be conducted as planned.  When the wedding weekend arrives, the day-of coordinator oversees the set-up process, keeps the wedding timeline on schedule, handles last minute emergencies, distributes gratuities, and then sees that the gifts and centerpieces are transported to a designated location.

As a recent DIY bride, I relate well with engaged couples who develop their own wedding day vision and want to be in charge of the planning process.  Many DIY brides and grooms find themselves in a last minute panic and are unable to fully enjoy their wedding day because they didn’t hire a professional to handle the final details for them.  A friend once confided to me that she should have hired a day-of wedding coordinator because it wasn’t until the end of her reception that she realized there was no one to pack-up the centerpieces or load the gifts into the car.  Instead of having a big send-off at the end of the night, she and her bridesmaids were scrambling frantically around the hall in their formal gowns collecting centerpieces and carrying large gifts to the parking lot.  This is taking DIY to an unnecessary extreme and is a guaranteed buzz kill for the bride and groom, the wedding party and their guests.  Hearing numerous stories like my friend’s made me realize that day-of wedding coordination is an untapped niche that I am excited to serve.