If you’re here because The Knot told you to hire a Day-Of Coordinator, I have bad news for you. There is no such thing.
It’s a lie, it’s a unicorn, it doesn’t exist.
I know. You’re feeling betrayed. But I’m here to help.
The truth is, there is simply no way any Wedding Planner worth her salt would convince you to only work with her for one day. One day isn’t enough!
You may still find start-ups that will do this but seasoned pros pull away from being responsible for executing an event that they were not at least minimally involved in planning. So many things can go wrong and their reputation is at stake.
Here are some push-backs and answers to this conversation.
I’m organized and type A/project manager/plan events so I am comfortable planning the wedding:
I love the ambition and detail oriented nature. In theory, every bride is only ever planning one wedding, right? So no matter how detailed and organized, there just really isn’t any possible way to put together a proper timeline and reconcile all of the many details that go on in those last few weeks. There are TONS of templates and articles to help, totally get that! But each of your vendors is unique to you and your vision so they will all have varying needs that a template just can’t consider. Your photographer will likely have a timeline and your DJ too – so it will seem simple “ah, I’ll just use their template”, but it’s important to juggle the needs of all of the vendors and we as pros know exactly what questions to ask and which red flags to mill through so that nothing is left unturned.
But, don’t worry, I have a solution.
A few years ago, I offered Day-of Coordination, and it never really worked the way I wanted it to. As a Planner, it’s in my nature to be helpful. I want to help you be the very best host or hostess to your guests on your wedding day. I want you to have a relaxing day that you will actually remember…because you won’t be thinking,
“Oh, I think I forgot to tell my day-of coordinator about the 3 boxes of red hot riplets chips coming at the end of the night.”
Yes. That really happened.
As a professional, I can’t guarantee the outcome if I did not have participation in the process. Would you trust yourself to handle your legal briefs, then hire a lawyer the day of to defend your case in court? Although there are many great “day-of” coordinators out there, we prefer to get to know our clients on a more personal level and learn how we can integrate their personalities into their big day. Unfortunately, this can’t be done in the few stressful weeks prior to your wedding when there is little to no wiggle room.
The fault in the idea of “month of” is that it becomes tied to a tight timeframe. We step in from the moment you book, and have found this to have more value for our clients than stepping in after everyone has been paid and contracts are final. This robust package allows for more guidance and contract alterations to ensure a successful and stress-free final few months prior to the wedding day, even if you are a master wedding planner yourself! The ability to work with vendors we know and trust enable us to provide impeccable event management.
What I offer my clients is Wedding Management. The most amazing benefit of Wedding Management is that I offer unlimited email correspondence with me from the day you book. That way, if you have a question, or you want to book a marching band to close out the night, you can ask me questions as they occur to you…and not at 4 weeks before your wedding day. (Which is when most “day-of” coordinators start communicating with you, and by then, it’s too late! )
This is not an effort to get higher pay for heftier package offerings. This is actually a conversation starter to challenge the narrative that it’s too expensive to hire a planner.
It’s honestly too expensive not to.
The request to “just show up on the day of” sounds like more of a money grab to me, and we’d rather serve our clients. Do we have a cake? Check. Do we have a Dj? Check. Florals? Check. But what happens when things go rogue? I’ll spare you the “what-ifs” and just share that there is a lot of room for error and you need someone to be able to pivot when needed and know how YOU would like things. It’s a little hard to do that if we’ve known you for three emails and two phone calls. For those who truly wish to help and not “check boxes”, Day Of, is a misnomer and should really be buried.
There are so many more benefits to Wedding Management that I couldn’t possibly list them all here, but I would love to tell you more in person! You can click here to schedule a time to chat with me.
