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Scarlet Rose Events

Wedding Coordinator | Why ‘Day Of’ Coordination Isn’t a Real Thing

Tips + Tricks

July 14, 2021

You’re newly engaged and staring at that sparkly ring on your finger as you type into your Google search bar, ‘day of wedding coordinator.’ My hope is that result leads you to this (or another) blog that tells you: NOPE. Say it with me now: day.of.coordination.isn’t.a.thing.

The unfortunate truth is, we receive many inquiries still from wonderful couples looking to hire a day-of coordinator. And our response is always the same: Absolutely, we’d love to help! However our base package is called Wedding Management and starts 4-6 weeks before your wedding day. Because really, you don’t want someone just showing up on the day of your wedding trying to execute something they aren’t familiar with!

bride and groom portrait at Park31

Let that sink in for a second. There are people in this industry who come in for literally THE DAY of your wedding. The special day that you have spent months (sometimes years) planning. And they are going to magically know all of the inner workings of this day and the vendors you’ve hired and ensure you have the stress-free wedding you deserve? That’s a huge red flag if you ask us!

Nonetheless, I get it. The term ‘day of coordinator’ or even simply a ‘wedding coordinator’ has been used for decades. It’s something you see when you’re looking at The Knot or thumbing through a bridal magazine. People still do that, right? This job has evolved over the years, and I promise you it’s evolved into much more than just the day of your wedding.

dried floral bouquet and wedding details
bubble sendoff after church ceremony

San Antonio Wedding Coordinator

The biggest concern we hear often when someone is looking for a ‘day-of coordinator’ is in regards to price. Sure, if you think someone just shows up for 8 hours on wedding day, that $2000 price tag may feel a bit hefty. That’s not to say you don’t pay that for a DJ who is there less time than us, but that’s a story for another day. However, with some education, we hope you can see the number of hours that truly goes into a wedding planner’s base package. For many this begins weeks or months before your big day. It includes a venue walk through, timeline planning, vendor confirmation and contract review, rehearsal assistance, plus (at least for us) generally 12-14 hours working on your actual wedding day. Throw in some back and forth emails and all of a sudden this ‘day of’ package is now averaging about 40 hours of work!

fall floral inside wedding chapel in Dripping Springs
bride and groom relaxing in chair

So, now that you have learned that perhaps ‘day of’ is a term that should no longer be in anyone’s vocabulary (we’re looking at you, wedding venues!), what do you search on Google? Wedding planner. Simple as that. Even the smallest of packages from reputable wedding planners that call themselves as such is a better option. Trust us. Some terms you may see? Wedding Management. Event Management. Month-of Coordinating. These will all steer you in the direction of sipping mimosas and enjoying the morning with your besties.

bridal party photos for December wedding
sparkler sendoff at Park31

At the end of the day, both you (and your vendors!) deserve so much more than just a ‘day-of’ coordinator. And so does the reputation of the planning industry. So let’s all work to remove this coined term and concept from everyone’s vocabulary, k?!

Wedding Planner in Texas | Scarlet Rose Events

If you’d like to learn more about our Collections and how we operate to ensure a smooth, stress-free wedding day, click here!

Contributing Photographers: Anna Kay Photography, Ashley Medrano Photography, Cupcake Photography, For the West and Wild, Hannah Charis Photography, Kindred Hymn

  1. […] A wedding coordinator is someone that you typically see come into your planning experience about 4 – 6 weeks before your wedding day. They’ll assist you with some of the final details, confirm vendors, build your timeline, help with your rehearsal, and be there on the wedding day. At a bare minimum, you need one of these – trust us. Just don’t go looking for a ‘day of coordinator,’ because they don’t (or shouldn’t) exist. And if you need more info on why that is, go check out this blog. […]

  2. […] for a month-of type of service (read more about why ‘day-of’ isn’t really a thing here), or you want a planner from start to finish, you’ll want to contract with someone whose […]

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