Do you need a day-of wedding coordinator?

A day-of coordinator is a professional who takes the plan you have made and runs it on the day: they confirm vendors in the weeks before, keep the timeline, solve problems before you hear about them, and make sure the right song plays when you walk in. You need one when your day has enough moving parts that somebody has to be in charge, and you would rather it were not you or your mother.

What does a day-of coordinator actually do?

• Four to eight weeks before: reviews your plans, contracts and timeline, and finds the gaps
• The final weeks: confirms arrival times and details with every vendor
• The rehearsal: runs it, so the processional is practiced rather than discussed
• The day: manages vendors, keeps time, cues the music and the speeches, handles problems
• The end of the night: makes sure gifts, cards and personal items go home with the right person

That is why many call it "month-of coordination". Someone who meets you for the first time on the morning of the wedding cannot fix a problem they never knew about.

Isn't that what the venue coordinator does?

Partly. A venue coordinator looks after the venue: the room, the catering they provide, the timings of their staff. They usually do not call your photographer, set up your welcome sign, line up your wedding party or chase the florist who is late. Ask your venue exactly what their coordinator does on the day, and where their job stops.

How is it different from a full wedding planner?

A full planner works with you for months: finding vendors, managing the budget, designing the day. A day-of coordinator executes a plan that already exists. If you enjoy planning and have made the decisions yourselves, a coordinator is usually enough. If you have neither time nor interest, a planner is.

When is a coordinator most worth it?

• You have six or more vendors to coordinate
• The ceremony and the reception are in different places
• The venue is a blank space (a barn, a garden, a tent) with no in-house team
• You have a lot of guests, or a tight schedule
• Nobody in your circle wants the job, or everyone who could would rather be a guest

How do you manage without one?

Choose one calm, organized person who is not a parent and not in the wedding party, and give them a clear role: the run sheet, every vendor's phone number, the list of group photos and the authority to make small decisions. Share the timeline with every vendor a week ahead. And keep the guest-facing schedule on the invitation up to date, so guests who check their phones see the same plan as everyone else.

Somebody will be in charge on the day. The only question is whether you chose them.