Why there is no such thing as a “day of” coordinator

So, you might be hearing about this term in the wedding world – day of coordinator. 

I’m here to tell you why there is no such thing, and this is an error in title. 

Let’s be honest – do we think that someone could plan their wedding for 12+ months and then a “day of coordinator” can come in, with no prior communication, and know what they’re doing? 

Every single wedding is different. Chances are that you’ve spent hours planning decor, where things will go, the colors that you want implemented (and how you want them implemented), etc etc etc. But if someone comes in on the day of and has zero communication prior, how are they supposed to know any of this?

It’s totally easy to believe that this is possible. It’s a misnomer. Wedding industry creatives really need to stop using the terms “day of”. 

Let’s chat about all the things that our company usually handles before the actual wedding day, and what that would look like if Daisy + Sun didn’t handle those. 

• Sending over a planning portal for the couple to have a checklist, budget calculator, vendor recommendations, etc.
  • If we didn’t provide this, our couples would most likely use something that might miss certain aspects or forget things. This ensures all bases are covered. 
• In addition to our planning portal, 2-3 months out, we send over a big packet that goes every detail, just in case.
  • If we didn’t send this over, we wouldn’t have a safety net to ensure that we know what’s happening on the event date. We also use this to build the customized wedding day timeline. 
• We build the wedding day timeline.
  • Wedding day timelines are hard to make if you haven’t made them before. With our experience, we have perfected the craft of creating a seamless timeline. Daisy + Sun is sure to add in lots of buffer time as needed to try to stick as close to the wedding timeline as possible. 
• Vendor confirmations
  • Not only do we make sure that all vendors are on the same page, but we are sure to ask the questions that might not have been thought about. We love to do final vendor communication. Most of the time, towards that last 30 days, the couple has so much going on that they aren’t wanting to reach out to their vendors to ask final questions. Don’t fret – we got this handled. 
  • If we showed up on the wedding day without communicating with your vendors, we would all be on different pages, which would lead to several miscommunications and struggles throughout the wedding day. 
• Wedding day rehearsal
  • The day before the wedding, we come in and make sure that your ceremony is running seamlessly. We practice the walking order, standing/sitting order, hand and bouquet placement, the bouquet handoff, and more! 
  • Many couples hand this off to family members. While your aunt Sally might be a great organizer, chances are she hasn’t ran a wedding rehearsal before. Additionally, family members are known for changing things last minute. With the stress of a wedding coming, you might agree to this, but you might look back later on and regret it. However, your previous meetings with your coordinator will ensure that your ceremony is the way you want it. 
• The wedding day
  • Setting up
    • Let’s be honest – do you really want to be setting up decor on your wedding day? Coordinators set up things like some signage, card box, guestbook, centerpieces, linens, etc. Setup for a minimal-decor wedding takes over 2 hours, while weddings with more intricate decor can take even longer, and this is with a team of 2-4 people! 
  • Vendor management
    • Vendors could be lost on their way to the venue and not know where to go – do you want them calling you in the midst of getting your hair and makeup done? Probably not. We communicate with vendors weeks and weeks in advance to ensure they know what’s going on, anything tricky about the venue, and they also get our personal phone numbers in case they are having trouble. 
    • Vendors can have other issues, too, like if a DJ has power issues. I promise you don’t want to be finding outlets that work within range. 
  • Timeline management
    • We built that big timeline, so we better use it right? Having someone to remind you and your vendors about timing (i.e. – “you got 10 minutes before the next activity”) is incredibly helpful. Without it, your photographer might be in the bathroom while your DJ is getting the bouquet toss started. Having a middle man to be sure that everyone is on the same page and that things are getting done in good time is important. 
  • Putting out the fires
    • Truth is, there’s going to be at least something that goes wrong on your wedding day. It’s normal. But, you’re not going to want to be the one managing it. Be present in your day and hire a wedding planner/coordinator. 
  • Facilitation of tear down
    • Many venues have tear down rules, stipulations, and requirements. Many of them also have consequences such as fees if those things aren’t completed. Making sure that all the decor is torn down and in a central location, out of the way, is important to your venue. Hire at least a month of wedding coordinator to make this happen. 

Well, we went over all the things that wedding coordinators handle, and how there is no such thing as a “day of” coordinator. 

Honestly, I couldn’t imagine walking into a wedding day with absolutely no prior knowledge or communication. This would be a recipe for disaster, confusion, and more issues than needed.