Do I need a wedding coordinator on my special day?

The short answer is absolutely!

But if you are still unsure about it, let me share with you what my company, Los Angeles Exclusive Weddings, does when we are haired to coordinate the day of the wedding for our clients.

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First of all we like to call it "Month of coordination " and not "day of coordination" Because in fact we will be enter in action about 1 month before the big day.

I admit that for us professionals the "month of" is quite a challenge. In fact when we are hired for a full planning we can suggest venue and vendors we already know , we are used to work with, we can prevent our client from signing contracts that are not very clear and make sure they understand the fine prints . For the "month of "all the vendors are already been booked, contracts signed , and we need to review what is being agreed to and carry on whatever is already in motions.

In order to help our clients and keep them on track when they book us we offer them the possibility to use our wedding planner software so we kind of keep an eye on them .By keeping them organized and teaching them a system when it is time to jump in and carry their vision to the production it will be a much soother transition for everybody involved. This is our way of operating and I do understand it is different for everybody but we found this system a much better method to prevent things falling to the cracks.

But let's talk about the wedding day itself.

Here is what your coordinator should do on your special day :

1.Make certain that You, Your Groom, Parents and the Wedding Party are comfortable and have all the attention and service deserved while getting ready for the Big Day.

2.Receive all deliveries, greeting and supervising all the vendors as they load in and set up

3. Distribute hard copies of your final, complete wedding day itinerary to all vendors

4.Oversee proper set up and design of ceremony and reception areas

5.Accept all personal flowers and distribute and pin all corsages, boutonnieres, wedding personal flowers and flower-girl and ring bearer items

6.Ensure proper placement of the guest’s assigned seating place cards, guest books, pens , photographs, candles, wedding favors, ceremony programs, menu cards, candy and sweet table items, etc. per your exact instruction

7.Make certain guests with special needs of any kind receive care and assistance without making them feel uncomfortable or like the center of attention

8. Greet your guests and kindly direct them to the ceremony and reception areas at the appropriate times

9. Find the flower girls and the ring bearers when it’s time to walk down the aisle and help them get down the aisle.

10.Round up, line up and cue the Wedding Party when it’s time to walk down the aisle, making sure they all look great, smiling, paced perfectly, no hands in pockets

11. Let you know when it’s time to walk down the aisle, make sure you are ready for the big moment

12. Make sure your dress and train are perfect and send you on your way down the aisle with your escort

13.Make certain that ceremony musicians are given parking validation if prearranged and have correct sound requirements and appropriate shade and seating

14. Make certain that all ceremony musicians have the correct musical selections for guest arrival, family seating and also the correct processional and recessional musical selection

15.Make sure that the ceremony musicians are cued appropriately to ensure correct pace and timing

16. Come to the rescue of the crying flower girl or ring bearer during the ceremony when their Mom and /or Dad happen to be in the Wedding Party

17.Take family pets involved in Wedding Ceremony away at appropriate times to another area

18. Direct your guests to the cocktail reception after the ceremony

19.Assist the Photographer in gathering your Wedding Party and family members for pictures as needed

20.Make certain that You, Your Groom, Family and the entire Wedding Party get your favorite cocktail and Hors d’oeuvres served to you by catering staff during your photography session

21.Make certain your selected Reception Entertainment have proper power, staging, shaded seating, parking validations, vendor meals, green room access etc.

22. Make certain that all décor items from ceremony which will be reused at reception get to appropriate places

23. Make certain that all finishing touches are complete and exactly as you wished before allowing guests to enter the reception area

24.Make certain all candles are lit and remain lit throughout the entire reception

25.Answer all guests’ questions and concerns graciously throughout the day

26.Assist the DJ/MC in guiding guests through the day and on to the next scheduled events making certain that no one misses these events and there is a steady comfortable flow with no dead air or rushing

27. Assist your Maid of Honor in the bustling of your Wedding Dress Before Grand Entrance

28.Organize the Grand Entrance and get everyone lined up outside the reception area in correct order informing the MC of all correct pronunciations of names

29.Always letting You and Your Groom know what is next and making sure you are ready so that you are never caught off guard

30.See that parents and very special people are given special care and their every need is catered to

31.Make certain that dietary needs and requests of guests such as allergies, vegetarian and vegan requests are followed through with correctly

32.Supervise and communicate with the chef, banquet captain and catering staff to ensure superb, timely dinner services

33. Make certain that everyone scheduled to give toasts, blessings, or host special events during the day are cued and prepared

34.Make certain that you and your shy groom do not get left out in the middle of the dance floor for the entire very long first dance

35.On the other hand, make certain that you are the only two on the dance floor to show off those choreographed dance moves you learned in those dance lessons you took over the past year

36.Make certain you have your comfortable shoes under your table to change into at the reception if you desire and your make up available to touch up if needed throughout the day

37.Make certain your parents and Grandparents gets a great spot for the cake cutting, first dance, etc.

38.Come to the rescue with a warm, damp cloth when your Groom wasn’t as nice as he had promised you to be during the cake cutting or vice versa

39.Be there by your side, ready and available for any emergencies or unexpected occurrences

40.Guide you graciously through your day, keep things running on schedule. Without a coordinator it is very easy to simply run out of time and you never get to do all those creative and special things you spent months planning

41. Distribute final balances and gratuities to the vendors on your behalf

42.Keep track of, organize and pack everything up for you at the end of the evening

43.Collect all of your wedding gifts, your guest book, pen, toasting glasses, cake top, etc and bring everything to your Honeymoon Suite, Designated Room or Designated Car

44.Arrange Getaway Transportation, making sure that they are present and on time when you are ready to depart reception

45. Know exactly when you need a soft voice to calm you, one other than of your family or close friends

46. Be the one person to offer you a little laughter when those people nearest and dearest to you ( forgive me) are driving you nuts

Hope these 46 points give you enough reasons to convince you that having a coordinator on your wedding day is just a must to enjoy your day.

If you want to take a fun quiz to see if you will need a planner for your wedding I suggest to read this other blog post.

If you would like to book a complimentary consultations to see if we are the right company for your special day or if you have questions please visit our site here