Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Independent Day-Of Coordinator vs Venue Coordinator

Independent Day-Of Coordinator
vs Venue Coordinator
  
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

Your wedding day -- it's the most important day of your relationship!  Despite a rehearsal a day or so before, it's an event that you have ONE SHOT at.  So you'd want it to be as stress-free as possible.  Which brings us to the importance of an experienced Day-Of Coordinator. 

If you're a bride who's booked a venue with a Venue Coordinator you may be thinking to yourself, "Gee,  this is great!   I won't need to hire an outside coordinator!"  Well...you may want to reconsider once you learn the difference between the two.  

Venue Coordinators are great!  We, at ANGELIC AFFAIRS, love working with them.  They typically know your venue inside and out, and are a great resource for you as well as us as independent coordinators.  However, they only coordinate what pertains to their venue.  Their main concerns are the times of your wedding reception and cocktail hour, as well as ceremony times if your ceremony is taking place there.  

They care about getting you to your bridal suite, directing guests into other spaces as events shift, as well as what time food is being served, and what time your wedding ends and should be cleaned up by.  IF you're lucky, you may have a venue that will set up tables, chairs, and any materials you provide such as place cards, escort cards, decor, and so on.  But for many couples out there, that's not the case.  

I have personally heard horror stories from couples who said, "I don't need a coordinator.  My venue provides one."  One bride in particular, for example, said that on her wedding day she, her guests, and bridal party had to move their own chairs from the ceremony to the reception space. Another actually had to call friends the day of her wedding to come in early to set up their reception space because their coordinator asked them on their wedding day, "Who's setting everything up?"  Another was told that because their caterer didn't provide a copy of their insurance in advance, they weren't allowed to use their kitchen as previously agreed upon.  

Granted, that stems from poor communication.  But you'd be surprised at how many couples are caught off guard when things go array on their wedding day as a result.  Which is why learning about how much more detail oriented a Day-Of Coordinator is prior to your wedding day is crucial.

Firstly, Day-Of Coordinator is a misleading title in the sense that we don't just show up on your wedding day and assume to know what needs to be done.  Our work comes from months of planning and coordinating with your venue and vendors in preparation for your big day.  Not only do we coordinate the timeline of events of your reception, but our coordination begins at reviewing your hired vendors' and venues' contracts.  

Why is this important?  Because we need to review exactly what they're being hired by you to do and for how much time.  It's easy to assume your rental company will set up  the tables, chairs, and linens being delivered.  But did you know that's not always included in their rate?  This is where having an independent Day-Of Coordinator comes in handy.  Not only will this detail of knowing who's setting up come into question, but if your rental company is contracted to setup at your event, your hired Day-Of Coordinator and his/her team will be the ones to do this for you.   

Essentially, anything that needs to be done due to (pardon my language) half-assed work falls onto the responsibility of your Day-Of Coordinator who's job is to ensure everything that needs to be done gets done, and you're not being bombarded by stress and things gone wrong.  Your day has likely cost a lot of money.  So wouldn't you want the added assurance that someone else is handling stress as mayhem breaks loose?!  

Aside from contract reviewing, independent Day-Of Coordinators create detailed Timelines noting what time hair & makeup is being done, down to what song is playing during processionals and recessionals, as well as what traditional or non-traditional elements need to occur and at what time.  We, at ANGELIC AFFAIRS, go a step beyond that and also include Checklists, color-code our Timelines making it easier for your vendors and venues to follow it (they can be upwards of 7 pages for more intricate weddings), as well as create Design Layouts showing where tables will be setup, how many seats per table, table numbers, ceremony seating setup, and so on. 

You may be thinking to yourself, "Should Wedding Planners be doing this as well?"  Yes and no.  This is certainly a question you'll want to confirm with your Wedding Planner -- whether Day-Of Coordination and Rehearsal is included in his/her package as well.  

I always like to say, "A Day-Of Coordinator and Wedding Planner is the glue that holds your event together."  And having a professional who has had years of experience is important.  Good questions you might want to ask your potential Coordinator / Planner prior to booking is, "Have things gone wrong at your weddings?  If so, how did you handle them?"  Having someone who's seen the good, the bad, and the ugly are important.  You want someone who's had all of those experiences and learn how they were handled.  Those experiences have tested them and shown them what they need to watch out for in the future.  And, heck...if they've gone through the worst and are still doing what they're doing, they must really have a passion for their career!  Haha!  #ThisGirlRightHere

In summary, I'll leave you with this.  If you forget the difference between an Independent Day-Of Coordinator and a Venue Coordinator, remember this:  Venue Coordinators ONLY coordinate the venue.  An Independent Day-Of Coordinator coordinates your entire wedding as a whole down to the nitty-gritty details.  And just because your venue has a Venue Coordinator, it doesn't mean you can't have an independent Day-Of Coordinator, if they allow it.  Most venues allow them.  But the few that don't...be sure to confirm with them what their coordination services include.  

Best of luck on your wedding planning adventure!  For more information and a complimentary quote & consultation with ANGELIC AFFAIRS, please feel free  to visit our website for more details at:  www.Angelic-Affairs.com
                          - Kelly @ Angelic Affairs
                                                                                                 Kelly@Angelic-Affairs.com
                                                                                                Event Planner  |  Designer  |  Florist

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