Day of coordinator

We did not have a wedding planner either… that was myself lol. Our venue provided a day of coordinator and for us she basically helped us and our vendors try to stick to the timeline and had the venue workers set up our decor as instructed. I think you would get more help if you hired one, but we just used the one our venue provider.

Provided* (sorry typo)

A day of coordinator is the contact person for your vendors on the day of the wedding. They help keep everything running smoothly and following the timeline. For example, if the florist is late delivering the flowers, the DOC is on the phone to see where they're at. If speeches need to get started at the reception, the DOC is getting the microphone from the DJ. They may also help with lining up the wedding party before the ceremony and making sure everyone knows when to walk down the aisle and with who. They also help with things like setup and tear down for decorations.


This is not the same as a venue coordinator - the venue coordinator is making sure that things are running smoothly from a venue's perspective, and that all rules are being followed.

While a wedding planner helps with the planning of vendors, invites, venue etc, a day of coordinator is just someone who helps out on the day. They deal with your vendors, make sure you're on time, make sure your timeline of events is happening on schedule, help decorate and set up so you don't have to.

I wasn't going to have one, but since our venue isn't doing any of the set up for us, I decided to do it. She was $1000 which is average for Los Angeles, but could be cheaper depending on your location. Everyone I have talked to has highly recommended one. Even the girls who did not have one at their wedding told me they wish they had.

Again it's not a necessity, but if you already have anxiety, it might be a nice thing to have if you can swing it financially. Check out Thumbtack - they let you search vendors in your area.

I had planned on doing everything myself, too, but decided to go with a day-of coordinator. She will help us walk through our rehearsal the day before, then the day-of she'll help guests get from the ceremony to the reception, make sure we stay on our timeline, since I'll be having hair/make-up done, she'll decorate the tables in the reception hall, light candles, set-up the card/gift table, guestbook, seating chart, make sure flowers/corsages get where they need to be, etc. She will also take care of cleaning up (with the venue), packing up our centerpieces, decor, and so forth. I think it's a wise investment as the bride isn't going to have much "free time" the day of the wedding.

Im asking my sister to help with the day-of coordination. Shes good at it and isnt in the bridal party so its something she can do. Essentially she'll keep things on schedule and make sure that if vendors have questions she can answer them. My venue has a venue coordinator for the day and she will help with lots of tasks as well since the venue provides catering, bar service, and decoration. The only outside vendors we'll even have are DJ and cake since we're skipping on flowers. My sister will also be responsible for getting any decorations we bring ourselves out by the end of the night. We dont plan on doing much though so she shouldnt be too busy.

A wedding planner is something many couples don’t have. They are the ones who plan everything for you from the beginning and you show up as a guest. Very expensive. You may or may not get customization with your ideas, depending on the planner.


What many couples do opt for is a day/month of coordinator who ties up the loose ends and makes sure the day runs smoothly behind the scenes so that guests don’t have to work. These are worth their weight in gold and are within budget. They do set up/tear down and troubleshoot when situations arise with any of the vendors. Your guests don’t have experience or contact information for the vendors to be able to do the job of a day of coordinator.
A venue coordinator is not a day of coordinator. They only focus on the venue, making sure doors are open and everyone leaves on time. They do not do set up, tear down or troubleshoot if your photographer/baker/dj gets in a traffic accident and can’t show.

When we first got engaged I didn't want a wedding planner, but I was curious about a day of coordinator so I found someone on The Knot and met with her in the area. She was so sweet and our tasted aligned so nicely and we both felt very comfortable hiring her to be there for us the day of, even though the venue provides their venue coordinator as well. We are getting married on 11/7, and these last few weeks have been so, so, so hectic with last minute decisions and I am so incredibly happy we have her. You maybe don't need one, but she's been such a great help and I am so thankful we decided to hire someone.