It’s that time of year again where I like to throw some advice to all you bride & grooms who frequent my website. In this post I’ll be talking about something I’m extremely passionate about. That is, wedding coordination.
It’s the big day. At this point you and or your family have spent thousands of dollars to create an unbelievable day. You wake up and now what? Do you want to be making calls and ordering breakfast or lunch? The truth is you shouldn’t have to. It’s your day and you shouldn’t have to stress out about all the crazy details and last minute stuff. In my opinion brides and grooms should be on autopilot that day and having to deal with distractions such as “where’s the limo drivers tip?” or “did I tell the florist 11am or 12pm?” shouldn’t be a concern.
I’m a believer: I recommend day of coordination to all my brides and grooms. Why? I have so many reasons!! I can talk to a coordinator prior to your wedding and we’ll figure out a perfect timeline so no one’s stuck twiddling their fingers for an hour. We have a science when planning out your day! After a phone call with a coordinator they’ll hang up the phone with me, call the hair + makeup, florist, limo drivers, etc and plan around our schedule. All you need to know is when to wake up and where to go. They even give you a little timeline the night before. How cool? It’s great because when I walk into a hotel room or brides home I want my bride 110% completely relaxed. When coordination is there I know I have this. Why stress? I’ve photographed some stressed brides in my day too! Word…
True Story: One particular bride I knew would be a perfect candidate for coordination so I begged and pleaded with her, she disagreed. What happened? Well we’re outside photographing her and her bridesmaids and I stopped and turned around to my surprise there was no limo present. Mind you, we’re seconds away from wrapping up and we have a first look scheduled for 3pm, its now 2:30pm and it takes 20 minutes to get to the first look location where the guys were suppose to be waiting. I imeadialtly said “call the company”. This bride was so enjoying the moment of being a bride she had no clue who the limo company was. No clue! Anyway the groom had been phoned and he said the limo had not arrived to him and the guys yet and was “10 minutes away”. Do you know how long 10 minutes is in photo world when you’re fighting to get a bridal party of over 12 adults and 6 children photographed and the sun is setting? What happened? Well for starters my bride went from being super happy to super stressed. I lost that relaxed bride in the snap of a finger and I was getting good stuff!! After that you know what happened? All the bridesmaids and the bride jumped into multiple cars and drove themselves to the first look location! Now, I’m not blaming my bride or the limo company but somewhere down the line there was a miscommunication. A miscommunication that would have NEVER happened had there been a wedding coordinator confirming all this nonsense for the bride. I hate to say I told you so ;)
I’m not a coordinator, I’m a photographer: Another reason I’m a fan of wedding coordinators is I can be creative. We can show up and document the day which is what we’re there to do! What happens at a wedding when I become coordinator? Well, I still do my thing and take what I only hope are phenomenal photos but I’m not even going to try and front, I get stressed. There is nothing worse then trying to setup a first look when I should be locked in on the grooms reaction but I’m out of breath fumbling with lenses because I just ran a 5K to tell the bride “ok, you can come to the first look spot now”. Look I’m not trying to get out of any extra work, our clients pay us very well to document their day and we’re grateful for that, believe me! Things just run smooth when you have someone telling people where they need to be and when. When we’re doing family photos I love to have a coordinator on my side making sure the Smith family is there and the Smith siblings are on deck waiting to be photographed. We can bang out those family shots in record time with a little coordination! Or there might be any given photograph you want and you mentioned it to your coordinator. For example, how many times has a coordinator came up to me and asked if I got the college shot, the rings or something special? All the time!
Day of coordination: Most of my clients use “day of coordination” and some are “full planning”. I would say there is a HUGE misconception in the words “day of coordination” because while yes they are there on wedding day coordinating, they have actually met with the bride and groom at least once in person and have had a handful of phone consults or video skypes with them. So no, you’re not paying for just one day. You’re probably getting a 40 hour work week at the end of the day. Now don’t quote me, but I think “day of coordination” begins around $1500 and could reach up to $1900 depending on date and hours needed. People, this is a STEAL! I see these coordinators all day making things happen! I mean they’re with you or running stuff around before your first eyelash has been applied and all the way into the night when you’ve said “good bye, thank you” to your 175th wedding guest. These girls BUST their butts and put out fires all day! I have to commend them for it! Shoot, they should have a holiday dedicated to them! I personally think they should charge more for what they do (maybe they all will after they read this so act now! kidding). I’d be willing to bet if you asked anyone who had a coordinator for their wedding if it was worth it they’d say it was the best money they spent… aside from the photography of course ;)
Who?: In this post I’m endorsing two coordinators. The reason is I work with these two consistently and consistently get work from them. Are they the only show in town? No. I’ve worked with other great coordinators as well. For the sake of putting one name before the other I’m going alphabetically by last name, Katie O’Malley and Christine Wheat. I contacted both these ladies and asked for some quotes from them and they both dropped what they were doing and emailed them right over. Those coordinators always have it together..
“As a bride you can definitely plan your own wedding but it is really hard to wake up on the morning of your wedding and actually coordinate your own day! You should be sipping mimosas with your bff’s and getting pampered with hair & make-up, let us worry about the schlepping and details!” – Katie O’Malley
“It’s the one day in your life where you’re the VIP and playing hostess all at once. When you hire a ‘day of coordinator’, not only do you get someone that is going to make sure your vision comes to life, but this person will help guide you through your day; getting you from one place to the next. This always makes for an enjoyable day and happy memories.” – Christine Wheat
“Investing in assistance on your wedding day just makes sense! You have already invested a lot of money in the venue, the entertainment, decor and photography, you should be able to let go and make sure all your hard work pays off. You will not be worried about when this vendor is going to arrive, if the escort cards been placed exactly how you want them and all the details that the coordinator will worry about for you!” – Katie O’Malley
“The traditional elements of coordination are important (cuing, making sure everything runs on time, lining people up, setting up decor) but I also think that making sure vendors are taken care of (bottles of water to the photog), sliding on the brides back-up flip flops at the moment she just can’t bare to walk, making sure the bands dinner is out when they take their break, even making sure that dad sees his daughter being pampered that day, are just as important and make a good day become a great day for all involved.” – Christine Wheat
“The best compliment we receive is usually at the end of the night when either the bride & groom or their parents come up and say “wow we had such an amazing day and can’t thank you enough.” – Katie O’Malley
“In my experience I’ve had many believers and nonbelievers before the wedding day comes. Afterwards it always amazes me that my nonbelievers come up and say “you were the best investment we made for this whole wedding.” – Christine Wheat
I hope some of future brides and grooms got something from this! Big thanks to Katie and Christine for helping me out with this blog post! I hope I see more of you girls in 2012!!
Peace,
JP
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JP…awesome idea to highlight the subject of wedding coordinators….or as we fondly refer to ours, CHRISTINE WHEAT…’The Wedding Savior’!!
I thought I might be a good idea to give my perspective as the mother-of-the-bride.
As my daughter Amanda and I began to plan her wedding I couldn’t help but reflect back to my own wedding (30 years ago)and the amount of details that I was responsible for both before and the day of the wedding. I vividly remember being a panic all day hoping everyone would show up and that all detail would work out. It actually put a damper on the amount of enjoyment I could have that day. I was determined that my daughter would not have that same experience.
Amanda had Christine Wheat in mind from day one, having heard amazing things about her and coming highly recommended from numerous A TEAM vendors. She was one of the first calls Amanda made.
At our first meeting I remember being slightly apprehensive (the control freak I am) and wondering if she would really get all the details, and how she could possibly attend to so many different issues at once.
The minute Christine walked into the meeting within 10 minutes we both knew this was the gal for us.
Her naturally calm demeanor and apparently poise personality shined through leaving us both trusting and relaxed throughout the entire meeting..(not to mention her ridicules 3 ring binder and flawless lists and schedules) Gotta love a gal with a clipboard!! We were booking her within minutes!!! BEST MONEY SPENT ON A VENDOR!!!
Timelines, vendor names and numbers, locations, colors, relatives with special needs, coordinating a million family members for group shots (which managed to get in 15 minutes)…she had it all down like clockwork…never skipped a beat!!
Here is a glimpse into what she meant to me…
It’s the wedding day. Everyone has come down the aisle, including the bridal party…the only ones left in the back are my daughter and her father who were clearly nervous and trying to keep it together.. and then there is a simple pat on their backs, a tissue for the tears, a breath mint for each, a whisper of calming words…a fix of the train ..then she winks, ..nods her head, down the aisle they went (at exactly 2:00) and all was well ..the wedding began with perfection!
I think if I had to highlight one of the most awesome things about her and her amazing team of professionals was that they were virtually everywhere but you never noticed their presence in the room. It was as if it was all done by magic…but if you need them they were strangely only feet away. Again..best money spent on a vendor!!
We are forever indebted to Team Wheat…our daughter’s wedding would not have been the day without them. Hats off to you Christine..much Love!
Thanks for letting me share JP
What more can is there to say about Christine that hasn’t already been said in the reviews below ? They are all so true and spot on ! We hired Christine & her team for Day of Coordination, and it was the easiest and best decision we made. After the first meeting with her, I was a bit overwhelmed by her checklist of details and from that moment I knew we were going to need her that day ! And from the moment we signed the contract – she did not disappoint. She always had an answer for the MANY questions that I had along the way, and on the day of our wedding she was on top of every single detail ! We didn’t have to worry about a thing !! Christine and her team are worth every penny (and so are the Elario’s for that matter, and you want them doing what they are there to do, take gorgeous pictures !!)
I have to say that for our wedding I did not hire a wedding coordinator, and while I was fairly organized and things ran smoothly, what would I do if I could rewind to that day?
I WOULD ABSOLUTELY make that investment. You can still be an organized bride and have your details and act together, but the day of it is nicer to default to a true professional. I had a lot on my plate that day and while I was able to delegate some details (ok you hold all the tips, here are the envelopes; ok here is when you ladies are going to hair and make up, I’ve ordered food for you there) I can say with a WHOLE LOT OF CERTAINTY that I would have been more at ease not having to still think about some of those details. Katie O and C-Dubs I would have loved to have worked with either of you two!!!! :)
So like I said, I didn’t have one, but in retrospect it is one of those things I wish I had done!!!
Great post JP!!!
I can not say enough good things about Christine. We hired her for day of coordination. She is the most organized and CALMING person I know! She is truly amazing at her job, and helped us tremendously though out our planning process. I knew that Christine would make sure every little detail was in place. She was sewing dresses in the bathroom of the church before the ceremony! And every little question that I asked her about she had already taken care of! She is just amazing and extremely professional. It is absolutely worth every penny. Our families are still in “awe” of her and her team. My mom still talks about how great she was. I am SO GLAD we had Christine for our wedding day, and Eddie and I both have gained a great friend too :)
I can’t pass up the opportunity to add my praise for the glorious Katie O’! My daughter and son-in-law, Julie and Chad, were the last wedding of 2011 for Elario Photography and Katie O, so the afterglow is still shining! When I first brought up the subject of using a wedding planner to Julie and Chad, she immediately said, “No planner!” Julie is very organized and was looking forward to working with Chad for their dream wedding, so I expected resistance. I told them I had heard about Katie O from my blog stalking – oh, the shame! – and that she offers a variety of services including wedding coordination. I asked them to PLEASE check out her website before they made a decision. I also added someone has to be in charge of running around like a crazy person on the day of the wedding and if we don’t have a coordinator, it will end up being me. And I wasn’t volunteering to be the time-keeper, the mishap fixer, the mediator, etc. that are needed for that day. With 75 hotel rooms, 187 guests, a December 10th wedding date in upstate NY, and a bride/groom who live in another state, there were too many possible fault lines to crack. So, after checking out Katie’s website and meeting with her, they were enchanted …and I was relieved!
About two months before the wedding I started repeating the phrase, “Thank heaven for Katie O’,” and I hadn’t even met her yet! The confidence that comes from having someone who can gather the loose ends is a gift. As the wedding approached, the new mantra became, “Katie O’ knows!” since every time a question came up we knew where to go for the answer. A perfect example was when I had 75 hotel gift bags that covered my dining room table and the floor in the den and wondered how we would get them and the boxes of favors up to Saratoga without making 4 trips in 3 cars. Since the bags couldn’t be stacked, it became a logistical nuisance. 3 nights before the wedding, in the pouring rain, Katie drove to my house, we loaded the gift bags in her car and I got my first glimpse of “Sparkle!” It only got brighter and brighter as the wedding came off perfectly; the bride and groom enjoyed every minute of it. And so did I.
Again, if you have doubts about investing in a coordinator, meet with Katie O’ and you too will start chanting, Katie O’ Knows! It’s cheaper than therapy!
This is a great post! From a “groom’s perspective” I was definitely skeptical. I also get a lot of “looks” from my guy friends…the “why the heck are you spending money on a coordinator” look. We were sold half-way through our first conversation with Katie O’–true story; we were passing notes about how impressed we were and needed to hire her as we were skyping with Katie O’. Her amazing energy, bubbly personality, warmth, and compassion impressed us. Beyond that, she has been a god-send in helping us come up with creative solutions to problems, find vendors, and interact with vendors. WORTH IT!
I could not agree with this post more!!! My Mom and I first met with Christine Wheat with the thought of hiring her for day of coordination. After one meeting of hearing her ideas and sharing stories we were hooked and hired her for full coordination! Not only did Christine make our wedding planning a breeze, but she made it fun! I was so nervous about actually enjoying our wedding day, but I got to enjoy every second because I knew we was in good hands. For example – a few of the crystal candelabras that inspired the theme of my entire wedding were broken and our florist could not place her centerpieces on them. Christine later told me she learned this as she was sending me down the aisle and had about an hour to fix everything! She was able to locate the rental company, have them drive back up to Lake George and fix the centerpieces all in time for the reception to start. That would never have happened without her! Thanks to Christine my husband and I had our dream wedding and we can honestly say we gained a friend for life :)
. . Yes – the word to the wise here – take heed !
I don’t think most people have a clue how much is involved in coordinating a wedding day. That is why so many couples think they can handle it on their own. When my daughter got married a little over a year ago, she was smart enough to have Katie O’ coordinate her day. I sat back in amazement as I watched Katie in action. She didn’t miss a beat. She spent all day handling details that we hadn’t even thought about! Could we have gotten through the day without her? I’m not sure, maybe, but we wouldn’t have enjoyed it nearly as much as we did. The bride and groom had a blast and didn’t have a care in the world, just the way it should be. Hire a coordinator!
The best thing my fiancé did for me (after proposing of course) was suggest a wedding coordinator. He introduced me to Katie O’ who he had worked with before and it was pretty much log at first sight for me. She genuinely cares about your day and goes above and beyond to complete anything I need. It’s really a no brainer for any full time working couples out there. I also box professionally so my time between training, working and spending some moments with my future really limits time. We are a full service client and I am stress free, worry free and looking forward to relaxing, hanging out with my beasties and marrying the guy of my dreams. Hurray for Katie O’!!! -Sarah Kuhn and Brian Cody
Can’t agree with this blog post more!! Although, I have to admit – we only looked into coordination after you advised us to in our first meeting. We couldn’t be happier with your advise and our decision! Katie O has been invaluable in the planning process – always there with wonderful expertise and a sparkly outlook! I tell everyone that I hired a wedding coordinator, but have ultimately gotten a friend who knows everything about weddings! :-)
I could write a novel about how much I love Christine Wheat and her team. I really hope some future brides read this and take it to heart – there is NOTHING like having someone take the burden off you for a day. Especially after all the months and months of detailed planning you’ve done. I’ve had friends ask me if a planner is really necessary and let me tell you – they deal with every little thing that no one else wants to be responsible for that day including:
- making sure grandma’s cane is at her seat
- watching that guests don’t steal all the favors
- dealing with large, loud Italian family dynamics :-)
- making sure your bridesmaid sister doesn’t faint before walking down the aisle
- getting the priest to agree to using chiavari chairs on the altar
- getting on their hands and knees to change your heels to flip flops when you think your feet will fall off
- making sure the special bride and groom forks you want to use for the cake cutting are in place
All joking aside, they do each and every task that you don’t want to burden your family and friends with that day – and more importantly they keep you and your groom on time, happy and stress free all day long. They are worth every…single…penny. Can you tell how much I love Ms. Wheat!?
Coordinators are worth their weight in gold! My family and husband were not feeling hiring a coordinator for our wedding day, but I lobbied and said I’d pay for half. Now they’re all the first people to tell you, aside from awesome photographers, you also should have a coordinator for a smooth and stress free wedding day. Katie O and Megan were awesome all wedding day and generally lovely people to boot. Plus, they love Ruby! Too much time, energy and money is spent on your wedding to not be able to sit back and enjoy it. Hire a coordinator.
BIG thank you to my FAV’ former groom and fellow vendor for the spot light on how day cordination is so important. I will never forget your wedding day, passing by you (me being excited and a little nervous to make sure youre day was perfect) and you saying….”how do you look so calm right now”… It made my day. Over the years we have worked together on so many amazing events. You are the best at what you do and I am always honored to be on the same team. I have also known Katie for years…call me and I’ll tell you the funny story of our high school job (we ran the show). To all of our future couples: don’t be afraid to call and pick my brain on how DOC will help on your wedding day. Happy ring season to all!
And that is why Christine will be with us on June 1st!
This is SOOOO true! We only initially looked into wedding coordination based on your recommendation and working with Katie O for “middle of the road” coordination (somewhere between day of and full service) has been one of the best decisions we have made in our wedding planning process!! ANY time I am stressed in the planning process she immediately calms my nerves. I tell people I hired an expert who makes wedding planning life so much easier and fun, but I feel extra lucky because I’ve gotten friend outta the deal! :-)
Wow…THANK YOU for this. This is so awesome on so many levels. It can be a really hard sell sometimes with clients who are “on the fence” or not “100% sold” that they need or can afford the help. Now I can just share this awesome post with them!! I am completely honored and flattered that you included us in this post. Also want to share that Christine is a true professional, excellent coordinator and person and I am happy to share this with her! We truly love what we do, are passionate and I am glad that it shows. So all you blog stalkers….you know if JP says it’s cool…it must be cool! So give us a call and we will take you from overwhelmed to overjoyed! Thanks for the *sparkle!*
AMEN!
Jp, your timing amazes me! I just met with Christine Wheat this weekend and I’ll be mailing in my day of coordination deposit/contract today! At first, we thought we could take care of all of this ourselves. But, Chris and I are such busy people,I knew we needed some help! I’m glad I came to my senses before it was too late to hire someone! I can now promise you that 10-12-12 will run smoothly and you’ll get to enjoy your birthday party at the Boschi-Saj wedding : )
well said JP! My wife and I helped out the bride/groom, we ran through what we were doing on our big day years ago. Helped out tremendously. No one was there to help the happy couple, I don’t feel it was a burden since it was family. we were more than happy to help, but having someone take care of the coordination would of relaxed everyone, including the groom who forgot the rings! LOL
::Applause for wedding coordinators:: :) Great blog post, JP!