Why You Should Hire A Wedding Coordinator
I have a control problem. As in, I want to be in control. I like to do things myself: make my own kombucha, write my own elopement ceremony, patch up the drywall in my master bath with nothing but a dream and a YouTube tutorial. If you, too, are afflicted with DIY-itis, you likely balk at the idea of hiring a wedding coordinator.
Making a few phone calls, sending a couple of emails, putting together a checklist and event timeline? You could take care of those admin tasks in your sleep. Why would you spend potentially hundreds if not thousands of dollars on something you can manage yourself?
Having spent the last several years officiating weddings of all shapes and sizes, I can tell you this: the more that you can avoid being the point person for vendors, your wedding party, and even guests in the weeks leading up to your special day, the more you will be able to enjoy your wedding. Otherwise, what starts as a few emails months before the wedding ends up crescendoing into dozens of people asking you for directives up until the minute you walk down the aisle.
I understand that weddings are expensive, and extra help is not always an option. However, if you value your peace and sanity and you plan to have a sizeable celebration with 50 or more guests - I highly recommend that you either work with a venue that has a coordinator included, or hire a what is called a “day of coordinator” to act as your PR, PA, and Chief of Staff. And yes, you could lean on a super organized Type A friend or family member for their support…but understand that unless they have event planning and/or wedding industry experience, they will not be nearly as effective as you think they will be.
I’ve been a part of many beautiful DIY weddings without a venue or event coordinator and I’ll be honest: as sweet as they are, they do tend toward chaos. By the time I see the happy couple couple at their rehearsal, they are SO DONE and just want it over with. “It” being the momentous rite of passage of marriage - what should be a glorious and happy day. So if you want to be able to savor uniting in marriage with your sweetheart, to breathe easy as you celebrate with your friends and family, and to enjoy the day that you thoughtfully curated for yourself and for your loved ones, please heed my advice.
I became a mother recently, and I think it is fair to say that my incredible birth doula was the “day of coordinator” for the day that I gave birth to my little one. The day that I became a mother. Again, a momentous rite of passage. I am so grateful that I made the decision to hire someone to be my advocate and to be my voice when I was literally speechless through contractions. My doula had taken the time to understand my preferences prior to that day and she knew how to navigate the hospital with ease. She had attended hundreds of births. I was able to fully relax into the miraculous experience of birthing (labor pains and all) knowing that I was in expert hands.
Likewise, wedding coordinators have navigated the ins and outs of hundreds of weddings, and they will be your expert advisor and advocate. It is possible to relax into the experience of getting married to the person you love, nerves and all. You deserve to be fully present for this extraordinary event. So while I do apply a DIY philosophy for many things in life, I believe it is prudent to hand over the reins to a professional on occasions that are deeply meaningful. That way, you can focus on soaking up every bit of transformative preciousness. Simply be and become.
Wishing you beauty and ease.
x Sara