Wedding Planning Tips

Wedding planning is an exciting and unique journey. There are so many ways to make the planning process smooth and stress-free. Below are 32 of our favorite ways to keep the planning process fun!

1. Budget is a great starting place

Whether you are working with a $3k budget or a $300k budget, knowing your maximum budget will help guide all other aspects of planning your wedding. Come up with an overall number that you and your fiance (or whoever is funding the wedding) are comfortable with, and then do a little research to feel out how this money should be divided up amongst the many wedding vendors. Click here for a guide to building your wedding budget breakdown!

2. Guest count matters

If money truly is not an object, then guest count should be the first step to planning. Knowing how many guests you need to comfortably accommodate will help you select a venue, caterer, food service style, bar, sound system, etc. Guest count will have a huge impact on the overall budget. As you create your budget breakdown, play around with the guest count to see how it will affect the way money is allocated.

3. Consider outside factors that may affect guest and vendor availability

There are often a lot of factors to consider when thinking of a wedding date. It is fairly common for couples to go into wedding planning with a date already in mind. Before becoming too attached to any particular date, consider what other events are happening around this time that might affect guests ability to make it and overall vendor availability.

For example, if your town is hosting a wine festival on July 25, many local vendors might be booked to participate in this event. An event like this might draw a lot of visitors from out of town, making finding a hotel room or even reasonably priced flights harder to come by for guests. Not to mention, even your in town guests might already have pre-planned to attend the alternative event!

4. Check the weather!

Weather has the ability to drastically alter how your day will go and add a lot of unplanned expenses. A particularly windy day at an outdoor venue can cause a lot of problems! If the weather is too hot or too cold, guests might not be inclined until the end of the event. While it is always good to continue to check the weather and make reasonable climate control attempts (i.e. umbrellas, tents, heaters, etc.) picking a date that is generally at a time when the weather is temperate will save you a lot of stress throughout the planning process! 

Pro-tip #1: You can Google any date and find the weather trends on that exact date for the last few hundred years. Of course, this can’t guarantee the exact weather on your wedding day, but it can at least give you a little insight into what the weather will likely be. 

5. The sunset waits for no one

The sunset will happen when it happens. You can’t control it, so plan for it! In order to get those amazing golden hour shots, shape the rest of your event around this opportune time!  Sunset is important for more than just aesthetics, though! When the sun goes down, the overall climate will change, and accommodations may be needed to keep guests comfortable for the duration for the celebration! 

Pro-tip #2: Google what time the sunset will be when planning your timeline! Google knows all, so even 18 months away from your wedding date you can look up exactly what time the sun will be setting on your wedding day. Having this time in mind will make it easier to map out when certain events should occur.

6. Consolidate spending and rack up credit card points!!

Opening a specific credit card for wedding related expenses is great for several reasons. First, if all the expenses are made in one place it will be way simpler to track spending. It will also be easier to communicate these expenses to other people who might be financially invested in your wedding. This is also a great opportunity to rack up some points! Weddings are a huge expense, so you might as well get something in return! If you rack up enough points you may just be able to pay for your honeymoon!

7. Take vendor recommendations

There is no need to reinvent the wheel! Wedding professionals spend every weekend meeting and making connections with other amazing vendors. Vendors are highly likely to suggest vendors they only truly feel confident in, as they are putting their own reputation on the line by offering these referrals. 

8. Guests = Money

If you find yourself looking to cut costs, cut the guest list. Each guest costs money to host, so if you find yourself in a financially tough situation, take another look at the guest list! This is just another great reason why starting with the budget is ideal. By taking a careful look at how much money you can spend on the wedding you will have a clear understanding of how many guests and at what cost per person will work for you!

Pro-tip #3: Make sure that you have a very clear handle on the budget before sending out invitations. This way if you need to cut the guest list you don’t have to officially uninvite anyone!

9. Advocate early for yourself

Prior to booking, vendors will be more likely to make modifications to their packages and overall price to earn your business. Once the contract is signed and the deposit has been paid they are typically less likely to throw in freebies, because that isn’t what was in the initial agreement. A lot of vendors are firm on their prices, but many are happy to make custom packages to ensure you are satisfied with what you are signing up for!

Pro-tip #4: When asking for free upgrades or a discount, remember you are asking a favor, so ask nicely! These vendors are professionals which means they rely on your business to provide for themselves and their families. While they may want to accommodate your budget, they may not be financially able to do so. 

10. Stay organized throughout planning

Staying organized will help keep planning on track and fun. There are many approaches to wedding organization, but no matter what method works for you, stick to it! Update your information regularly, keep everything in one place, and check in on your to-do lists often! For a full list of tips and tricks on staying organized, click here!

11. Chunk out your planning

Remember in school when your teachers would write out the big goals of the day and the smaller tasks you’d do in order to achieve these goals? Well, they were really onto something! Break down your to-do list into sections to make planning more manageable, easier to track, and more rewarding! Click here, for some useful tips and an idea of how to build your own planning timeline.

12. Draft of your day-of timeline early on

Create a rough draft of your wedding day fairly early on in your wedding planning process. Map out how you would like the day to be paced and what time you’d like major events to happen. This may (and probably will) change quite a bit as your plans shift, but having a general outline will help you menally prepare and offer guidance as you book vendors. When it comes time to sign contracts with vendors they will want to know a start and finish time. Certain vendors (like your venue, bartenders, photographer, videographer, and DJ) will have packages that include a certain amount of hours. Having a rough draft of your timeline will give you a better idea of how many hours you need them onsite.

13. Stock your bar...

...with the appropriate amount of bartenders. Avoid long lines at the bar by hiring an appropriate amount of staff for your guest count. Typically for a simple bar (beer, wine, 1-2 pre batched cocktails), you need one bartender per 50 guests to keep the line down. If you are having a fully open bar where guests can order whatever drink they want you will need an extra bartender or two to make sure guests are taken care of in a timely manner.

Pro-tip #5: Take the bar size into consideration. If your venue has a smaller physical bar space, hire an amount of bartenders that make sense for the space. If you are having a large wedding with a small physical bar space, consider renting a second bar to keep the line under control! Small bar lines = full dance floor!

14. Plan for the un-plannable

When going through your budget, make sure to leave some “flex” money for miscellaneous items that may pop up over the course of planning. There are almost always unforeseen expenses that usually aren’t discovered until money has already been spent in other areas. Instead of feeling like you have to blow the budget on these items, anticipate them! 

15. When in doubt, ask your professionals

Wedding professionals spend a lot of time at weddings and have gained a lot of valuable insight over their years of experience. Your wedding professionals are usually very well versed in what seemingly simple touches can make the day run smoother! Take their advice into consideration. If it works with your vision, great!

16. Postage points

After carefully researching and designing the perfect invitations, no one wants to stick an ugly stamp on the envelope. Instead of choosing from the limited options available at the post office, consider ordering your stamps online at USPS.com. 

Pro-tip #6: Weigh your invitations before you send them out so you can be confident the postage attached is adequate to get your invitation to its destination. If you have an oddly shaped envelope, be sure to ask at the post office about the best method and postage amount to ensure delivery.

Pro-tip 7: Pre-stamp your return RSVP cards. Guests are more likely to quickly send their RSVP cards back if they are pre-stamped.

17. Not all the guests will be able to attend, and that is okay!

Things happen and not everyone will be able to attend your wedding. This is okay! On average about 15-20% of invitees won’t be able to attend. It doesn’t mean they don’t love you! Just remember, guests cost money, so even though you’d love for everyone to celebrate with you, saving money is a huge silver lining to the “No” RSVPs. Alternatively, this will open up a few spaces for the friends that you thought you might not be able to invite. 

18. Be consistent with the kiddos

Adults only weddings are becoming more and more common, but there is still a lot of grey area on what that exactly means. A lot of “adults only” weddings will still have a few rugrats running around for any number of reasons. When you send out your invitations specify the kid restriction. You have four options: all kids are welcome, "adults only," immediate family kids only, or you can invite everyone to bring their children and provide childcare for the kids, either at the venue, in a hotel room, or in someone’s home. Consistency is key, though! If you allow some friends to bring children, it is best to allow everyone to bring their children. (Immediate family and kiddos in the bridal party are an exception!)

19. The A, B, C’s to your guest list

This is not a fun guideline to suggest, but it is a good one to follow. When preparing your guest list, separate the list into 3 sections: your “A listers” (the people that are invited no matter what); the “B listers” (the people who you hope to invite if there is enough room); and the “C listers” (the people you want to invite, but will only invite if people from one of the first two lists drop out). This will make cutting down your guest list a lot easier if it becomes necessary down the road. It will also help you prioritize your budget. If having everyone from all three lists is important, allocate money in such a way that this is possible!

20. Limit the plus ones

Considering you are mapping out an A, B, C guest list and trying to track a budget, you do not need to allow every guest a plus one! 

A general rule of thumb, if a guest is married their significant other needs to be invited. Even if you don’t include a section for a plus one on their RSVP, their significant other’s invitation is implied. If, for whatever reason, a significant other is not invited that needs to be explicitly communicated to your guest. 

Aside from married couples, it is nice to allow guests who may not know a lot of other attendees a plus one. If someone is requesting a plus one and you simply can’t accommodate the other person, just let your guest know that you’ve already had to make difficult decisions about your guest list and you don’t have the room (or budget!)

For everyone else, they should not expect to be allowed a plus one unless specified on the invitation. 

Pro-tip #8: Try to avoid mentioning budget as a restriction unless the situation specifically makes sense to bring this up. Guests will offer to pay for their plus one in lieu of not bringing one which doesn’t really solve your problem if your real issue is space or simply not wanting strangers around for an intimate celebration.

21. Guest transportation

Providing guest transportation to and from a hotel is always nice, but it isn’t expected nor is it necessary if your budget is starting to be stretched a little thin. If faced with a choice, it is best to either skip it completely or provide transportation for everyone. Having one or two shuttles to take a portion of guests (bridal party and immediate family not included), but not the rest of your guests can be confusing. Guests may see a shuttle leave and wait for another one, that isn’t coming. 

Pro-tip #9: If you are tight on money, but want to offer some sort of transportation accommodation, sign up with a ride-share company and provide guests with a discount code. You can pre-set the discount amount and the maximum amount you are willing to cover. 

22. Room blocks and your budget

If you have a lot of out of town guests it is nice to find a hotel in close proximity to your wedding venue for guests to stay during their visit. Setting aside a room block will often allow guests to book at a lower rate than finding a place on their own. 

That being said, a lot of the hotels that offer room blocks will hold you financially accountable for the unbooked rooms in your block. If possible, avoid this kind of arrangement! If this is your only option, only set aside enough rooms for your immediate family that you know will be booking or skip the block completely! You can typically add rooms later on if necessary, though they may be at a different rate than the initial block. 

Pro-tip #10: If there is a large event taking place nearby on the weekend of your wedding, a room block is crucial to guarantee guests can find accommodations! 

Pro-tip #11: Avoid being held financially accountable for unbooked rooms in your blocks by not making a block, but instead suggest a few nearby hotels for guests to choose from.  This takes the guesswork out of the hotel search for guests, but will potentially save you a massive added expense. 

23. Document everything in writing

Chances are, leading up to the wedding day you will have a lot of discussions with your vendors about small details that aren’t included in your contracts. In order to track the information being shared, and ensure that all of the details are covered, make sure everything is in writing. 

There are often several people working with each company you have booked for your wedding. Having everything in writing will keep information consistent between individuals within the company.  

Even if you have discussed something several times over the phone, send a follow up email outlining the details you need your vendor to take care of on the day of. After sharing the same details with so many people involved with the wedding, it can be challenging to remember exactly who was told what, but having everything in writing is a great way to keep track of this. 

24. Think through the day-of set up logistics

Talk to your venue about what time you and your vendors will have access to the space for set-up. Carefully consider how much time and helping hands your decor will take to set up. Remember that if you aren’t hiring outside help, you will need to make sure you have enough vehicles to transport decor, hands to delegate the set up between, and ample time to have everything done and done well! If you are hiring outside help, it is still important that transporting everything to and from the venue has been thoroughly planned and enough hands have been hired to properly set up in the time allotted! Click here for a thorough day of checklist to make sure you have accounted for all of the details!

25. Make it official with your marriage license

Do a little research into the process for applying for a marriage license prior to showing up at your courthouse. Make sure that you know the timeframe before your wedding that you can apply for your marriage license. 

On the day-of designate someone to be responsible for storing your marriage license in a safe pre-determined space so that you can send it in and legally be married! 

Pro-tip #12: In the state of California, technically, it is the officiant’s responsibility (and legal obligation) to return your marriage license within 10 days of the ceremony. However, if, for whatever reason, the marriage license isn’t returned you are still married. (source)

26. Become well versed in your venue’s policies and protocols

If you are holding your wedding ceremony at a place of religious worship, discuss what expectations the venue has of you and your guests. For example, do they have a specific time that all guests need to be off the property?; how strict are they on ceremony start time?; do your guests need to dress a certain way?; are you allowed to place any decor?; is flash photography allowed?; etc.?

Reception venues (or combined ceremony and reception venues) often have their own policies and protocols that they expect you and your vendors to adhere to. Most venues will provide a list of these rules, but if you are not provided any, ask for a specific breakdown of their policies. This will help you prepare appropriately and protect/mentally prepare you if something goes wrong that would result in the venue charging additional fees.

Pro-tip #13: Venues will often ask for signed copies of their rules from your vendors. If they don’t require this, it is still a good idea to share the house rules with your vendors so they have an opportunity to understand what the venue restricts and requires of them.

27. Discuss your values, and allocate money accordingly

When you begin to breakdown your budget into an outline (see item #1 on this list), typically you will want to start by writing out the full list of vendors that you will need. From there, discuss with your fiance what matters the most to you both and allocate money accordingly. You may LOVE flowers and want to designate a higher percentage of your overall budget towards this! By doing this in the beginning of planning you will help guide your vendor selection and stay within budget.

28. Keep guests engaged by putting yourself in their shoes

The guests are there to celebrate YOU, so make sure they are well taken care of! Prepare an adequate sound system so that they can see and hear throughout your ceremony and reception. Keep them comfortable by providing climate control and offering amenities such as blankets, flat shoes for dancing, and plenty of access to food, water, and shade. Schedule the day so that activities aren’t during high distraction times or too spaced out allowing guests to get antsy. Click here for timeline building help! Think through the day from the guests perspective to ensure everything is engaging, comfortable, and fun throughout the event.

29. Keep contact information handy!

Keep all of your vendor contact information organized and easily accessible on your wedding day. Things happen, and you don’t want to waste too much time tracking down a vendor’s phone number if you need to contact them.

Pro-tip #14: Designate someone as a point of contact for vendors on your wedding day. If you have a coordinator or planner they will be the go-to person for the other vendors. If you don’t have a professional, designate a family member or bridesmaid to be the point of contact so you don’t have 20 vendors calling you with set-up questions on the wedding day. Even if you have a planner or coordinator, it is still a good idea to designate a bridesmaid as a contact for that person!

30. Gals gas gals up; dress shop with your friends

Dress shopping is best when done with a small group. This can be an emotionally taxing process for so many reasons and its best to have a solid support system there to keep you grounded. Make sure to bring honest friends so they can tell you what is flattering, keep your energy up if you start to feel discouraged, and help you stay firm on your budget. 

Pro-tip #15: Support is so much more than telling you are gorgeous in everything (we already know that you are!). True support is helping you make a realistic choice based on your budget, vision, and body type. Make sure that the people you bring along are ready to keep your spirits high, but your expectations realistic.

Pro-tip #16: Don’t bring too many people while you are trying on dresses. Ideally, you will have 1-3 people tagging along to your dress appointments. Two main reasons for this: (1) too many people can be distracting. Having voices for guidance is important, but too many opinions will quickly become overwhelming. (2) Most bridal shops have small showrooms so there isn’t a ton of room for a whole gathering. If you do show up with more people than they are comfortable with, the stylist may feel the need to rush you along to clear the space. 

Pro-tip #16.5: Call ahead to the bridal shop to see how many people they can comfortably accommodate.

31. Manage your to-do list

Staying on top of your to-do list throughout planning will help you accomplish every nitty-gritty task you have planned. However, when you get down to the wire, don’t push yourself to the point of wedding burn out! In that final month, the smallest little details that somehow managed to slip through the cracks are finally coming to light. Skip the things you don’t truly need, delegate the things you can, and tackle what you really need to do head on! In that final month stretch, you want to be getting excited for the wedding, not pushing yourself to the point where you’re excited for it to be over.

32. Don’t sweat the small stuff

This is the best and most consistent wedding advice you will probably receive. Things may not go as planned. Some things may not go as planned to the point that you will need to address them after the fact. On your wedding day, the most important thing is getting married! Everything else is extra. No matter what happens, as long as you are with the person you love, your wedding day is already perfect! Stay focused on the positives and live in the moment! Chances are, if you are able to focus on all of the best parts, you won’t even notice the little hiccups that may occur!

Pro-tip #17: Hiring a day-of coordinator will offer peace of mind so that you don’t feel the need to look for the small hiccups. You can live in the moment and feel confident that someone else is handling the behind the scenes aspects for you! A great coordinator will take care of everything before you even notice something wasn’t quite as planned!

32 Questions to Ask A wedding Coordinator & Everything Else to Know Before Booking

Planning a wedding takes time, vision, and a lot of determination. Wedding planning’s reputation of being a bit challenging isn’t unfounded, and that reputation is the exact reason wedding planners have jobs! Of course, there are still plenty of reasons couples might choose to forgo a wedding planner and bravely take on this task on their own. If you are one of those individuals to have planned their own wedding then KUDOS TO YOU!!! When the day comes, all of the effort will be worth it when you finally see everything you have worked and dreamed so hard for, come together. On your wedding day there are so many moving pieces that need to be managed while you are busy getting married and celebrating with your loved ones! Enter stage left: your wedding coordinator! A wedding coordinator will step in to take care of all the logistical elements to your wedding, allowing you the space and peace of mind to fully enjoy your special day.

Day-of wedding coordination packages come in many shapes and sizes, so it is important to find a professional who fits your unique needs. A quality coordinator will take the time to fully understand your wedding vision, the role you need them to play, and communicate whether or not they are able to accomplish your wedding needs. Feeling confident in the professional coordinator you ultimately select will put in the effort to execute your wedding plan perfectly to your instruction is an investment in peace of mind! When you find the perfect coordinator, you will walk into your wedding venue to find all of those pieces you’ve worked so hard to plan have fallen into place and breathe easier throughout your celebration knowing the management aspect of the day is in good hands.

In order to gauge if a particular professional coordinator has the ability to meet your needs and accomplish your wedding goals, there are several questions that can be asked prior to booking to effectively vet wedding coordinators you are interested in.

Please note- some of the following questions may be answered on a professional’s website or in initial email communications. Avoid information fatigue by carefully selecting questions to ask potential coordinators that are relevant to your needs and plans from the list below!

WEDDING COORDINATOR Vs. WEDDING PLANNER

A wedding planner lives up to their name! They plan your wedding, either for you or along side you depending on the professional and the level of support you require/prefer. While there are variations of service inclusions between professionals, they generally are there, at least in some capacity, for every step of wedding planning: design, budgeting, planning pacing and tracking, vendor research & selection, mapping logistics, building a floor plan, building a day-of timeline, acting as a liaison between you and the vendors, and, of course, they’re there to ensure your wedding reflects YOU! Wedding planners are typically booked early on in the wedding planning process OR if a couple has begun planning but find they need support to complete the wedding plan.

A wedding coordinator is present on your wedding day to ensure all of the wedding plans come together. A wedding coordinator is perfect for couples who have found their venue & all of their vendors, thought through the vast majority of wedding day logistics and simply need someone to step in on the actual wedding day to run the show so they and their loved ones can focus on celebrating and having fun instead of working. On a foundational level, a wedding coordinator’s primary function is to serve as a guru of, voice to, and advocate for your wedding plan. A wedding coordinator is the point person ensuring the timeline is running to plan, navigating all vendor logistics, and proactively approaches challenges so that they may be addressed and resolved with little to no one being the wiser. The day of coordinator and oversee the execution of the day while acting as the liaison between the plan, the vendors, and you. Usually a day-of coordinator is booked anytime from 1-18 months prior to a wedding and begins works closely with a couple anywhere from 1-4 weeks prior to a wedding to become familiar with the wedding plan so that they may collect adequate information to preform their role to the best of their abilities.

wedding coordination Services-

Standard Package-

• Collects pertinent wedding day details from client (i.e. floor plan, order lists, vendor contact information & contract parameters)

• Creates a Wedding Day Timeline

• Connects with wedding vendors prior to the wedding day

• Typical minimum connection includes:

• Distributing the timeline, floor plan, & other pertinent prior to your wedding

• Collecting copies of insurance (and other documents required by a venue) from vendors & passing this information along to the venue

• Serves as the event manager, ultimately becoming the voice and advocate of the timeline and logistical plan.

• The wedding coordinator is the liaison between the wedding timeline & plan, the vendors, you, and your guests. This typically includes  of all the vendors on the day of the wedding to ensure everyone arrives on time, sets up where they are supposed to, follows any house rules provided by a wedding venue, and acting as the liaison between the couple and vendors to follow the timeline

• Proactively faces challenges and problem solves through any hiccups that may occur  

Common, but not necessarily expected additional package inclusions-

• Attends a venue walkthrough prior to the wedding (especially if they are unfamiliar with the venue)

• Reminds clients of key deadlines

• Creates a floor or supports in creating a floor plan

• Communicating with vendors on your behalf regarding specific details pertaining to your wedding

• Organizes final meetings between you and the vendors where appropriate

• Schedules or reminds to schedule certain final meetings with vendors

• Provides proactive insight into what information to prepare for final vendor meetings

• Provides insight into what information is necessary to gather during any particular final vendor meeting

• Confirms contract details are inline with wedding day timeline, venue rules, and client expectation

• Coordinates Wedding Ceremony Rehearsal

• Coordinator collects wedding ceremony details (i.e. participant names, walking order, song choices, song cues, seating charts, etc.)

• Coordinator is physically present during wedding ceremony rehearsal to ensure everyone is informed of the plan & manage the wedding ceremony rehearsal by:

• Informing wedding ceremony participants of the plan

• Lining participants up

• Cuing participants for processional, ceremony key moments or special ceremonies, and recessional

• Providing an emergency bridal kit with a variety of items that commonly prove to be necessary at weddings

• Providing certain small decor items

• Decor set-up & breakdown (minimal decor set-up is often included, though anything beyond very basic decor set-up crosses over into the territory of a wedding decorator’s services. Wedding coordination and wedding decoration are two separate services provided by separate vendors. IF a wedding coordination team is able to provide event decorating, they will typically have higher priced packages in order to provide a larger staff to accomplish decor setup/breakdown and standard coordination efforts.)

Not common, but an asset if included-

• Assessing & offering feedback on vendor contracts

• Collecting final payment information from vendors including:

• Payment date with vendors

• Preferred payment method of vendors

• Number of vendor meal required (and dietary restrictions!)

• Reviewing order lists with rental companies, florists, caterers, etc. to ensure everything your event requires is accounted for

• Discussing details to ensure you’ve got everything for the day-of covered even outside of ceremony & reception prep, execution, & clean-up, including items like:

• Getting ready space amenities (i.e. number of mirrors, outlets, fridge access, cleaning plan)

• Food & drink plans

• Travel plans

• Parking logistics at varying locations

• Provide a specialized timeline for the wedding party and family members

• Full decor set-up and break down of small decor items

• Extensive & specific decor creation or inclusion (i.e. sign creation, menu & placard creation, large rentals including tables, chairs, etc., decor extending beyond table numbers & candle votives, etc.)Questions to ask a wedding coordinator before booking-

Questions to ask a Wedding Coordinator before booking

The Basics-

1. Are you available on my date?

2. How much do your services cost?

3. What services do you offer, what are the differences between your packages, and what package will be the best fit for my needs?

4. Are there any additional fees?

Experience & Expectations-

1. How long have you been a wedding coordinator?

2. How long have you been a wedding coordinator in my area?

3. How many weddings do you take on in a single weekend?

4. Will you personally be at my event?

5. What would you say your wedding coordinating “style” is? If a wedding planner or wedding coordinator is unsure how to answer this question, a good follow up question is: what tone do you take when advocating for your clients? (Hint: the goal of this question is to gain insight into whether or not someone’s work style in compatible with yours. Are you are quiet and need a firm advocate? Or are you calm and need someone to match that energy? Or are you anxiety prone and looking for someone that can satiate your worries? This is the chance to feel out if someone is a good fit for you!)

6. Tell me about a wedding that you are particularly proud of how. During this wedding, what were the greatest opportunities to showcase your skills?

7. What is your experience with problem solving? (Pro-tip: ask this question in this elementary language to allow space for the professional to provide their own answer without providing any specialized or guided vernacular. If we asked “Are you solutions-oriented when faced with challenges?” The answer is almost always going to be yes, but provides little insight when guided in this way).

8. Can you give me an example of something that went wrong at a wedding and how you handled it?

9. If we run into any issues throughout the planning process, what level of advocacy can we expect from since we are booking a day of coordination package?

10. How much access will I have to you throughout the planning period?

11. After I book, what are the next steps to working together?

12. When will we begin working together regularly?

Package Questions-

1. With the day of coordination package, do you offer any support prior to the wedding day?

2. Will you collect, organize, and distribute important information such as vendor insurance info, vendor balances & due dates, vendor meal requirements, etc?

3. Will you attend venue walk throughs, vendor meetings, etc. throughout the wedding planning?

4. Will you create a day of timeline?

5. Will you provide the other vendors with this timeline? If so, when will this timeline be created and sent to the other vendors?

6. Will you create a timeline to provide to the family and bridal party? If so, when will this be created and distributed?

7. How many assistants will be present on my wedding day?

8. Do you include decor set up and breakdown in your package? Are there any limitations to this?

9. Will you help manage vendors on the day-of including arrival, set-up, timeline management, and breakdown times?

10. How much communication do you typically have with the other vendors leading up to the wedding date?

11. Will you take care of payment for outstanding balances on the wedding day? How does this process typically look when working with you?

12. Do you provide an emergency bridal kit in case something unexpected arises?

13. What kind of items are in the emergency bridal kit?

14. Will the provide additional resources that may be beneficial to you throughout your planning process?

The Logistics-

1. Do you have insurance to provide to a venue if necessary?

2. Do you require a vendor meal(s)?

3. If we have any issues with vendors following the wedding are you able to advocate for us as a day of coordinator?

4. Do you have any references?

Things to consider when looking for a wedding coordinator-

1. You more or less get what you pay for- If someone quotes you $700 promising the same services another professional is quoting at $4k, there is likely a large difference in experience and service quality. This isn’t necessarily a guarantee that the quality of work will be significantly lower, but it is a very likely. Always check reviews- especially if something sounds too good to be true!

2. Day-of coordination vs. month-of coordination- While “month-of” coordination is often lumped into the “day of” coordination category as an upgrade, it is an entirely separate service that meets a different list of needs. Month-of coordination is ideal when there are intricate logistical details, extensive decor/design set up, or other unique features that might make a wedding deserving of more preparation time. A month of coordinator will begin working with you closely in the weeks immediately preceding your wedding to properly coordinate with vendors and manage the day successfully. They will need to create your timeline (or at least have the opportunity to review it), connect with vendors about arrival times and accurate contact information, discuss design detail with you, review order lists from other vendors, etc. There are a lot of small moving pieces, even with the simplest of weddings! Hiring the appropriate service for your unique event needs is key to ensuring everything comes together without a hitch!

3. Some day-of coordinators are strictly day-of only- It can be challenging to jump in essentially blind on the wedding day with nothing but a timeline and vendor contact list provided by the client, however -albeit rare- some small number of coordinators do this. They are typically a lower cost and don’t provide the same level of service of someone who spends time getting acquainted with the plan prior to the wedding. These coordinators are hard to find, because it truly is not a method that will consistently set the professional up for success, though is effective enough in the right setting. The professionals who offer this kind of service are typically either inexperienced and/or offer a very “bare-bones” approach to their day of coordination packages. If you feel that your wedding is extremely straightforward and are looking for a day-of service only, it is always a safer choice to select someone who will at least meet with you beforehand to discuss details. Even if it seems on paper that a true day-of only coordinator would be adequate, some level of preparation is still likely necessary to truly achieve your vision- there is a reason it is a rare form of service to find!

4. Not every package will include the same amount of support- As extension to the last point, coordinators have a very wide range of what will be included in their packages. Some wedding coordinators will do all of your decor set up and break down. Some will only communicate and coordinate with vendors and nothing more. A lot of wedding coordinators will do something in between. Make sure that you are realistically considering what kind of service you will need before booking!

Maximizing Coordination SErvices

What to do after booking to ensure you are getting the most out of your wedding coordination team.

• Ask how often you can expect your wedding coordinator to touch base. Day-of coordinators typically will reach out roughly a month prior to your wedding, but depending on the specific coordinator, the contracted parameters you’ve agreed to, and how far in advance you’ve booked they may reach out later or even intermittently throughout your planning process to check in. Knowing what to expect is key.

• Discuss what resources your day-of wedding coordinator will provide and familiarize yourself with what additional wedding planning support they offer. While it is typical for wedding coordinators contracts to limit support to the time period immediately preceding your wedding, many coordinators provide resources such as preferred vendor lists, planning tools/resources, and even planning feedback before the contracted services begin. Certain coordinators (our team included) make themselves available to answer questions regarding general vendor recommendations, reviewing vendor contracts, and discussing certain logistics. It is common for wedding coordinators to also offer wedding planning services, which makes them a wealth of information and incredible wedding planning resource, but be mindful of the services included in your coordinator’s package and aware that certain inquiries might extend beyond the service type you have agreed to. If what you are asking is beyond the bounds of your specific contract, the coordinator is likely to let you know and redirect you towards the appropriate vendor for whatever support you are requesting or give you the option to upgrade your package.

• Discuss what wedding day related information they require you to provide and when they need to receive this information. Wedding coordinators will typically need all of your vendor contact information, vendor contracts, “house rules” or venue protocols, a floor plan (unless they include the creation of this in their package), order forms from rentals, florals, caterers, etc., a list of decor you are personally providing, the ceremony information (i.e. walking order for the processional, seating plan for immediate family/VIPs, etc.), and a timeline (unless they include creation of one in their package). Depending on the specific coordinator you have booked, they may require more information.

• Proactively organize! Keep all vendor contact & contract information in an easy to access file for simplified sharing with your wedding coordinator. This will streamline the communication on this topic and allow for more time and focus preparing together with your coordinator to go towards the finer wedding day details.