I get it! Weddings are expensive, and cutting any expense you can sounds ideal. But I’m going to come right out with it: find a wedding day-of coordinator who fits your needs and budget, and you will not regret it.
Having someone take care of things for you ensures everything will get done, and on time, so you can focus on having the best day of your life. I’ll talk about this a bit more later in the post.
In a hurry? If you’re Minneapolis or Saint Paul-based, and you’re looking for local wedding coordinator recommendations, scroll to the bottom of the post ! 🙂 (I got you!)
Psst! The “do I need a wedding coordinator” question reminds me a bit of how a playlist does not replace a DJ!
What does a wedding/day-of coordinator do?
What is the difference between a day-of coordinator, wedding coordinator, and wedding management? Just the names. But you will find variations in the services that each individual business/provider can help you with, so at the end of the day, find the professional that best suits your needs!
Here’s a taste of what day-of coordinators can provide. You may not want someone to do ALL of these for your wedding (and all wedding coordinators offer different specialties), but that’s why it’s really great to know what you are not comfortable delegating, or what you do/don’t need.
- Unlimited email communication
- Tools like guides and vendor recommendations
- Timeline planning and assistance
- Final details meeting and walkthrough
- Rehearsal coordination
- 1-2 people on-site on your wedding day (time varies)
- Floor layout planning
- Decor/signage setup and take down
- Card/gift management during event
- Day-of vendor management and coordination
- Ceremony coordination (spacing people down the aisle, music, etc.)
- Access to “Wedding Emergency Kit”
- Picking up wedding day items
- Go-to problem-solver and people-finder
- Pass tips to appropriate vendors
Depending on how far along you are in wedding planning, seeing that list might be a “oh sh*t” moment. That’s totally normal! You’re good. 🙂 It’s good to take stock of each of the bullets above — not every wedding will necessarily need all of those tasks, but most will need most! Whether you hire a day-of coordinator or not, who do you picture doing those tasks? It shouldn’t be you! It shouldn’t be your spouse-to-be! And it probably shouldn’t be your friends and family, either.
Your loved ones’ “job” is to celebrate and share moments with you
Maybe your future FIL offered to tip the vendors at the end of the night, and maybe your sibling agreed to set up and take down signage, but the main job of your loved ones should be to celebrate the most exciting and beautiful day of your life with you. The more tasks that are delegated to friends and families means the less time they can be with you and enjoy themselves too!
When you have a wedding coordinator, that alleviates the pressure and allows your loved ones to fully be in the moment. It’s kind of hard to put a price on that! 🙂 But let’s talk about cost, shall we?
The cost of a day-of coordinator, and when to loop them in
As you can probably guess, the cost of a wedding coordinator depends! Are you looking for support early on in the planning process? Are you strictly looking for an extra set of hands (if you will) on your wedding day? What you’re hiring your coordinator for, and at what point you loop them in, affects cost.
Many basic day-of packages start at $1,500, ranging to $8,000 for more specialized services. The cost can go past $10,000 if you’re looking for a whole team’s worth of help. It is, truly, an investment that allows you to stay present on this day you’re spending so much time and money in planning. Some day-of coordinators give clients some a la carte options (as opposed to uniform packages), which can help save some money if you want only a few specific services.
One last note I’ll say about cost: a wedding coordinator can also save you money. Especially if you loop them in early on (a year ahead, or ASAP if we’re already within a year!), wedding coordinators literally do this for a living, so they know all the tricks, know how to make things smooth, and ask questions in the planning process you would not even know to ask. While I can’t really put a number on how much a day-of coordinator would save you in dollars, even just what they save you in stress is WELL worth it in my opinion!
If you’re not interested in getting help with planning, and you’re just looking for literal day-of help and coordinating, you’ll still want to hire your coordinator 6 months in advance if possible.
If you’re feeling a little behind schedule (or even if you’re not!), I invite you to check out these Jess-vetted, Twin Cities-based, day-of coordinators!
Minneapolis and Saint Paul Wedding Coordinators
These vendors are JKP-Approved! 😀 I’ve worked with every single one and they just do a fabulous job!
- Ascendance Productions
- Events by Maggs
- Green Dress Planning 🖤🌱
- Keyed Up Events
- Realm Planning 🌱
- Revel and Flourish 🖤
- Rosaire Studio 🖤
*all LGBTQ+ affirming; vendors with a 🖤are BIPOC-owned, and 🌱 are our sustainable coordinators!
Lastly, if a coordinator is truly and absolutely out of your budget, please at least consider if there is someone in your circle who otherwise would not be at your wedding, such as a coworker, who can act as a coordinator for your day, rather than assigning tasks to your family or wedding party.
While your day-of coordinator thoughts are brewing, are you Looking for a DJ or an alterations specialist? I got you! 🙂
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