If you are someone who prefers to have all of the control, are a “do it yourselfer,” or are on a tight budget you can certainly plan and coordinate your wedding yourself with help from your friends and family. It’s definitely cheaper than hiring a wedding coordinator – but – and this is a big but – if you get stressed out easily consider hiring a professional to help smooth everything over for you. Time is never more fleeting than when you are planning an event of this size, a professional at this time can help you enjoy the process a lot more.
What does a Wedding Coordinator do?
The job of a wedding coordinator is to give you and your family peace of mind and to help you handle all of the details of your wedding and reception. Some charge a percentage of the spending budget, some charge by the hour, and others are paid a flat fee. Although up front it can sound really expensive, sometimes it can actually end up saving you money – they have the connections and know where to go for the best value among the vendors. They know who to book – and more importantly – when to book them. They will oversee vendor contracts; know how to avoid overtime charges, and often may offer many perks via vendors they have a good working relationship with.
If you do decide to hire a wedding coordinator – don’t skip one of the most important steps – references. The best is a reference from a very satisfied friend or relative. You want to make sure that they only book a single event each day – you deserve their full attention throughout the entire reception – just in case they are needed for anything. They can be responsible for scheduling details, the music, the seating arrangements and many other tasks that the Bride and Groom do not want to keep up with on their special day.
