Demystifying the Differences: Day-of Coordinator vs. Wedding Planner — The Double Knot | Certified Planners | Weddings and Events

Wedding terminology can be a tad bit confusing and difficult to navigate for a once in a lifetime event. Allow us to help you differentiate a “day-of” coordinator from a wedding planner because they are two different things, although each are very important! Having someone by your side will take so much stress off your shoulders that your happiness will shine through on your photos forever.

Montana Dennis Photography; Salt Creek Beach in Dana Point

What is a Wedding Planner?

The planner helps a couple create a design, find the vendors, and piece the plan together. They are in direct communication with each vendor from the inquiry to the finish. Their experience will help create the design ensuring a smooth flow of the available space and timeline of events. Their network and experience provide peace of mind because they can match you with the perfect vendors who you can trust and who can work with your personality and/or vision. Couples with planners save so much time avoiding research and can also save money preventing expensive mistakes and oversights. For example, does a vendor require a meal, or shade, or power? Where will that come from? Who will make sure it happens? It is smart to have a second set of eyes watching over your plans and giving you advice when you get stuck. Some planners can help you plan details from a year out, and some specialize in two months out.

Montana Dennis Photography; Bella Blooms Floral Designs; AKT Rentals

What is a Day-of Coordinator?

The day-of coordinator deals with an entirely different experience than the planner, although most of the time they are the same person who did the planning. They are managing the entire vendor team on the event day which can range from 12-15 hours of labor. Arriving when the first vendor arrives, making sure the plan is set in motion, and leaving after cleanup at the end of the event, it is a job for only the most passionate. They are your vendor team’s go-to person when there is a problem or a question. They do everything from adjusting tables to ensure event flow, or tweaking the timeline on the fly to fit what is currently happening (I’m sure you have heard of a bride who is behind schedule). Coordinators also tote an extensive emergency kit of items including extension cords, steamers, tape of all kinds, scissors, medications, zip ties, and so much more! They are always thinking on their feet and solving problems without interrupting the couple. They also set up personal items like favors, menus, programs, toasting flutes, gift boxes, signage, and so much more! They also guide your guests through the event so that there is no confusion on where to go or when it is okay to move into the reception space. It is all-day customer service at its best. They truly are like the conductors of an orchestra!

Lin & Jirsa Photography; Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel

Choosing the Right Package for Your Needs

Both jobs (planner and day-of coordinator) are important, and both jobs, if done well, can make an event smooth and easy. While we always encourage having both a planner and a coordinator be the same person, sometimes we are hired only for day-of coordination (Hint: this plan is only for very organized couples). It is difficult for a person (no matter how professional) to take over another person’s plans because miscommunications and mistakes can happen in the handoff (and they do). Communication in extreme detail is very important if you want to have a smooth event and using only a Day-of Coordinator! In the years we have spent executing events, we have noticed that the later we step in to help with the event, the more often we have to dive into our emergency kit to solve problems, and the more we have to bother the couple to ask about what they had planned or what they wanted. In full planning packages, we get to know the couple and their desires so well that we can confidently make decisions for them on the fly. So, for the ultimate relaxing event enjoyment, it is always best to have the same person do the planning and the coordination. That person will be the mastermind of all the working parts and can make decisions based on the understanding of what happened during the entire planning process.

Real Life Examples

Most of our couples still don’t actually know about the drama that unfolded behind the scenes on their event day. A good professional planner can prevent problems by finding mistakes early. We once found a DJ contract with the wrong venue listed and the wrong times. We once encountered a mariachi that was hired for a venue that doesn’t allow live music (before we stepped in), so we negotiated a compromise with the venue. Day-of coordinators work their magic by tweaking tables to accommodate spacial needs and taping down signs that seem to keep catching the wind. We have glued place cards to seashells to keep them from flying away. We have provided power strips and extension cords for DJ’s whose equipment failed or blew fuses. We have dried off chairs from the rain and cleaned them of bird poop. We have sewed people into their dresses and repaired holes or taped hems. We have halted the announcement of a cake cutting because the bride disappeared to fix her bangs. We have flipped welcome tables into dessert tables, and adjusted signage to accommodate needs as they change during the event. We have reassigned guests to different tables after an altercation in cocktail hour. We have cleaned up broken glass off a dance floor so that the staff didn’t have to stop serving and cause a delay. We have even called an ambulance for a guest who fell in the bathroom after partying a little too hard. These stories and more are why you need someone managing your event from top to bottom. We are not called “chaos coordinators” or “Master Maestros” for nothing!

All in all, when it comes to wedding planning, it can be like adding on a part time job, and most couples already have full time jobs. So the task of learning how to do something right the first and last time you will ever do it is daunting! Let our experience work for you and get the planning AND the coordination in one amazing team! The Double Knot is dedicated to making your day as smooth and easy as possible so you can be a guest at your own wedding. Don’t forget to download your free wedding planning checklist on our website! Enjoy!