Reasons why you should not have a friend be your day of coordinator on your wedding day
Your wedding day is near, and you are wondering who is going to help with executing the beautiful details, timeline and manage vendors while you get ready and enjoy your day to the fullest. Your first thought may be a close friend, a friend of a friend or maybe it’s a relative. You may feel that having this person be your day of coordinator can be a great way to save money and to have someone close to be in charge of the day, aka your day of decision maker. Let’s break down some drawbacks that I recommend you consider when deciding who the best person is for this job on your wedding day.
It may sound wonderful to have your friend by your side, however, as they may say in the “biz” it can be stressful to mix business with pleasure, and your friend may not be able to handle the added pressure and honestly could bail on you at any moment. This is a commitment and mixing the two can cause emotions and this person may find the commitment and pressure is too much. After all, are they on the job or are they a guest, let them enjoy your wedding day to the fullest as well as a guest. They do want to provide the best for you and unfortunately may feel overwhelmed when they understand what the job entails or may not fully understand until it is too late. As an experienced wedding coordinator and planner, we understand the steps needed prior and day of your wedding. 80% of my planning for your wedding day is done prior to the wedding day, the day of, it’s go time and everything comes to life, the magic, and the remaining 20% we execute and have the best day!
Having an experienced coordinator can help ensure that the day runs smoothly, and that any unexpected issues are handled quickly and professionally. Additionally, since the coordinator is a friend, there may be uncomfortable feelings if they need to handle difficult situations, such as initiating family mediation and vendors not prepared or providing the service promised. Weddings can bring out some dynamics and a professional wedding coordinator can assist in these situations. As professional wedding coordinators and planners we are experienced in handling day of decisions and putting out fires that a couple may never know happened. We have been entrusted and have had the chance to build the relationship and know what each couples wishes would be and when to step up. We also manage unruly guests as needed, there can be zero tolerance for venues, and we don’t one person to ruin it for you and all of your guests. We don’t let the drama find the couple, it is taken care of (the fire put out) so you and all of your guests can continue to rock the night away.
We may provide the fairytale ending as your fairy godmother and executing each of the beautiful details you dreamed about, however, it is not always pretty during the process and the work it does involve getting it done!
Ultimately, it is up to you to decide if having a friend serve as your day of coordinator is the right choice. Hiring a professional wedding coordinator can bring expertise, industry connections and a stress-free experience to your wedding day. It is my passion for you to tell your story your way and have the best day, be fully present.
Cover Photo Image:
Photo: James Escobar
Florist: A Secret Garden
Planning: Shelley Ann Events