Your big day is finally here and, as you’re waking up, you might find yourself asking, “Now what?”

Your wedding day is going to fly by and we cannot stress this enough. No matter what, the most important thing to remember is that this is your wedding day! Be happy. Smile. Laugh. Take it all in. The day you’ve been dreaming of for forever is here and it’s important that you don’t let little things get you down.

Let’s be honest… something is bound to go unlike you had planned but, no matter what happens, keep in mind that none of your guests are actually going to realize that something’s gone wrong. Don’t sweat the small things. If you start to feel overwhelmed, take a step away from the group and take a few deep breaths. The last thing you need on your special day is to feel worried and stressed.

One helpful piece of advice leading up to your big day is, if you do find yourself feeling stressed or worried about how everything is going to come together, it might be beneficial for you to hire an on-site event coordinator for the day of your event. Yes, you could probably handle everything on your own but, is it worth it?

Day of Coordinator

The plus side of having a coordinator on-site is that you can meet with them in advance of your day and tell them how you want everything to go. Then, when the day is here, all you have to worry about is waking up feeling refreshed, ready to pop some bottles with your best girls and spend the day with your closest family and friends while getting to marry the love of your life. How great does that sound?!

As the day of coordinator for your big day, I like to meet with you in advance to get to know you, feel comfortable with you and your vision. Leading up to the wedding, you have full access to me via text, email and phone calls for questions and, dare we say it…concerns.

1. Pre-Ceremony

It’s beneficial to have the coordinator at your rehearsal to go over timelines, walk in orders and logistics with the ceremony. On the day of your wedding, your coordinator helps facilitate those timelines. Check out this list of important details that are being taken care of while you, the bride and groom, take every second in.

Facilitate on-time arrival of hair and make-up stylists and instruct them as to where to set up hair dryers, brushes and any other equipment they have with them
Coordinate hair and make-up schedule with bridal party and stylists and ensure that hair and make-up is completed in a timely fashion
Make sure personal flowers i.e. bridal bouquet, bridesmaid’s flowers and father of the bride’s boutonniere arrive on time
Ensure that transportation arrives on time and instruct wedding party as to when to depart for ceremony
Communicate with best man to make sure groom is getting dressed and on-time
Make wedding party aware of any last minute details
Communicate with transportation driver and maid-of-honor/best man while bridal party is on the way to the ceremony location

2. Ceremony

At the ceremony, there’s always things that should be done and need to be taken care of. Should the bride and groom have to worry about that? Absolutely not, but either should the family, friends and guests. The day is to celebrate. Why ask anyone take away from that to “work”? At the ceremony, the coordinator does the following:

Set up programs and other ceremony items i.e. guest book, unity candles, other items
Ensure that ushers/groomsmen arrive on time and are ready to pass out programs Ensure that personal flowers have arrived at ceremony location (i.e. flower girl bouquet and groomsmen boutonnieres)
Alert ushers/groomsmen as to when to begin escorting guests to their seats and remind them as to how to be a “proper” usher
Ensure that ceremony musicians have arrived and direct them as to where to set up Confirm the music that ceremony musicians will play during the ceremony, as well as start times for each piece of music. (Determine cues)
Act as a liaison with the ceremony officiator. (Determine cues)
Communicate with bride and groom so that they know how much time remains before the start of the ceremony
Handle any emergencies that may arise
Line up the bridal party for their entrances down the aisle
Cue ceremony musicians when bridal party is ready to begin processional
Gather family and friends for after ceremony photos if needed

3. Pre-Reception

The list doesn’t stop there. The fun has just begun, really. At the reception, the coordinator should be

Greet vendors and instruct them as to where to set up i.e. wedding band, florist, and caterer
Point of contact for all vendors
Arrange escort cards
Make sure reception flowers/decor is set up according to flower order
Ensure that tent and lighting are set up properly and troubleshoot as needed
Meet with catering staff to confirm food timeline
Set up guest book and pen, champagne flutes, cake cutting utensils
Set up table numbers/names and menu cards
Set up amenities baskets, hand towels, candles etc. in bathrooms

4. Reception

Look over dining tables and make sure they are set up properly
Along with catering staff, encourage guests to join bride and groom for dinner at the
end of cocktail hour
Ensure proper flow of cocktail and dinner hour food
Cue best man and father of the bride when they are about to be announced for toasts
Be aware of timing of catering service and make sure people are served promptly
Prevent & fix any problems that may arise during your event
Remain easily accessible through beginning of the dance in case there are any details you would like attended to

Just to reiterate – because we feel it’s that important – don’t spend your wedding day worrying about what people are thinking or stressing about the small things. Your wedding day is YOUR day. Enjoy every moment of it because it’ll, sadly, be over in a blink of an eye.