A Divine Affair: Why you should hire a Day-of Coordinator or Full Planner

Why Hire a Day-of Coordinator or Full Planner/Coordinator… Which do you need???

There are many reasons why hiring a Wedding Planner for your Wedding will benefit you. Depending on your needs, you may be looking for a planner to assist in the planning of everything… you may be looking for someone to assist with planning only some things… or you may simply want someone to assist on the Big Day!

The following is only a small list of reasons for needing a Full Planning Package...

· Planning from a distance

· Not sure where to start? And once you have… what comes next?

· Too busy with work, school or other activities... no time to dedicate towards planning

· Unsure of how to make your ideas and general vision a reality

· Over whelmed... in over your head...

· Want your important day to be planned to perfection by a Professional

· Don't want to miss anything

· Multi-cultured and not sure how to tie the different cultures together

· Prefer to enjoy the planning process instead of adding stress to relationships with your spouse and family

· Want to have fun at your own wedding instead of working at it

· Would like a lavish, unique or personalized event and need help with the finer details

· Been married before and don't want to go through the trials of planning another

· Parents of small children making it more difficult to go around to tons of venues and vendors before you find one you like

But… What happens when your budget just simply doesn’t allow you to hire a Planner to do full or partial planning? Day-of/Month-of Coordination packages are the next best thing and in my opinion an absolute necessity and life-saver on your Wedding Day!

I recommend highly that every single couple that forgoes hiring a Full Planner and decides to plan their own wedding, hire a Day-of/Month-of Coordinator. It was already stressful enough having to plan the entire Wedding on your own… Give yourself the peace of mind on your Big Day and hire a Coordinator to ensure everything runs as planned and to deal with the stresses that arise on the Big Day. Your peace of mind and enjoyment on your Wedding Day will be more than worth it!

There are many reasons why I believe it is important to hire a Wedding Planner/Coordinator for at least Day-of/Month-of services.

· With the amount of money and resources being spent on your big day… don’t you want to ensure everything runs smoothly and just as planned? Even if the planning was done by yourself, the Day-of Coordinator will ensure everything goes according to your plans.

· This is your party and one of the most important days of your life… If a problem were to arise, do you want to be interrupted while talking to family and friends, during speeches, pictures or when you are trying to enjoy your dinner? Having A Divine Affair there ensures that any and all issues that arise are taken care of for you. You are able to relax and enjoy your day stress-free without having to become a last minute problem solver!

· What could go wrong??? The list of unwanted surprises that could arise is endless, but here are a couple scenarios…

o The make-up artist is sick and unfortunately unable to come the morning of your Wedding… A Divine Affair is there with a list of backups to find you an available replacement!

o What if the Groom has dropped something on his shirt while getting ready… A Divine Affair can get a last minute replacement from the rental company.

o Oh no... A Wedding Crasher has arrived and they are ordering a drink at the bar… A Divine Affair can escort them from the Wedding.

o Oops… Cousin John brought a date that he didn’t inform you of… A Divine Affair will ensure there is a place setting for the new guest.

o The band is going to be late… A Divine Affair will ensure the party gets started by either finding a replacement or hooking up a temporary solution to get the party started!

o Limo doesn’t arrive… A Divine Affair can arrange for alternate transportation.

· Family and Friends are guests at your Wedding. Why are you putting them to work? Let your mother enjoy catching up with family she hasn’t seen in a while… Spend time with your bridesmaids getting ready and taking pictures before the Wedding. They want to relax and enjoy your day with you instead of having to run around getting things done and not having enough time to get ready themselves.

· Day-of Coordinators are there to ensure that the day runs as planned. A Divine Affair coordinates the arrival times and set-up for all of the Vendors and ensures they are setting up to your expectations. We are double-checking all details such as floor plans, seating, lighting and temperature levels, place settings, all deliveries, set-ups and your personalized details to ensure that nothing was missed.

· We attend the rehearsal and are there to conduct if the Officiant wasn’t hired to conduct the rehearsal. This also makes for a great opportunity to have the entire Wedding party and immediate family meet the coordinator whom they will be going to with any issues on the Big Day.

What exactly is a Day-of Coordinator???

Day-of Coordinators aren’t only there on the day of your Wedding. Typically a Month before your Wedding you would meet with your Day-of Coordinator. During the month before your Wedding A Divine Affair would…

· Ensure all loose ends are tied up in your Wedding plans. We are there to make sure you haven’t missed anything.

· Create an in-depth Wedding Day agenda with arrival times, set-up times, photo times, ceremony, food service, speeches, etc…

· Contact Venue and all Vendors and confirm details prior to your Wedding day.

· Attend your last meeting with the Venue to discuss final details on guest count, the menu and get a good idea of how you envision the space will look.

· Attend/Conduct the rehearsal.

What if the Venue comes with a Venue Coordinator?

A Day-of Coordinator and a Venue Coordinator are 2 very different things.

The Venue Coordinator is an employee of the Venue. They are simply there to show the Venue to couples and assist with Venue related things such as tastings and menu choices. On the day of your Wedding they are there to ensure things are running smoothly with Venue related items such as food service, set up of tableware and cleanup. They also often leave once your meal is served.

Your Day-of Coordinator is with you the entire day. A Divine Affair will do any and everything they can to ensure your day is perfect for you. Your Day-of Coordinator will be there to assist in any problem be it small or large that may arise anytime during the day of the Wedding or even the month leading up to it. They are there to ensure the timeline is being followed throughout the day. They will prompt the Vendors and MC on when to announce the next speech or event such as dances, cake cutting and bouquet toss. They will be there to assist with the lining up of your Wedding party for the ceremony and fix your train before you walk down the aisle. They will be there to open the door for your Grand Entrance… Your planner is like your personal sidekick all day to help you and consult with you on anything you need. They are there to troubleshoot with Vendors and ensure every aspect of the Wedding runs smoothly, not just the Venue. Main difference… A Venue Coordinator works for the Venue… The Day-of Coordinator works for you. The Day-of Coordinator will ensure every detail and aspect of your Wedding runs exactly as planned.

Now that you know a bit more about the benefits of hiring a Day-of/Month-of Coordinator…

Here is a list of some of the services included within the Day-of/Month-of Coordination and Full Planning packages that A Divine Affair offers to help you decide which best suits your needs.

Day-of Coordination vs. Full Planning

· Create a wedding day agenda

· Confirming final details with Vendors and Venue

· Attend final meeting with Venue

· Attend/Conduct Wedding Rehearsal

· Instruct and oversee all duties of participants

· Oversee set-up

· Assist Bride & Bridesmaids with dressing

· Supervise all Vendors and Professionals

· Handle necessary payments

· Supervise and assist with day of Photography

· Guidance and Assistance with Ceremony Processional and Recessional

· Double-checking final details

· Attend to guests’ special needs

· Ensure everything runs as planned

· On site Supervision and Direction of the Wedding Ceremony and Reception

· Book Venue Visits

· Create Personalized Timeline

· Research and Suggest Vendors based on your budget, theme and personalities.

· Book all Vendor Meetings (Including but not limited to photographers, florist, DJ, transportation, decor and caterers)

· Attend all Meetings with Vendors and Venues

· Negotiate Prices or Services with Vendors and Venue

· Review all Vendor Contracts (A Divine Affair does not dispense legal advice but will look over contracts to ensure nothing is missing)

· Full development of the Wedding Theme you have chosen

· Assistance with wording of Invitations

· Vendor Follow-up and Confirmations

· Budget Management

· Manage all logistics