Why We Started Requiring a Day-of Coordinator

Madison at the Mill has been hosting industrial weddings for really cool couples since late 2015. In those (almost) four years, we have learned a LOT. We often joke with other wedding vendors that our contract got a little longer after every wedding. That’s just the way it goes!

The BIGGEST change we made in 2019 was to start requiring that all of our couples have a day-of coordinator. Anyone booking after January 1st of this year is required to have SOMEONE in charge of the details. There HAS to be a point person, and it should 100% be a wedding professional.

We’re so passionate about this new rule that we even wrote to all of our already booked 2019 couples encouraging them to hire someone or designate someone ASAP! Here are a few of the reasons why:

You NEED a point person.

On your wedding day, guests, vendors, family, friends, and bridal party members are going to have a million questions. Is there a coat closet? Should the DJ be here setting up? The caterer is filling up water glasses, right? Which car gets the decor and which car gets the gifts? It’s overwhelming, and it’s far too much for a bride, groom, or their parents to handle while still enjoying the day.

In past years, we’ve seen our couples get way too sucked into the logistics instead of the moments. By requiring couples to hire a coordinator, we know we can eliminate that stress of having all the questions directed at you. You just won’t have time for it!!

You NEED a timeline.

Perhaps it’s my love of spreadsheets and planning, but I truly believe that every wedding needs a well thought out, detailed timeline. Another term for this might be “production schedule” because truly, weddings are productions. There are SO MANY moving parts and different vendors and sometimes different locations. You need an experienced wedding professional to be thinking through the timing and logistics of all of that.

All too often, we saw couples with no reception timeline. No one knew who was giving a welcome toast or when. No one knew when the first dance or parent dances would be. Sometimes, figuring all of this out will fall on your photographer or DJ, and that’s just not fair! They have so many other things to juggle, they don’t need to be trying to create a timeline on the fly.

You NEED someone with experience.

When you’re paying for a coordinator, you’re often paying for someone’s YEARS of planning for, preventing, and working through worst case scenarios. You need someone with an emergency kit that includes ribbon because she has literally corseted a bride in her dress before the ceremony when the dress’s corset ribbon was missing. (True story.)

On your wedding day, you need someone who can CONFIDENTLY handle anything gone awry without you even knowing that anything HAS gone awry! You need someone with rental company cell phone numbers in their phone in case there are no wine glasses. (Another true story.)

So, what can you do? Who should you hire? First, please, please . . . don’t try to give this job to your maid of honor, your friend who is pretty organized, or your aunt who loves weddings. We’ve seen those scenarios play out pretty terribly. Don’t let that be you! We have some suggestions of amazing professionals who will make your day run seamlessly.

By popular request, I (Shalese) have started offering day-of coordination! You can more information about my in-house coordination services HERE. You can certainly hire me OR any of the wonderful planners we have listed here.