Photo: Shelby Seaber

Instead of hiring a professional, some couples prefer to ask a family member or close friend to help them coordinate their wedding.

If someone has asked you to be their wedding coordinator and you want to make sure their special day goes exactly the way they want, keep reading. 

Here’s our DIY wedding coordinator’s checklist for the days leading up to the wedding and the big day itself!

What Is a Wedding Coordinator?

A wedding coordinator is not a wedding planner. It’s a completely different role. 

Wedding coordinators are typically not involved in the planning process at all — their work happens in the days leading up to and on the day of the wedding.

Wedding planners assist in booking vendors and designing concepts for the wedding. They work with the florist, caterer, videographer, and other wedding vendors to plan how the day’s events will go and what everything will look like.

Planners help the couple-to-be choose table settings, floral arrangements, decor, and music. They make sure the lighting is right and that the ceremony space looks exactly how the couple wants to look.

The wedding coordinator plays no role in the decision-making process. Instead, it’s the coordinator’s job to make sure that the couples’ plans fall into place at the right time.

For the wedding planner, it’s all about the look and feel of the wedding.

For the wedding coordinator, it’s all about logistics. 

Is Wedding Coordinator an Important Role? 

Photo: Mirelle Carmichael

The wedding coordinator is a really important role. They make sure that all of the last-minute details are in place for the big day.

They’re a second set of eyes, hands, and ears to help with the logistical details on the day of. The wedding coordinator exists so that the couple can enjoy the day stress-free!

Some professional wedding planners offer day-of coordination services as part of their contract, but some do not. When planners don’t provide this service, couples often turn to family members and trusted friends to take the reins as wedding coordinator. 

Almost anyone can do the job, as long as they’re organized, detail-oriented, and authoritative. Regina George would make a great wedding coordinator, but Karen Smith or Gretchen Wieners … ? Not so much!

Related: How to Make a DIY Wedding Planning Binder 

Wedding Coordinator Checklist: The Weeks Leading Up to the Big Day

When a wedding planner is handling the event, the wedding coordinator doesn’t usually get involved this early in the process. But for couples who have planned the wedding themselves, getting a coordinator involved about a month before can be a huge help!

In the weeks leading up to the wedding day, a wedding coordinator can tackle several important tasks:

Couples should also give their wedding coordinator a detailed plan of everything they want them to do the day before and the day of the wedding.

Wedding Coordinator Checklist: The Day Before the Wedding

The day before the wedding is when the coordinator’s job becomes important.

Here are a few crucial wedding coordinator duties for the afternoon and evening before:

As a wedding coordinator, it’s also a good idea to check in with the couple at the end of the rehearsal dinner. That’s your chance to reassure them that you’ll do your best to make things run as smoothly as possible the next day!

Day-Of Wedding Coordinator Checklist

Photo: Bella Sacramento / Kelsey Marlette

The wedding day is when you will truly shine!

Here’s the ultimate day-of wedding coordinator checklist to make sure you don’t miss a beat:

Conclusion

From making sure the bridal party is dressed on time to ensuring that the gifts are in a safe place at the end of the night, the duties of the wedding coordinator are many. 

And it’s such a fun job to do!

If you’ve been asked to be a wedding coordinator for someone’s wedding, embrace it. It’s an important role, and if the couple didn’t think you could handle the job, they wouldn’t have asked!

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