Should You Hire a Wedding Coordinator/Planner?

You�re putting your budget together, you�re trying to decide what is important, what you can do without. And you�re probably wondering, should I hire a wedding coordinator/planner?

Well�. Maybe.

There are a lot of things that need to be done the day of your ceremony and A LOT of decisions. Plus things that need to be done in the days, weeks, and months leading up to your ceremony.  We�ve worked with couples that have them, and we�ve worked with couples that don�t.  AND we�ve worked with different coordinators with different levels of involvement over the past few years. 

Here�s Our Take on When to Hire a Wedding Coordinator

DO Hire a wedding coordinator if you�re not detail oriented, or have someone in your party/family that is.  When we say details we mean � have you thought about:

• How you�re getting to the venue and what to do with your car if you�re leaving by another vehicle
• Read and review contracts and stay on top of payment plans for all the different vendors
• Deadline oriented so that you can select your cake, food, schedule photos, floor plan etc.
• Can you remember all the payments, tips & needs on the event day and have them delegated in time so you can enjoy the show? (In addition to the payments needed ahead of time)
• Do you know how the venue is going to be decorated while you�re getting ready (who is doing this, do they know what the vision is like?)
• The list goes on�.

Do NOT hire a wedding coordinator if:

• Your venue handles this
• You�re confident that a family member/friend can carry the responsibilities

There are many types of wedding coordinator/planners.  You�ll need to consider if you need a full-service planner that helps you from date of hire through the conclusion of your reception or if you just need �Day-Of� coordination help with the details on event day.  We�ll have more on how to select a coordinator in another post.

Fun Fact:

Cotton Gin 116 has an online planning tool provided to all couples when they book.  This is meant to assist when a Coordinator isn�t in the budget by providing our staff with details to help, including behind the scenes coordination with vendors and other details leading up to, and on, your special day. 

We�re not saying don�t hire a coordinator, we definitely think there is value there, but consider if the venue that you�re booking with has staff on site that might overlap with these responsibilities allowing you to save a little bit in your budget for other things.  (Hint: maybe just a day of coordinator is best)

You can download our wedding venue checklist to easily keep track of the offerings at various venues you tour.

Pro tip: Be sure to consult with your venue prior to booking your coordinator.  As venue operators, they have certainly worked with many coordinators and all aren�t made alike.  We�ve been in situations where coordinators didn�t show up or communicate with couples in the days leading up to their ceremony.  No one want unnecessary last-minute stress around their big day, and venues can point you in the direction of coordinators and planners who are RELIABLE � because at the end of the day if you�ve put all your eggs in their basket, they MUST show up!