5 Reasons a Coordinator is necessary and will save you money!
By Caitlin Arnold, Caitlin Arnold Weddings and Events
If you’re on a small wedding budget, or just having a small wedding in general, a wedding coordinator is usually last on your list of things to spend money on. It makes sense when you think about what is necessary and what isn’t – you have to have a dress, a bouquet, pictures/a photographer, etc., etc. Regardless of budget and size, most brides think a coordinator goes into the “unnecessary” category, especially if they’re organized and on top of it themselves. But let me give you a list of 5 reasons why the coordinator should be in the necessary category.
1. You’re the bride on the day of the wedding, not the coordinator – When you’re getting dressed, walking down the aisle, taking pictures, listening to toasts and dancing, you can’t be on top of it. Even if you have planned the wedding down to a “T” yourself, on the day, you can’t oversee the set up or flow of the event. Or if you try to, you’ll probably have a distracted, stressful day!
2. Your friends and family should be your guests – Your mom, maid of honor, best friend, whomever it was that you were going to place in charge really wants to celebrate this day with you! You don’t want them to have to “work” or stress that day, but enjoy themselves. Especially if you and your fiancé are hosting the wedding, shouldn’t all your guests get to have a great time?
3. Your wedding will have problems – Every wedding has problems. I know that as a bride, you don’t want to think there will be glitches, but there will be. The best way to plan for those is to have someone whose job is solving problems in the fastest, easiest way possible. More importantly, if that person is your professional wedding coordinator, not only will they likely know the best way to solve the problem, but their main goal is to ensure you have a great wedding day – that means you won’t even know about the problem unless you have to! I remember a wedding where the cake somehow got smashed in on one side during delivery. The bride didn’t even know about it until weeks after the wedding, because the florist, caterer and coordinator worked to solve it – with beautiful cascading flowers decorating the cake! No one noticed except for them. That’s the way it should be!
4. There’s more to notice at a small wedding – Even smaller weddings have the basic needs of coordination – in fact, usually they need it more, because it is more likely for something to get noticed and every detail will matter. Plus, my guess is that you’re having a small wedding partly because you want the intimacy, so make your guests feel comfortable and at home with a well-planned, well-hosted event that they all will feel privileged to attend.
5. Coordinators save you money – All of this is fine and good, but let’s talk money. I did say you should have a coordinator even with a tight wedding budget, right? Not only will some coordinators work with you to make sure their fee fits your budget, but they can help you create an overall wedding budget that ensures you stay within your means. Most couples that don’t have a professional create a wedding budget for them will overspend their cap by a couple thousand dollars. Instead, if you have a budget created by a professional who knows the industry, you’ll be pretty dead on in the end, with the coordinator fee in there! Having a coordinator might even save you money by allowing you to take advantage of the many discounts they receive from vendors and suppliers.
Still not convinced? Ask someone who has had a coordinator – usually they’ll tell you they were worth every penny. I understand the concerns – years ago, I used to think coordinators were an optional luxury in wedding planning. Then I talked to some coordinators and previous brides, watched some weddings with a coordinator to see all they did, and I was sold. It doesn’t hurt to contact someone to ask questions and feel free to ask for testimonials. Brides and their families will usually tell you they would never do it again without one.
*Our newest guest blogger, Caitlin Arnold, can be found at www.caitlinarnoldweddings.com. Be sure to stop by her website to learn more about Caitlin!*
