Why your own Wedding Coordinator is Your Secret Weapon

This is going to be a juicy one as I share my wedding day drama

You get one wedding day. One chance to feel present while everything runs smoothly. A venue has a brilliant team, but their event coordinator works for the venue. I work for you. I am there for the final 12 weeks and all day on the wedding, making sure your plans become reality and your people are cared for. Even if you love the planning, having someone to manage the final weeks and wedding day is game-changing. Here’s how a coordinator steps in, what they really do, and why couples say they were the best investment they made.

Venue Coordinator vs Your Coordinator

• Who they serve: Venue coordinators protect venue operations and their revenue. I protect your vision, your money and guest experience.
• Hours: Venue teams work shifts and hand over. I arrive before setup and stay until the last planned moment is delivered.
• Scope: Venues handle layout and service. I run the master timeline, liaise with every supplier, and solve problems quietly.
• Focus: Venues may juggle multiple enquiries and show rounds. I am dedicated to you and your day.

Real Talk: What Happened On My Own Wedding Day

I got married at one of the top wedding venues in Essex, winning multiple wedding awards, but this didn’t stop problems on my wedding day.

Shortly before the day I learned they were hosting a murder mystery on the same date, but I was assured it would be in a separate part of the hotel and would not affect us.

Oh boy it did.

I walked out of our wedding breakfast towards the evening reception and saw a sign that read “Murder Mystery.” Strangers were milling around the space where our evening guests were meant to gather. Elderly relatives had nowhere to sit. The event coordinator was nowhere to be found and had gone home. I had to hunt down a staff member. The solution I was offered was a separate room for those who needed seats. I was livid, were they serious?. We had paid for that space, the music we had organised was being enjoyed by random guests, and the atmosphere we had planned was being diluted.

It boiled down to money. The other event was moved downstairs for bar access. Me being me, I pushed hard and got things changed back to what we had been promised, but those first moments of our evening were coloured by stress. Instead of greeting our guests with a smile, I was fighting fires. Even as I write this now, 10 years on, I this situation, put a small cloud on the day.

If I had hired a coordinator who worked for me, I could have stayed in the moment. The problem still might have popped up, but it would have been dealt with swiftly, on my behalf, without me losing that precious time and all importantly would have allowed me to just enjoy the day.

That experience sits at the heart of why I champion independent coordination. Your day deserves someone whose only focus is you.

So this is where I come in: What I do in the final 12 weeks

• Create your master timeline and floor plan, aligned with photography, catering and music.
• Confirm every supplier’s arrival, access, power and final details.
• Prepare calm contingencies for weather, delays and little hiccups.
• Brief your VIPs so everyone knows where to be and when.

On the day, here is what you will feel

• A calm start, with both sides supported.
• A styled space that matches your vision.
• Seamless flow from ceremony to first dance.
• Quiet problem solving so you can stay in the moment.

Planning a marquee or dry-hire wedding? You need a coordinator even more

If you are not getting married at a staffed venue, there is no built-in team to run the day. Your suppliers are brilliant at their craft, but they are not there to manage the whole show. Think of suppliers as the actors, and your coordinator as the producer who brings the right people to the right place at the right time, answers the questions, and keeps everything moving while you enjoy your day.

If you are planning a garden, marquee or dry-hire wedding, bring a coordinator on board early. You get the party you imagined, without wearing the headset.

In summary is a coordinator worth it? Absolutely yes! You are investing in peace of mind so you, and your families, can simply enjoy the day.

If you want someone firmly in your corner for those last 12 weeks and on the day itself, I would love to help.

All my love

Luisa xo