Planning a wedding in Maine is immensely fun and exciting, especially if it's a destination event for your guests! Maine is a treasure trove of talent, and you're sure to find almost any type of creative here that your heart desires. But with so many options out there, how do you choose the best vendors for your day? How do you even find those amazing vendors in the first place? And how do you incorporate all the unique details you've been dreaming of into becoming a fun, stress-free event for you and your guests? That's where a team of wedding planners and coordinators come in!
At Meadow Ridge Farm, we do not require that our couples have a planner or coordinator hired... but we strongly recommend it - especially if you will be planning from out of state. Our goal is for your event to be the most incredible celebration, and we want you to have joyful memories! You should be spending your time here celebrating with family and friends... not worrying about who will be switching on all 270 battery-operated candles during the ceremony, making sure the caterer remembers that your cousin is GF, or keeping track of the DJ to make sure WAP isn't played until after Grandma departs.
So, do you really need a planner or coordinator? What's the difference? Do you need both?
Traditionally, a Day Of Coordinator is a wedding professional who has been hired to coordinate the logistics of your wedding day; this includes overseeing vendors, solving problems, and executing the timeline. Pro tip: your BFF that planned her own wedding is not a wedding coordinator, and don't let her try to be 😉 A professional coordinator will be in regular communications with you about a month before your wedding. Here are some things that they are typically responsible for:
- Review contracts with all your vendors to ensure they abide by the venue rules (sound polices, length of time allowed for bar service, what types of catering are permitted)
- Create a timeline for your day that works for all vendors involved. For example, if your photographer needs you at 6:30pm for sunset portraits, your DJ should not have parent dances scheduled at this time... this is important, because it also affects catering and when meals are served!
- Keep the wedding party on track. If the guys need to be dressed and ready for portraits at 2pm before the ceremony, your coordinator will make sure nobody got distracted by cornhole.
- Setting up decor for your reception. It's SO fun to plan what items you'll use for decorating your venue, but it's a whole other beast to actually unpack, set up, and break down those items on 16+ tables. Don't forget about all the packaging, replacements if something breaks, etc.
- Final walkthrough of ceremony and receptions spaces, which may include removing/disposing of any lingering items (the DD cups and beer cans that got left behind, stray boxes, etc)
- Handle any problems (Bar ran out of tequila? Rings went missing? Caterer doesn't have enough tables for hor dourves? These are things your coordinator will handle on the wedding day, not you!).
- Completes a ceremony rehearsal the day before so that everyone knows what time they need to be ready and where they need to be.
A Day Of Coordinator typically does not do the following: create a seating plan, help with decor ideas, assist in finding vendors, or cleaning up after the event.
In comparison, a Wedding Planner is hired at the start of the wedding planning process to bring your entire vision to life; they review your budget, find vendors to fit your priorities, and execute all the details that make your event unique. You can expect to work with this person for months (if not years!) in advance of your wedding. They will get ideas out of your head and into real life. In addition to the above listed duties for a wedding coordinator, you can expect a wedding planner to ALSO do the following:
- Help set realistic budget expectations based on the type of event and number of guests you want.
- Work with you to find vendors that fit within your budget, while being aware of your priorities (love food more than photography? Your planner may suggest allocating more of your budget to go towards an amazing caterer).
- Review all contracts to make sure all vendors will be able to work together amicably.
- Offer ideas and inspiration for decor to fit the venue and season, including what types of flowers are in-season (some planners also have their own inventory of supplies you can rent!).
- Ensure all time-sensitive items are taken care of (invitations went out on time, caterer gets the final head count when requested, etc)
- Plan a timeline for your entire wedding weekend, which includes rehearsal dinner and (if applicable) farewell brunch
A few other things that we have seen amazing planners and coordinators do. These are not required, of course, but it helps to know that someone has your back should trouble arise!
- Diffuse family squabbles
- Find a ride for someone who has had too much to drink but can't stay overnight at the venue
- Manage unruly guests
- Pin boutonnieres (because do any of your friends really know how to do this properly?)
- Ensure gifts/cards are safely removed at the end of the event
- Break down all decor and re-package it for transport and/or pickup from rental company
OUR FINAL THOUGHTS: The only question you should be answering on your wedding day is "Would you like more champagne?". So, yes, we think you need a coordinator at the very least (and we recommend a coordinator and a planner if you live out of state!).
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