Difference Between Day-of and Month-of

As January hit this year, so did a huge influx of new inquiries! It has been great to meet with so many new couples and learn all about their weddings and their stories. One thing we have been faced with though was the question of why we don't offer a package called "day-of." The answer to this question is that there is simply no such thing as day-of, and if someone is offering to just be at your wedding on the day with no pre-wedding coordination, meetings, planning, etc., then it would be something you might want to stay away from.

To put it plain and simple, every wedding, no matter how meticulously planned, has something go wrong. It might be small, or it might be a complete catastrophe. The way to make sure the latter doesn't happen is to have someone be your go-to all knowing coordinator for vendors, family and guests, as well as solve tricky problems that come up. This person should be meeting with you about month or so before the wedding to go over all your final details, at the final venue walk through and ultimately putting together the final vendor timeline and vendor lists. This is an extremely crucial part to making sure that all weddings go smoothly and that everyone is on the same page. The final venue walk through is one of the most important meetings surrounding a wedding, and I couldn't even imagine walking into a wedding not knowing the venue/vendors/family/couple and thinking that I could pull it all together without a hitch. I'm good, but not that good!

The key is to sit down as a couple and work out what your needs are for your wedding day and how much you want to be able to enjoy the day, as well as who will be taking care of your guests, bridal party and families. You could then meet with a few coordinators and look over all they offer with their packages. Find out if they charge you separately to call or email them. Find out how many hours will they be on site during the day; do they leave when the cake is cut, or stay until the very end? How many coordinators will be at your wedding, and who your lead coordinator will be. You will find that pricing for a month-of or basic package can range significantly. This usually is because of coordinator experience, staff, hours spent on the day and before the wedding, etc. It is important to look at all of those factors and not just the price. You want to be comfortable with the person you are hiring because they are your eyes and ears during your wedding day, and you need to have full trust in them and their services.

Hope this helps when considering a planner, as there are so many pros to having one! There are many stories out there regarding bride regrets for not having someone else in charge, and I feel it is a crucial part of the wedding. As always, leave a comment or drop me an email if you have any specific questions for me or need a referral to a planner in your area.

Happy Planning!