What does a wedding coordinator do?
Having a wedding planner at a destination wedding is not a luxury, it’s a necessity! The majority of weddings held in Italy have been orchestrated by a highly talented, professional. And here at La Lista we believe a chunk of your budget does need to be allocated to said professional, who can help pull together this rather complex day.
Some people decide against a planner due to cost reasons or personal preference. And for some this works out and they manage to pull together an incredible day without too many tears. For others, it truly is an overwhelming task and decisions are regretted.
For every single wedding, you need a leader, good decision-maker and the lack of one will more than likely disrupt the day.
So, how does a wedding coordinator fit into wedding planning and the day itself? Well, first up we need to talk money - how much is a wedding coordinator going to cost? For a solid coordinator role you’ll need 2,000-3,000 euros. This considers travel, pre-wedding venue inspections, meeting suppliers ahead of the wedding day and building relationships. What this role is not is a ‘rock up and wing it’ - a wedding has far too many complexities!
For this type of management role, we believe the relationships and briefing into the wedding needs to happen months out. This includes building relationships with suppliers, briefing venue and suppliers and preparing a timeline for the day. Some resources and tools which the couple might have been working from may be repurposed, but on the whole, a coordinator needs to take ownership of this position. And they must have a connection with the couple to trust in the exceptional delivery of the wedding day and if needed, decisions made on the behalf of the wedding couple.
What does a wedding coordinator need to be?
Professional
Able to quickly build relationships with the couple and suppliers
A problem solver, a fire-fighter
Step away from the temptation to give this role to a friend or family member. Unless you give them the ultimate power to make decisions on your behalf, they will still need to come and ask you things throughout the day. What’s the point - this is not how you should spend your day! Not forgetting that they will want to enjoy the day too; they don’t need this on their shoulders!
Photo: Gradisca Portento
Who is not a wedding coordinator?
A catering manager - they are responsible for delivering the food and drink aspect of the day and deviating from this could affect one of the biggest parts of an Italian wedding.
A venue manager - their responsibility is to the venue, ensuring the suppliers have what they need to deliver their role from inside the Villa or Borgo. These guys are the rule enforcers, ensuring the venue is respected. And ultimately not their responsibility to deliver every element of your day.
Photo: Ammonite Stories
Finding a wedding coordinator
Both sides must be clear on expectations and responsibilities. The role of a wedding coordinator is broad and differs depending on who you speak to. It is a hard job to come on-board after preparations have been made and own the accountability.
Full scope on which days need coordinating, the timings of the day and details of all suppliers will need to be shared so they can accurately quote.
A proposal will be prepared mapping out their level of service and the specifics which they will cover.
Photo: Emily Turner
If you are dead-set on not having a planner or full coordinator, then a more ‘relaxed’ option would be to have someone ‘overseeing’ the day, working from your timeline. This is most definitely a surface-level role and anticipate they would have little influence on any major issues or changes which might crop up on the day. Expectations from both sides must be clear!
