Weddingguide


	WEDDING COORDINATIONS
	by Cronje Co-ordinations

	When you hear the words “wedding coordinator” the thoughts that pop up in
	your head is probably either: “I wish I could afford one of those!” or “why would
	anyone need a wedding coordinator?”
	Whilst the first part might be true of some wedding coordinators who mostly
	cater for overseas clients and couples with big budgets, other wedding
	coordinators can be quite flexible and affordable by adapting their services to
	their client’s needs.

	Whether you only need to find a suitable venue, as well as some help with the
	décor, or if you want to have every tiny detail of your wedding planned and
	executed by the wedding coordinator, your wedding coordinator should be
	more than willing, within reason, to work with almost any budget you provide
	them with.

	Should it not be possible to create the wedding of your dreams with your
	allocated budget, your wedding coordinator will be able to provide you with
	money saving tips and options, for example cutting the guest list, having a
	stylish mid-morning tea instead of an evening affair or using more cost
	effective service providers. Keep in mind, expensive do not always equal
	quality.

	Some service providers have built up a good name for themselves through
	hard work and consistency, and they are able to charge more for their services,
	but in most cases it is possible to get a similar quality product/service for a
	better price, and a good wedding coordinator should be able to put you into
	contact with these less expensive, good quality service providers.

	Most wedding coordinators will also go out of their way to provide you with
	extra hints and tips to ensure that your day is a success, even if they only had
	a small part to play in the organization of the event, as they know that if their
	name is linked to the event, any mistake or mishap, even those they are not
	responsible for, will point back to them.

	Getting back to the “why would anyone need a wedding coordinator?” part as
	mentioned in the first paragraph, the following needs to be kept in mind.

	With thousands of available service providers in each sector, such as florists,
	décor hiring firms, DJ’s, marriage officers, stationery providers, car hiring firms,
	etc. it does provide peace of mind to the happy couple to know that their
	wedding coordinator has organized a service provider that is not only reliable,
	experienced and good at what they do, but also affordable for them.

	To be able to enjoy your day to the fullest, it is very important that the
	coordinator is there on the day of the wedding to oversee all the arrangements
	and to make sure everyone is at the right place at the right time. Some brides
	runs smoothly on their special day. This passed-on responsibility can be nerve
	wrecking for your loved ones, as they are not familiar with and have not been
	involved with all the arrangements. As a result tension is created for the bride
	and groom as they keep receiving phone calls regarding information as to
	where the flowers or the seating plan must go, as well as contact details for
	any late comers involved in the wedding day, e.g.: marriage officer,
	videographer, wedding cake and so on.

	The wedding planner automatically assumes the above roles on the day,
	leaving the bride, the groom and their families and friends to simply enjoy the
	day to the fullest. This is especially helpful when the guests live far away and
	do not see each other often. Imagine having only one or two days to spend
	with your sister who you only see once a year, and her having to run around
	trying to get everything ready for your wedding. What should have been a
	relaxing, joyous occasion turns into work and stress for both them and yourself!

	Most people are also not familiar with what exactly the wedding coordinator’s
	role is in the whole wedding.
	Wedding Coordinators are the creative mind and problem solver behind the
	wedding, as well as the middle man between the client and the service
	provider.





	When choosing a wedding coordinator, your first point of contact
	would normally be their website, which should provide you with a feeling of
	their taste and style. A good idea would be to contact some of their previous
	clients to find out how they experienced the coordinators service. Was the
	wedding coordinator attentive, friendly, helpful and creative and were they
	able to solve unexpected problems? Also ask the previous client whether they
	feel that the expense was worth it.

	In the initial stages of your contact, take a note of the coordinator’s
	communication skills. Are you having difficulty getting information or feedback
	from them? If so, steer away and find someone else, as good communication
	between the engaged couple and the wedding coordinator is imperative in
	creating your dream wedding.

	After the consultation meeting the wedding coordinator will provide the
	couple with different examples and prices to obtain services. For example, if
	they determined at the meeting that the couple would like a string quartet to
	perform during the ceremony and the pre-drinks, the coordinator will provide
	them with a few options, examples and prices of string quartets. Once the
	couple have made their choice the coordinator obtains an invoice for
	payment of the deposit in order to secure the service provider’s services. Some
	couples trust their coordinator so much that they leave the final choice to
	them. When it becomes necessary to pay the balance of the invoice the
	coordinator will inform the couple. Some wedding coordinators have a trust
	account and can make payments on behalf of the couple.

	Your coordinator will be especially helpful in choosing a suitable venue, as
	they are familiar with most of the venues in your area and can easily provide
	you with costing details, rules and regulations as well as pictures of many
	venues, saving you a lot of time and money. The couple can then choose two
	or three venues from those provided and the coordinator will accompany them
	on a site visit, and can even arrange tastings.

	Couples should always bear in mind that the coordinator is at their disposal for
	the entire period leading up to the wedding, sending them tips for speeches
	and also creating a detailed time schedule for the wedding day. This is very
	important as for example some photographers stay only for an allocated
	number of hours, and overtime will be charged for anything extra. Should the
	entire event run late and the cake hasn’t been cut yet whilst the photographer
	is getting ready to leave, it could cost the couple quite a bit of extra money.

	With the help of the wedding coordinator the entire day will be planned for
	and also executed according the time schedule, which again takes stress of
	the bride and groom. Working closely with the Master of Ceremonies and
	everyone else involved, your wedding planner will ensure the smooth running
	of your most beautiful day!

	A very important part of the whole “relationship” is the initial consultation
	meeting, where the wedding coordinator and the happy couple get together
	and discuss their entire wedding in detail. This will help the wedding
	coordinator to determine the personality, taste and style of the bride and
	groom which will then bloom and take life as the organization of the wedding
	goes along. It also helps the wedding coordinator to combine the appropriate
	service providers with the couple. As with the photographer and videographer,
	it is very important that the couple feel comfortable with the wedding
	coordinator, and that they understand each other completely.
	Should the wedding coordinator be handling your entire wedding, they will
	also create a detailed budget indicating the amount of money available for
	each service. When recommending service providers they strive to keep within
	this budget; and upon completion of the wedding the final figures can be
	compared to the initial figures to see exactly how much money was saved /
	overspent. A good wedding planner should be able to keep costs within the
	budget, providing no big alterations was made to the original agreement, for
	example if the couple decided to increase the number of guests from 80 to
	100.