Hello hello! I’m so excited to be guest posting for Lauren Baker Photography today! I’m Hailey, the owner and lead designer over at Essen Events. We’re an award winning wedding planning + floral design biz in the Twin Cities who specializes in making wedding days unique to each couple’s story. I’m also planning my own wedding currently, and going through some of the same scary moments as a lot of brides and grooms out there navigating the ever-changing times of this pandemic. 

Enough about me, though. I’m here to tell you all about why it’s so so so important to have at least a day-of-coordinator on your team for your wedding day. Especially in these tough times, it’s important to have someone on your team who is working for YOU. 

It can all be a little confusing, and there’s a lot of different titles that us event planners go by. Below is a round-up of a lot of FAQs we get about our job:

Q: What’s the difference between a wedding planner and a day-of coordinator? 

A: An wedding planner is someone who you’ve hired early on in your engagement season. They’ll be there to hold your hand through booking the majority of your vendors, as well as help you come up with an overall design for your wedding day. We manage all vendor communication from the get-go and put our clients in touch with vendors that fit the style and vibe of their event. They’ll also be there day-of to help all those details that you’ve worked on come together with your entire vendor team. 

A coordinator, often called a day-of coordinator, is perfect for couples who have a clear vision of what they want, and are already super organized on their own. Day-of-coordination is a confusing term because it’s really more like month-of-coordination. The bulk of our work actually happens in the weeks leading up to the event day. We meet with our clients about a month out from their wedding day and go over all the final logistical details. We then take all the stress off their shoulders and take over all vendor communication from that point on. We’re also there on event day to ensure that everyone is where they need to be at the time they need to be there! 

Q: What is event design?

A: An event designer is there to help you when you’ve got a good start to planning your wedding. Maybe you have your venue picked out and are on the right track with getting things organized, but you’re starting to feel stuck in the deep dark hole that is Pinterest. There’s so much inspiration out there for weddings, it’s really hard to narrow it all down. An event designer will do just that. Typically with our Essen clients, we have a few meetings where we sit down and figure out what elements you like of a certain trend, and a few elements you might want to tweak to make it unique to you and your story as a couple. We also are very familiar with the inventories of all the rental companies in the Twin Cities and can help you pick out pieces that reflect the style you desire for your day. 

Q: Why do I need a planner or day-of coordinator if my venue already has a day-of manager?

A: I know, I know…your venue already has an event day manager or venue coordinator who says they, “basically take care of everything that a day-of-coordinator would do.” But how true is that? Are they going to be reaching out to your entire vendor team if you need to postpone due to COVID-19 and help come up with the most seamless plan B option for everyone involved? Bottom line, your venue event day manager may be a super helpful person, but their job is to keep the venue managed. That’s it. A lot of times, venue event day managers or venue coordinators also are in charge of managing the catering and/or bartending team for the day. 

Q: Do I really need a coordinator? My cousin is super organized and has offered to help me plan and coordinate my wedding. 

A: That’s great! I’m so glad that you have family members who are so kind to offer to help! Something that sets us professionals apart from having a family member step in to help is our deep networking connections with other professionals in the industry. For example, Essen Events has a huge list of preferred vendors that we’ve already negotiated some killer discounts with. Every client who signs with us has access to that list and discounts! 

All in all, hiring a day-of-coordinator or planner is going to secure your sanity on your wedding day. We are there to work for you. It’s not your job on your wedding day to queue your bridesmaids down the aisle. It’s not your mom’s job on your wedding day to set up your decorations. And your Aunt Suzy needs to be over at family photos, not telling the catering company where to park their trailer! 

We’d love to chat with you about your wedding day, and how we can help to make it as smooth as possible, all while reflecting you as a couple. Here’s a link to our website and make sure to follow us over on Instagram (@essenevents) to keep up with our daily shenanigans! 

Happy wedding planning! <3