Wedding Coordinators have long been thought of as an “optional” wedding vendor. I’ve heard all the reasons couples choose not to hire a coordinator for their wedding day.

“It’s not in our budget”
“My sister planned her own wedding so she’s going to coordinate.” 
“My venue provides a coordinator.”

I was a – my venue has a coordinator – bride. Mid-morning wedding day, I knew not hiring a professional was a huge mistake. Like hiding in a closet crying in my new husband’s arms while everyone waited for us mistake. Nothing stayed on schedule because no one would tell me the time, the venue manager changed everything with the DJ without telling me, and the venue coordinator quit her job less than a week before my wedding. I wish these were the only problems that day. Whenever I think back on my wedding day, If I Could Turn Back Time by Cher plays in my head. (Not about marrying my husband, just the wedding.)

If you still have four weeks or more before your wedding, you’re not too late!

Here are 5 reasons you should hire a wedding coordinator.

5. A wedding coordinator will save you money

How could someone who costs $2,000 and up save you money on your wedding day? When there’s only month left to go until your big day, unplanned spending becomes surprisingly easy. Your wedding coordinator has the ability to help you prevent some of that unnecessary spending.

Emergency Kit. Or as my SIL calls it, the ‘Oh Shit Kit.’ Every good coordinator has an arsenal of goodies for any possible problem that might come up on a wedding day. Without a professional coordinator, you will be creating your own emergency bag full of items you may never even need, or worse, you don’t think to bring the one thing you end up needing.

The officiant. If you are hiring a professional, your officiant probably charges to come to your rehearsal. Your Wedding Coordinator can run your wedding rehearsal without an officiant present. Unless you’ve asked a personal friend or the pastor of your church to officiate, it is very rare for the officiant to attend a rehearsal.

Forgotten Items. A cake knife, a card box… it’s likely your coordinator will have some of the smaller, forgotten items at their home or know where they can get it on their way to the venue, as long as you tell them early enough.

4. A wedding planner knows how to solve unexpected problems

You might be thinking,

“A Mary Poppins bag costs less than a coordinator.”

You’re right, it does. When you hire a coordinator, you are getting so much more than things in a bag. You are investing in expertise, solutions, and creative thinking. You hire a wedding coordinator to take on your stress for you and manage problems you have no idea how to manage.

When your car engine light goes on, you get a professional to figure out what needs to be done to fix it. When you hire a wedding coordinator to manage your wedding, you have peace of mind that if your aunt spills an entire glass of red wine on your dress, you will be back on the dance floor in 5 minutes without a giant stain (hint: do NOT use a stain remover to-go stick).

Your wedding coordinator will have answers to problems you don’t even know could become problems. When your bustle breaks, your forgot your cake knife, your candles don’t fit in the holders you bought, and your bridesmaid’s ankles are bleeding because she didn’t break in her shoes, you can trust that your wedding coordinator can take care of it. With a wedding coordinator, you have a professional who has seen and managed all of the problems your wedding could face.

NO WEDDING GOES PERFECTLY. No matter how well you prepped and planned, something will go wrong, and when that moment happens, remember these words: If this is all that goes wrong today, it’s a good day. It’s an even better day if your coordinator deals with the problems and you never even know they happened.

3. A wedding coordinator to handle any family dynamic

Weddings are celebrations of love and family, and family usually understand this is the couple’s special day. Unfortunately not all family members respect that 100% of the time.

When emotions are high, the littlest irritants are a pebble in your shoe that won’t go away and if this pebble doesn’t go away soon, you’re going to freak out! Not every family or every friend gets along all the time and that’s ok.

I promise you are not the only couple with family woes. If there is a person or problem you are worried about bubbling up on your day, tell your wedding coordinator so that they can be prepared. Even if nothing does come up, you will not be looking over your shoulder all day, knowing your coordinator is a calm, level headed third party that will run interference and keep the peace without hurting any feelings.

Try using a code-phrase only you and your coordinator know when you need them to remove someone from your presence delicately.

2. Wedding coordinators keeps your timeline on track

Your time belongs to you on your wedding day. You can spend your day doing (almost) whatever you please and your coordinator will be the one to make sure you get to experience the day the way you desire. During your meeting with your coordinator before your wedding day, discuss with them your priorities for the day. My time priority for my wedding was sunset photos. I was willing to drop everything just to get sunset shots. I didn’t know it then, but a wedding coordinator would’ve created time in the timeline for those photos, assuring we wouldn’t be in the middle of anything.

Something not everyone will tell you – it’s ok to change your priorities in the moment. When it’s time to begin the ceremony and half the guests have not yet arrived, I have needed to ask couples if they’d prefer to stay on time or wait for their guests. Maybe you decide against seeing each other before the ceremony but when the day comes you want to have a first look.

At every timeline change, every stall, every adjustment, your wedding coordinator will be updating the officiant that your 10 minutes behind, the caterer so your dinner is served hot, and every other vendor that is waiting for you. Staying on track doesn’t necessarily mean staying on time. It means reminding you of what’s next and making sure your day goes exactly the way you want moment to moment.

1. A wedding planner will give you a lifetime of happy memories

There are so many reasons to hire a wedding coordinator – I’ll make another list. A wedding coordinator is more than an additional expense. It is an investment in your mental health, your peace of mind, and your memories. I planned my wedding day to perfection. My vendors told me they had never seen the venue look so beautiful. I still have family tell me it was the most fun wedding they’ve ever been to. I on the other hand, still cry when I think about the events of the day. It makes me sad that everyone enjoyed it so much while I was so stressed out. I can say with absolute certainty I would have loved my entire wedding day so much more if I had hired a wedding coordinator.

Learn from me. They might not be able to make your sister-in-law wear the matching robe you bought all your bridesmaids. But a wedding coordinator will make sure your vision is executed, your desires are honored, your priorities are respected, and most importantly, your relationship is celebrated.

How do you want to remember your wedding day?