On the day coordination- Why you need it!

You’ve done all the hard work, booked your dream venue and built up a rapport with the in-house venue coordinator. Then your wedding day arrives and……. It’s Carols day off! Believe it or not this happens more than you would think.

Of course, some venues don’t have an in-house coordinator at all, and you have free rein. Venues like this are great and bring that easy breezy wedding vib

e, but who will make sure Granny leaves the dance floor ready in time for the speeches, or who will hold down that marque when the wind gets wild. No matter how laid back you plan your wedding day being a little bit of structure will make your day go with a bang.

With that in mind I thought I’d share a few near misses we have had over the years, and how even the most perfect wedding day can sometimes need a little help along the way. 

“Stop that taxi!!” 

The customary joke of the best man frantically patting down his jacket at the ask of the rings nearly became reality at this wedding.

I met the groom and best man from their taxi which had taken them from their hotel to the venue. After a quick check from me “got everything?” they headed across the road to the pub where family were waiting for a quick drink. After about 30 minutes the best man appeared looking ashen to say the least. 

“I left my bag in the taxi” he said as he frantically started calling the taxi firm. Alarm bells started ringing for me. Judging by his reaction I guessed this bag wasn’t just containing his PJs from the night before. 

I took charge using my list of supplier contacts and called the taxi firm. I managed to get through to the driver who confirmed that the bag was in his boot. Luckily, we discovered that the driver was on his way back to the venue with some guests. I calmed the best man and told him to wait in the bar and maybe have a stiff drink. When the taxi arrived a I grabbed the bag, and the best man took the rings out. It was only at this point that the groom come out the pub and realised what had been happening…. Luckily, he was able to laugh about it with not having any of the stress! 

“Flashing the Spanx”

At one wedding our extensive emergency case of goodies came in good use. The happy couple had just finished their vows and we were busy guiding guests through to the cocktail reception when a flustered mother of the bride dragged me into a corner. She was holding on to her modesty with all her might. Her beautiful satin dress had split down the side exposing her slimming Spanx to the entire wedding. I quickly gestured to my partner to grab the case and we all bundled into the nearby disabled toilet.

Luckily our trusty case contains everything you could ever need to deal with an unexpected wedding emergency, including safety pins and a handheld sewing machine. One of us helped the MOB out of her dress and began sewing whilst the other ran to get her a well-deserved cocktail and check on the guests.

Luckily, she saw the funny side and we had quite a giggle in that disabled loo. The MOB was back out with the Bridal party in time for photos and another cocktail. 

“Somebody fetch the tractor!”

Outdoor weddings are great, whether it be Marquee, Tipi or Yurt. I love them. But sometimes we have to work with the glorious British weather.

At this particular wedding the weather was gorgeous and had been for several weeks. I had checked the weather on the days coming up to the big day and Knew to expect a bit of rain in the evening. ‘That’s ok’ I thought, most guests will be inside partying away by then and probably wont even notice.

Evening came and so did the rain. It poured and poured for about 4 hours solid. When it came to carriages, I’ll admit I had my worries. All the cars were parked well into a farmer’s field. As the first few cars wheel spun their way home, I started to think there was no way that 60 or so vehicles were going to make it off the field.

Now this is a very bespoke issue and I’m pretty sure that most wedding planners wouldn’t have a farmer with a tractor on standby in their little black book. But on this bizarre occasion I actually did. Due to owning horses all my life, I knew a farmer who lived nearby. I pulled in all my favours that night and dragged him out of bed to help tow about 15 cars off the field. Everyone got home safe and the farmer got a very large bottle of whiskey from us.   

As wedding planners and stylists, we’ve seen it all. If we have the pleasure of coordinating your special day, I think it is clear we will do anything to make it perfect for you.

Sure, you can still have an amazing day without a planner, and yes, a lot of venues do have their own. But with a personal wedding coordinator you are their only priority from dawn until dusk.