My answer to this questions is always, 100% of the time Absolutely, YES! Doesn't matter if you are
hosting a fundraising gala, corporate event or wedding, you need to have one person who can be behind the scenes solely
dedicated to running the logistics, set-up, trouble-shooting problems, directing vendors and volunteers and answering last minute questions. Have you heard the phrase "too many cooks in the kitchen"? Without an Event Day Coordinator, you will be assured problems, conflict and stress if you leave to many people in charge to handle the execution whether it be friends, family and volunteers.
"Day Of Wedding" or "Month Of Wedding" coordinators can be hired for your wedding day at any time during the planning process and will generally begin working with you as early as 90 days to the week of your wedding or event. At this point the coordinator (or Event Director as I like to call myself) will assist you in pulling together a customized itinerary, confirm vendor commitments, discuss set-up details, and cross check outstanding balances, last minute decisions, and services that you have already contracted for. The coordinator will be working with the information you give her by providing copies of the vendor contracts, banquet event order, and any information collected during the planning process to formulate a master plan for the entire wedding day, so that you can rest assured that the details are in place and the event is being managed by a professional. Because these services are not as extensive as a planning package that covers all the planning from beginning to end, "Month Of" and "Day Of" is very helpful way to get peace of mind on your wedding day.
Brides hire "Month Of" and "Day Of" coordinators for many reasons; 1. They enjoy planning and wanted to do it on their own, but knew she couldn't execute on the day of wedding, 2. Their budget wouldn't allow for a more extensive planning package, 3. They are having their ceremony & reception in the same location and their venue required them to hire one, 4. Solely for the peace of mind to know that the time and money investment would not go wrong in any way.
Secondly, you may be wondering what is the difference between the catering manager at the hotel and a personal wedding coordinator? Wedding coordinators offer a different range of services than those whose sole interest is on the venue. Specifically a coordinator is working for you, not the hotel or location, and he/she is there to see that your wishes and requests are carried out as well as to assist in planning that is not related to the hotel or location.
Catering hall manager / assistant works only during the time of the reception and does NOT coordinate with all your vendors or make sure that your ceremony and reception itinerary is acted out the right way. Catering hall manager's tasks task is to make sure the halls duties are performed but for the rest of your wedding days itinerary - they do not have any obligations.
Ask the staff at your wedding location what they will and won't do to determine your additional needs. "Month Of" and "Day Of" coordinators will work interface with all vendors at your wedding/event to ease the planning process and provide you peace of mind. It's truly their responsibility to run quality control checks to ensure that the exact flowers are delivered and set-up exactly as you've requested, oversee that the bridal party names are being pronounced correctly during introductions, move the ceremony decor to the reception and most importantly run the behind the scenes logistics throughout the event to ensure the evening is flawless without missing a beat. By hiring a professional, they will handle all the emergencies as they arise leaving you to kick back and enjoy the day with your friends, family and guests.
For me, this is one of my favorite aspects of events; event day execution and logistics. I thrive on the energy and thrill of seeing the details come together.
Samantha
DarrLead Event Director
Photo Credits:
Studio563Serendipity Photography
As most of you know, I have a deep love for coffee and Starbucks. As I was zipping through some of my favorite industry blogs, I came to a post on Green Wedding Shoes that I just had to post. I have to say that in the past 3.5 years of wedding planning, there have not been two guys who have proposed the same way. Each engagement reflects the personality of the couple. For this romantic guy, he truly takes the cake on originality.
When a couple hires me to assist them with their wedding; whether it be full planning or as simple as event day management, it never fails to make me feel truly honored to be entrusted with something so precious. Without sounding too overly romantic or dramatic, a couple's wedding day is a memory they will cherish, re-tell, reminisce over and dream about for many years to come during anniversaries, with grandchildren and even in their old age when one has passes. Ensuring that a couple's wedding day is perfect for them is truly a fulfilling career. Yes, as you may have quickly learned, I am a romantic at heart!
Here's what they had to say: "There will never be enough words to express how awesome Samantha Darr and her team of Soireebliss are. From the moment I met Samantha, I felt extremely comfortable talking to her - like she was a great friend I had known for many years. Of course this was our first meeting but her warmth and enthusiasm for planning events came across and put me at ease right away. The first question she asked my (now) husband and I was - "would you mind telling me how you got engaged?" I instantly thought, wow...she really wants to get to know us and know the background on how we fell in love. It was an instant feeling of "bliss" from that point forward. As much as I wanted to hire Samantha for the entire event, I didn't think Brad and I would be able to afford it BUT Samantha worked effortlessly with our budget which we are still extremely thankful for. There is no way we could have had our dream wedding without her experience, suggestions, and expertise. Throughout the planning processing, I had unlimited access by phone and email to Samantha. I'm sure at times I went overboard (I have a type A personality) but she never made me feel like I was a bother. She always took time to call, email, or make appointments to make sure my ideas for the BIG day were being put into place how we envisioned. The wedding day was one of the easiest days of my life. I know some of you may think I am overexaggerating but if you ask anyone in my wedding party what my mood was like that day, they will all tell you I was extremely relaxed (without alcohol) and more than ecstatic. I'll even go as far as to show pictures of our getting ready process so you can see how much fun and laughter we had that day! :) You can't go wrong hiring Samantha for your wedding day (or any event). She is meticulous with every aspect of the planning and executing process. I sincerely and whole-hearted recommend Soireebliss to anyone wanting an unforgettable experience. Samantha, Brad and I will forever be grateful to you for creating such a warm, inviting, fun, and loving atmosphere for us and our guests. We can never thank you enough!!
"Samantha Darr, owner of Soireebliss! Events was amazing! I truly mean it when I say that I could not have pulled the wedding off so flawlessly without her. The timeline she put together for me was perfect, and it made the wedding flow effortlessly. I can not even begin to tell you how many comments I received from guests that said it was one of the best weddings they had ever been to, and I completely attribute this to how perfectly Samantha kept the pace and the momentum of the wedding going. And more importantly, she took care of all the details before the ceremony and setting up for the reception, and executed them exactly how I wanted so I didn't have to worry about a thing except getting dressed. I would recommend her to any bride who wants to have an amazing wedding!"
"Day Of Wedding" or "Month Of Wedding" coordinators can be hired for your wedding day at any time during the planning process and will generally begin working with you as early as 90 days to the week of your wedding or event. At this point the coordinator (or Event Director as I like to call myself) will assist you in pulling together a customized itinerary, confirm vendor commitments, discuss set-up details, and cross check outstanding balances, last minute decisions, and services that you have already contracted for. The coordinator will be working with the information you give her by providing copies of the vendor contracts, banquet event order, and any information collected during the planning process to formulate a master plan for the entire wedding day, so that you can rest assured that the details are in place and the event is being managed by a professional. Because these services are not as extensive as a planning package that covers all the planning from beginning to end, "Month Of" and "Day Of" is very helpful way to get peace of mind on your wedding day. 
Brides hire "Month Of" and "Day Of" coordinators for many reasons; 1. They enjoy planning and wanted to do it on their own, but knew she couldn't execute on the day of wedding, 2. Their budget wouldn't allow for a more extensive planning package, 3. They are having their ceremony & reception in the same location and their venue required them to hire one, 4. Solely for the peace of mind to know that the time and money investment would not go wrong in any way.
Ask the staff at your wedding location what they will and won't do to determine your additional needs. "Month Of" and "Day Of" coordinators will work interface with all vendors at your wedding/event to ease the planning process and provide you peace of mind. It's truly their responsibility to run quality control checks to ensure that the exact flowers are delivered and set-up exactly as you've requested, oversee that the bridal party names are being pronounced correctly during introductions, move the ceremony decor to the reception and most importantly run the behind the scenes logistics throughout the event to ensure the evening is flawless without missing a beat. By hiring a professional, they will handle all the emergencies as they arise leaving you to kick back and enjoy the day with your friends, family and guests.
