Booking a coordinator based on price and availability alone is how couples end up disappointed. These twelve questions get past the sales pitch and tell you what you're actually going to get on your wedding day.
About their process
- How many weeks before the wedding do you start, and what happens in that time?
- Do you personally run the rehearsal, or does someone else?
- How many hours of on-site coverage are included on the wedding day itself?
- Who builds the final timeline, and how is it shared with our vendors?
About the day itself
- Will you be the single point of contact for our vendors, family and wedding party?
- What happens if a vendor is late or doesn't show?
- Do you handle setup and breakdown of DIY decor, or is that separate?
- Is there a backup plan if you personally can't make our date?
About experience and fit
- How many weddings have you coordinated, and how many at a venue our size?
- Can we talk to a recent couple or vendor you've worked with?
- What's included in the price, and what would cost extra?
- What's the one thing that goes wrong most often, and how do you handle it?
Why that last question matters most
Any coordinator can tell you their process on a good day. The question that separates an experienced coordinator from a new one is how they talk about the day something goes sideways: a vendor running late, weather forcing a last-minute move indoors, a family member causing tension in the timeline. A coordinator who answers with a real story and a calm plan has done this before. One who insists nothing ever goes wrong hasn't run enough weddings to know better.
Trust the answers, not just the price
Two coordinators can quote the exact same price for very different levels of service. The questions above are how you find out which one you're actually booking, before your wedding day depends on the answer.