The Truth Behind "Day Of" Coordinations

Two of Willrich Bridal's planners setting up for a reception.

I just ran across the article below in the Event Solutions E:NEWS January 2011. I thought it was really informative.  The only small adjustment to it, is the cost for a "month of" planner. In this area the cost is in the $1000 range, not as high as quoted in the article.

WIPA Publishes White Paper Clarifying Roles


Brides-to-be often encounter a confusing world when it comes to hiring a wedding planner. For one thing, there’s no clear consensus about the differences between a wedding planner, wedding coordinator or wedding consultant.

To add to the confusion, some professionals call themselves wedding architects, producers, designers or stylists. But perhaps the most confusing term is the “day-of” planner.

To help remedy this situation, the Wedding Industry Professionals Association (WIPA) has published a white paper titled “Debunking the Myth of the “Same-Day” Planner.” The paper was researched and authored by the WIPA Certification Committee under the direction of Carol Rose, and included Linda Alpert, Brooke Baglietto, Paula Laskelle and Lindsay Longacre.

The paper’s bottom line is that there is no such thing as a “same-day” planner, according to Joyce Scardina Becker, CMP, president of Events of Distinction and founder of WIPA.

“This term is widely misunderstood and misleading because no wedding planner of sound mind, experience and education would simply show up on the day of your wedding and expect everything to flow flawlessly,” she says.


In her book, Countdown to Your Perfect Wedding, Becker defines the differences in the nomenclature and clarifies what a “day-of” planner really means.

At a minimum of 30 to 45 days before the wedding, she explains, the planner should:

• Review all vendor contracts
• Inspect the ceremony and reception site
• Develop a detailed timeline and floor plans to be sent to wedding vendors two weeks before the wedding
• Prepare a separate, abbreviated wedding party schedule to be sent to parents and all attendants two weeks before the wedding
• Reconfirm logistics with all vendors
• Oversee wedding rehearsal and be on-site the wedding day
Providing this service usually requires 30 to 45 hours of a wedding planner’s time, Becker says, considerably more than just showing up on the day of the wedding. And brides should expect to pay $3,000- $6,000 for a qualified professional.

For more information and to read WIPA’s white paper, go to www.wipausa.org and click on “For the Nearly-Wed” tab. And if weddings are your business, be sure to catch the WIPA education sessions at the 2011 Event Solutions Idea Factory. You’ll find them in our conference brochure, marked with a WIPA logo.