Pandemic Bride Chronicles Part Seven: The Case for the Day-Of Coordinator
This post is dedicated to every single bride. May you be fully present on your day and thank to my colleague Samentha Moore and mentee Morganne Harrison for allowing me to have mine.
I am a believer in intentional multi-tasking, which is why it was difficult for me—a woman who owns an event planning company, coordinator of hundreds, almost thousands of special affairs—to admit this one simple truth: You cannot be a bride and a coordinator at the same time.
I know what you are thinking: I’m organized, have an all-star vendor team, it’s a small ceremony with not too many details, I don’t want to have another expense (or, in my case, I should be able to do it all because I have multiple event certifications)… but this still does not change the fact that you cannot be a bride and a coordinator at the same time. Which is why I have decided to share the things I am looking forward to on my wedding day now that the details are not my responsibility. Here are the top five things that having my work wife/colleague be my day-of coordinator allows me to do:
1. Sleep in and hang out with my mom and family sister who is our wedding officiant. I can laugh until my stomach hurts, ignore my phone, or nap in the middle of the morning.
2. Get at peace with the fact that my Dad, due to illness, cannot travel and be at the wedding. I plan to journal and cry all of my tears of reflection, happiness, and sadness as much as I want to without worrying about vendor load-in or if the chargers are just right.
3. Eat a quality and guilt-free breakfast. If you are a planner like me, you know that sometimes during events your meals are not that great, fast food becomes your friend, and you rely on one-too-many coffees. I will be having a delightful breakfast without interruptions or having to rush for anyone.
4. Revisit and refine my vows. Have I worked on my vows? Yes, but I envision myself looking over them one last time; I waited a long time for my special person and, well, I want these words to reflect my adoration, respect, and devotion to him.
Finally, and most importantly, while I am not coordinating, I will be able to fully take this day in. I will think about my husband to-be often and fondly and we will share tender moments wherever we can steal them without having to think about load out, the linens that need to get back in Selects blue bag, or anything else. We will just let Sam and team seamlessly handle those final details.
In my experience, I have found that sometimes while we are immersed in all the hard and intense work projects, we forget to just “be,” and since I don’t want to miss a single moment of this very special day the only work I am interested in is moving from fiancée to wife.
I rest my case: hire the day-of coordinator.
p.s. Don’t forget to follow along with our journey via IG @belajoyful.
