The full wedding coordinator checklist to help you work together seamlessly on the big day

Knowing the details of your wedding coordinator’s checklist will help you work together more harmoniously. With so much to consider, it’s no surprise many couples enlist some help with wedding planning - these are the key responsibilities before, during and after the big day. 

Project managing a wedding is no mean feat. There are many moving parts to think about to ensure the day runs smoothly, and with couples investing so much in their big day, the stakes are high. In film and TV, wedding planners are usually depicted as incredibly efficient individuals hurriedly communicating timings via a headpiece, always calm under pressure to ensure the couple’s experience is stress-free - and this rings true in real life, with wedding planner Rose Wicksteed, Creative Director at Polhawn Fort, explaining that one of the key elements to successful wedding planning is an unflappable demeanour. She told us, ‘An anything-is-possible attitude is a must! If the unexpected does occur, a wedding planner or coordinator must be creative in finding solutions to keep the day running seamlessly and stress-free for the couple.’ 

The key difference between a wedding planner and a wedding coordinator is the level of involvement and, consequently, the cost. Wedding planners generally see the process from the beginning and help shape the overall vision. They will often appear with the couple during initial meetings with vendors, while coordinators are usually enlisted to take on a project manager role in the period leading up to and on the wedding day. Both wedding planners and coordinators will likely be involved in the pack down after the wedding and dealing with any final logistics with vendors. 

‘A wedding planner invariably works with the client from the very beginning and contributes creative inspiration along the way, a coordinator just supports on the day and plays more of an administrative role,’ Liz Taylor, founder and CEO of industry-leading events company Taylor Lynn Corporation, told us.

‘A wedding coordinator typically comes with the venue, and their focus is on ensuring that the wedding day runs smoothly, working with the couple and/or their wedding planner, Taylor continued. ‘A wedding planner has a broader role than a wedding coordinator, as they are involved in the entire wedding planning process, often starting months or even years before the wedding day.'

Wedding coordinators generally will help with the following: 

• Guest list and seating plan(s)

• Organising RSVPs

• The rehearsal dinner 

• Budgets

• Handling logistics on the day

• Timeline of the day and ensuring everyone sticks to the schedule 

• Gathering guests for photographs 

• Working with the photographer on their timeline

• Moving guests to the correct spaces throughout the day

• Ensure the spaces are prepped, and the decorations and table settings are as they should be

• Introducing speeches or assigning someone from the bridal party to do so 

• Managing vendors 

• Paying vendors

• Problem-solving 

A rehearsal dinner comes in many forms nowadays, with some opting for a quick run of logistics with the bridal party while others make it into a whole event. Some couples may skip it entirely and focus on the prep alone or with a few members of their family or bridal party. If a couple opts for a rehearsal dinner, a wedding coordinator may help organise and chair this event to ensure everyone knows where to walk, stand, and sit on the big day and when key moments are happening. 

Key Tasks

• Check the spaces are prepped for the wedding

• Run through the timeline with key guests and delegate jobs

• Rehearse the aisle walk and finalise the order of bridesmaids/page boys/flower girts 

• Check those with speeches or readings are briefed and prepared

• Finalise the plan with the celebrant 

Last-minute situations will inevitably arise during wedding planning, so it’s important to be ahead of the game with regular check-ins to help pre-empt any issues. With some contingency plans in place, there’s no need for panic, but it’s crucial to have eyes over everything to react quickly if things go wrong. 

Key Tasks

• Confirming everything is in place at the venue(s). 

• Check-in with key vendors, such as the florist, DJ, caterers, bar manager, celebrant, stylist, band, and any other important contacts, to ensure everything is running to schedule. 

• Troubleshoot any last-minute issues.

Last-minute checks are essential to ensure the day runs smoothly. Any installations should be fully set up, flowers and decorations should be in place, the menus should be printed (if applicable), and the kitchen and bar staff should be prepared. Wedding favours should be ready for the table settings if the couple is having them. The bridal bouquets are also an important consideration. ‘Remembering to take the bride's bouquet out of water an hour before the wedding is essential,’ Bartholomew tells us. ‘Nobody wants drippy stems on a dress! But most florists will do this for you or will leave instructions.’

Key Tasks

• Check the bouquets are prepped and ready for the bridal party. 

• Ensure decorations, installations, and floral displays are all in place.

A wedding coordinator’s key role is keeping everything moving and ensuring vendors and the bridal party stick to timings. If there are any last-minute hold-ups, a wedding planner will liaise with the kitchen and catering staff to make the necessary adjustments. ‘Timings is everything!’ William Bartholomew of William Bartholomew Party Organising tells us. ‘I practice and run through the order of the day with all my couples to make sure they are happy and that the team on the day can cope with the running order.’

Key Tasks

• Have a physical copy of the timeline as a reference point throughout the day.

• Direct key players when events - such as the walk down the aisle, bride and groom’s entrance and speeches - are coming up. 

• Gather guests for photographs.

• Move guests to different spaces as needed. 

• Know the finish times of key vendors, such as photographers, and their key deliverables

• Manage any issues that arise between guests or vendors on the day.

Typically, the bride’s family and friends sit on the left, with the groom’s on the right, but some couples may wish to keep the first few rows for the bridal party and close family and then let people sit where they like. Whatever the preferred seating arrangement, the planner should be fully briefed beforehand so that they can relay this to the ushers and oversee the process. The wedding planner will also ensure guests are fully seated and ready for the bridal party's arrival. 

Key Tasks 

• Check that the ceremony room is ready and that there are enough chairs for guests. 

• Brief the ushers on where to seat guests

• Ensure guests are all seated and ready for the arrival of the bridal party

• Liaise with the celebrant on any requests, such as telling guests to switch off phones for the ceremony 

Once the ceremony is over, the couple often takes a breather and then poses for some photographs while guests enjoy a drinks reception. This is an opportunity for the wedding coordinator to check in on the second part of the event and oversee any setup needed. Usually, the most important tasks are to liaise with catering staff and the kitchen, confirm that the place cards and guest book are in place for the reception, and check the table decorations are all complete. 

Key Tasks

• Check the table decorations and name cards are in place before guests enter the reception area. 

• Check in with vendors key to the evening part of the wedding - such as the band, DJ and catering staff - to ensure that everything is running according to plan. 

• Assist with setting up the dance floor and ensuring evening decorations are in place. 

Often, the evening DJ will announce reception events, such as cutting the cake and the first dance, and it’s the planner’s responsibility to brief them on the timeline. They may be required to make some announcements, such as the bride and groom's arrival at their wedding reception. ‘The couple's entrance to dinner has become more important in recent years,’ Bartholomew explains.’ If they are having big music and an entrance, they've got to have someone to announce them, as well as their first dance.’

Key Tasks

• Assign someone to announce the arrival of the bride and groom.

• Announce speeches if required.

• Liaise with the band and DJ on playing times.

• Make sure the photographer(s) capture any key moments requested by the couple.

• Ensure the evening timeline - which will detail events such as speeches and cutting the cake - is stuck to.

The pack-down is a necessary part of any event, and a wedding planner may have to linger afterwards to manage the process or leave instructions for vendors. With the rise in popularity of wedding gift lists, physical gifts are less common nowadays, but if there are any gifts or cards, the wedding planner should have a plan about where these will be safely stored. Singing up to a wedding gift list with the Wedding Present Company will avoid the need for gifts to be organised on the day. 

Key Tasks 

• Oversee the clean-up and pack down after the wedding 

• Liaise with vendors on removing decorations and flowers (often brides will want to keep and hand out bouquets) 

• Organise the removal of cards and gifts to a safe place

Most of the hard work is done, but after the wedding a wedding coordinator will usually check in with vendors to troubleshoot any last issues and finalise payments. 

‘The wedding event isn’t over until the venue is cleared and each supplier is thanked — that’s very important,’ Taylor explained. ‘For many wedding coordinators or planners, including myself, the wedding begins a lasting relationship with the couple; I remain their 'go-to' for birthday parties, baby showers and anniversary events.’

Key Tasks

• Thank the vendors for their hard work and troubleshoot any final issues

• Ensure all payments are organised

• Debrief with the couple

Sharing as much information as possible with your wedding coordinator will help ensure the day runs perfectly. Some topline things to share with your chosen planner or coordinator include:

• RSVPs and guest list, as well as names of the bridal party and key guests: It’s valuable to provide your planner with an overview of guests and anyone significant, such as the father of the bride or friend earmarked for a wedding reading so that they have a clear idea of who is doing what on the day. It’s been known that some couples even provide face sheets!

• Priorities for the day: Your planner must know what means the most to you, whether that’s a lengthy and delicious meal, amazing photographs, time on the dancefloor with your nearest and dearest, or an emotional speech moment. Knowing what matters to you most will help them gear the day towards those preferences. 

• Family dynamics: If there could be some potentially challenging personal moments on the day, keeping your planner or coordinator in the loop will help them assist as calmly as possible if situations arise. 

Hiring a wedding coordinator is a surefire way to ease any stress surrounding your big day and put your mind at ease. Their main aim is to ensure things run smoothly and you have an incredible time. ‘As a wedding planner, the most important things I want my clients to remember on the day are simply to be happy, smile, shine, relax and enjoy it all,’ Bartholomew concluded. ‘Emotions can run high on wedding days, but as long as the couple are happy and smiling, everyone will have a wonderful time celebrating them!’