A wedding coordinator is there to make sure that your big day goes as smoothly as possible. According to The Knot, about 37% of couples hire day-of wedding planners. But what happens when the coordinator cancels, and you're left all on your own?
That's what happened to this couple, and they found out about the cancellation 24 hours before their vows. Luckily, all went well, and the newlyweds had an unforgettable day, but were surprised by the coordinator's letter claiming they would only refund half, not the entire sum. Suspecting a scam, the bride sought advice online about what her legal options were for resolving the matter.
A couple hired a wedding day-of coordinator, but she canceled 24 hours before the wedding
Image credits: vasilij33 / Magnific (not the actual photo)
When they requested a refund, she agreed to refund only 50% and demanded their silence
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The bride recalled more fishy behavior from the coordinator: "Suspicious in retrospect"
Commenters offered the bride advice and shared similar stories about their own weddings
Image credits: Nahima Aparicio / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Professional wedding planners and coordinators always have a backup plan
Life happens, and a force majeure can disrupt much more than just a wedding. Still, wedding planners and day-of coordinators provide a very time-sensitive service, so they should always have a backup in mind.
Professional wedding planners are much more likely to have a contingency plan. Experts claim that the rate of professional planners and coordinators canceling is close to zero. Cancellations and other disruptions arise much more often with planners who are hobbyists or only do wedding planning/coordination part-time.
As the owner and destination wedding specialist of Aisle Travel™, Amira Harris shared with QC Event Planning, a contract will always act as a safeguard against financial and emotional loss. "All professionals in the wedding and events industry have contracts. If they 'don't do contracts,' you need to steer clear and keep looking!"
In this story, the couple signed a contract, but even that didn't save them from falling victim to a planner canceling 24 hours prior. If they were to take the wedding coordinator to small claims court, they would probably have been able to make a good case, since she didn't carry out what was written in the contract and didn't provide a replacement.
A real professional, according to Amira Harris, will always show up or provide a replacement if they can't make it. "No matter how ill I felt, I wanted to show up and put in 110%. I would never let a client down," she added. "So, I would have someone with me all day to become familiar with my client's wedding plans. If I needed to leave their wedding earlier, my number two could take over right away."
Image credits: vh-studio / Magnific (not the actual photo)
A wedding day-of coordinator is there to make sure everything runs smoothly on the wedding day and has fewer responsibilities than a wedding planner
Stories like these might diminish people's trust in wedding planners and day-of coordinators. But when chosen correctly, they can be lifesavers. The 2019 Wedding Wire Newlywed report found that the phrase "wedding planner" is the most-searched term when couples start making plans for their nuptials.
The wedding day-of coordinator in this story cost the couple $750, but the average sum that most couples pay is $1,600, according to The Knot. Hiring a day-of coordinator is the budget version of a wedding planner. Full-service wedding planners cost about $3,800. So, the price alone tells us something about the quality of the services that this day-of coordinator was offering.
A day-of coordinator has fewer responsibilities than a wedding planner. A wedding planner is involved in the process from day one, helping the couple with finding vendors, venue, logistics, and the execution. A wedding day-of coordinator only comes in later in the planning process and is there to make sure everything goes smoothly on the day.
As a wedding planning expert and designer of Mango Muse Events, Jamie Chang, explained to The Knot, day-of coordinators are hired about 45 days before the wedding. She recommends that couples make sure that their coordinator satisfies these four criteria:
- Experienced
- Effective communication
- On the same wavelength as the couple
- They have a team if the wedding is bigger
"[Having a wedding day-of coordinator] allows the couple, the wedding party, parents and all the guests to be able to just enjoy the wedding day without having to worry about managing the vendors, setup, breakdown, or having to deal with any issues that arise," Chang wraps up their duties.
In an update, the bride detailed how she was able to resolve the dispute with the coordinator
Image credits: bokodi / Magnific (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Kaitlyn Baker / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Tech Daily / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
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Readers were glad it all worked out, but many were curious about the real reason the coordinator bailed
