REAL WEDDINGS, REAL TALK

Lauren Donnelly 5/22/22 Lauren Donnelly 5/22/22

7 Reasons Why You Need a Day of Wedding Coordinator

You need a Day of Coordinator. Someone to manage your carefully planned fête with grace and efficiency. Sure, you could save a few bucks, skip this vendor and hope for the best, but why risk it? The peace of mind from having someone else in charge is absolutely priceless.

7 Reasons Why You Need a Day of Wedding Coordinator

Your wedding day is a few short months away! Your vendors are booked, your invitations went out, the menu is set and your playlist is finalized. You’ve spent countless hours planning and preparing to perfection. You did it!

Now - how do you make sure that what you have in your spreadsheet actually happens on your wedding day? What if it rains? What if the trolley you booked doesn’t show up to the hotel on time? What if the bartenders forget to put those customized swizzle sticks you ordered from Etsy in your signature cocktail? What if your crazy soon-to-be sister-in-law gets too drunk and starts making inappropriate comments like she did at Christmas?? Yikes.

When the what-ifs keep you up at night…

via GIPHY

Here are 7 reasons why hiring An Event Less Ordinary to coordinate your day is essential to having a fun, flawless wedding day!

1. Your Personal Advocate

via GIPHY

-The venue coordinator works for the venue. The catering coordinator works for the caterer. The photographer is busy…taking photos. A Day of Coordinator (or DOC) works just for you, advocating for what you want behind the scenes.

-Sometimes vendors can disagree about how and when things should be done; it’s good to have a Day-of-Coordinator to call the shots on your behalf so you’re not constantly bombarded with questions throughout the day.

2. Preparation and Communication Prior to the Wedding

via GIPHY

-With An Event Less Ordinary’s DOC package, you get:

At least a month and a half of professional wedding prep work, plus a knowledgeable ally. If you have ideas or logistical questions, ask us!
Guidance through the end of the planning process. We’ll make sure you’ve crossed every “T” and dotted every “I” when it comes to planning.
Vendor communications: we’ll handle that! You can enjoy the special time in the days before your wedding with your family and friends. We’ll handle the rest.

3. Vendor/People Management

via GIPHY

-A SCENARIO:

“It’s time to cut the cake”, says the catering coordinator. You and your partner approach the cake, but wait! The DJ isn’t playing the cake-cutting song you specifically requested…and where is the photographer?? “Cousin Mike, put your drink down and go see if he’s in the bathroom,” you shout out while you stand awkwardly in front of your giant pastry. And gah, no one thought to make sure that your parents were in the room so they missed the moment too! This aggravating scenario would have been avoided if you had a Day of Coordinator to make sure all the players are in place before action is called.

-We love to be bossy, (i.e. get shit done). We know your WHOLE vision, not just one aspect of it, and will make sure everyone does what you want them to do to accomplish it.

4. Timeline Management

via GIPHY

-Sometimes a photographer will write up a timeline for you. Sometimes a catering coordinator will give you an BEO with service times and food and beverage details. These are very useful tools, but they’re separate documents that don’t talk to each other and do not encompass every tiny detail that needs to be accounted for. We work with you AND your other vendors to create an extensive, painstakingly detailed Master Timeline for your run of show. You’ll get one organized timeline that all of the vendors will have, not a hodgepodge of photography and catering timelines.

-To create this document, your AELO DOC will meet with you in person (or via Zoom if that’s not possible). Over coffee or drinks, we’ll ask you and your partner to talk through your vision and ask you lots of questions. We’ll then confirm details with your vendor team so that everyone is on the same page well in advance of the wedding day. An experienced coordinator has seen it all and knows how to plan in advance to ensure the best outcome.

5. Venue, Catering Managers Don’t Do What We Do

via GIPHY

-We love venue and catering coordinators and work really well with them as part of your vendor team. But they don’t do what we do. AELO is by your side throughout the wedding day. We don’t have to stop to answer the office phone or give tours when new prospective clients walk through the doors. We’re neither executing dinner nor filling the toilet paper in the bathrooms; we’re just there for you, beholden to no one but you and your needs.

-And when the party is over we don’t just wrap up and head home. We will pack up your wedding stuff and drop it by your hotel room. We’ll wait outside to ensure the shuttle doesn’t leave without the last party goers (yourself included). We’ve got your back when you’re tired and tipsy and don’t want to think about clean up logistics.

6. When Things Go Wrong, We Will Fix Them

via GIPHY

-Our emergency wedding kits are filled with essential tools we’ve cultivated over the years. When someone spills on the groom’s crisp white shirt or your bridesmaids can’t quite seem to get your bustle right? You’re covered. Zip ties, scissors, glue gun, tampons—you name it, we’ve got it.

-We have the answers, and if we don’t, we will find them. With more than a decade of wedding experience, we’re familiar with things that go wrong and know how to fix them. We’ve put out literal and figurative fires all over Chicago.

-Best of all, we handle sticky situations quickly and discreetly so chances are if something does go wrong at your wedding, we will correct it right away. We won’t make a scene, and your guests have absolutely no idea anything unusual happened.

7. So You Can Actually Enjoy Your Wedding

via GIPHY

-It’s your wedding day. Your only job is to get married and have fun! You don’t have to worry about all the little things–you’ve done the work, you’ve hired the vendors, we will take the stress off your shoulders.

-You may be a great planner, a type-A personality who is perfectly capable of running your own show, but why would you want to? The star of the musical does not stage manage the musical. Relax and enjoy the wedding day you’ve worked so hard to create.

Carolyn Johnson 4/20/20 Carolyn Johnson 4/20/20

AELO Styled Shoot | What Kind Of Bride Are You?

We can’t believe it’s been nearly a year since this incredible styled photo shoot. Check out our feature over on Offbeat Bride! We did this gorgeous shoot (it’s just a little taste here!) with some amazing vendors and the results were absolutely beautiful.

As wedding industry professionals, we understand that brides constantly get shown that there is only one way to be a bride. Traditions stemming from decades of weddings -- what our parents did, Queen Victoria's white dress, De Beers engagement ring marketing campaign -- have all contributed to people getting married in the same ways, often not knowing why something was even started as a tradition. In this photoshoot, we wanted to highlight the characteristics that make each of us different. We put out a call to real people, everyone who is getting married, has gotten married, or dreams of partnering up for life and received some amazing responses.

These six very different people are all comfortable in their own skin and proud to be who they are. Their personalities, environments, life experience, and obstacles they've faced have shaped them to be the brides they are today. We as vendors know that a wedding is a celebration of who you are as a couple and as individuals choosing to love each other for life. There is no right or wrong way to be a bride, there is only the love we have for one another. We wanted to highlight and celebrate their diversity, and the diversity of all of us.

Carolyn Johnson 3/30/20 Carolyn Johnson 3/30/20

AELO Alumni | Michelle + Jerry, 10/19/19

Pez dispenser escort cards, a Star Wars cake, commissioned art of their dog Spaghetti, a Simpsons-themed photobooth, arcade games, and that amazing floral ceiling design from Revel? Michelle + Jerry had an incredible vision for their day and we absolutely loved helping them plan it. Unique, sophisticated, and so much fun…this wedding reflected this couple to a T! As an AD for Chicago Med, we were honored that Michelle let us take the reins and had a great time on her day (also, is she not SUCH a goddess?!). These two funny, sweet, down-to-earth people are so in love and we love them, too.

Congratulations, Michelle + Jerry! We know you have a wonderful, goofy, sweet life together.

Carolyn Johnson 11/15/19 Carolyn Johnson 11/15/19

AELO Alumni | Anna + Sam, 6/23/19

What an incredible day! We had a blast planning with two of the sweetest people on the planet. Anna + Sam were absolutely surrounded by love for their entire day, from the Ketubah signing to the last dance. We were so honored to be a part of it. When we first met them and learned that they just wanted to have an excellent party surrounded by their loved ones, we knew we could make that happen for them. And Anna comes from theater, so we clicked right away! Walkabout Theatre performed during the cocktail hour and their talented friend Kyra led us all in a singalong. It was a perfect day.

Congratulations, Anna + Sam! We love you!

Carolyn Johnson 10/28/19 Carolyn Johnson 10/28/19

AELO Alumni | Catherine + Steven, 5/18/19

What. A. Night. Catherine + Steven are the best nerds around. We knew the day would be epic since Catherine works for Offbeat Bride! She + Steven put together the most incredible evening for their guests. It was an intimate ceremony, very sweetly performed by the Hand of the Queen, their friend Chad. From that to the excellent dinner, to the amazing dance floor, we had a blast working with these two wonderful humans.

Check out all of their nerdy decor! The table names! The figurines and photographs! We had the best time, and wish them a lifetime of cons, movies, comics, and happiness. Congratulations, Catherine + Steven!

#asyouwishbish