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A venue coordinator looks after the venue, not your wedding
When you sign the venue contract, the salesperson often says "we include a coordinator." Plenty of couples hear that and cross item 24 of this checklist (the day-of coordinator) off the list.
That's the most expensive misunderstanding on it.
What they are responsible for
A venue coordinator is responsible to the venue:
- Opening and locking up
- Table and chair setup
- Venue rules (volume, curfew, fire code, whether candles are allowed)
- Cleaning
- The venue's own equipment and staffing
They do all of it well, because it's their job.
What they are not responsible for
- Not your vendorsIf the photographer is late or the florist can't find the entrance, none of that is their problem.
- Not your timelineThey handle the venue's operational schedule, not your run of show.
- Not the run of showWho enters when, the order of speeches, where the tea ceremony sits: none of that is their job.
- Not your point of contactAnd vendors with problems won't go to them either.
And a very practical point: they're the venue's employee, not your person. When your needs conflict with venue rules, they're on the venue's side.
Two questions that surface the truth
"Will they build the day-of timeline for me?"
"On the day, will they contact my photographer and florist?"
If the answer is "that's for you to handle," you haven't found the person you need yet.
One follow-up worth asking: "Are they on site the whole day, or only for certain hours?" Many venue coordinators run several events at once or only cover the handovers.
What happens without a day-of coordinator
Those twenty or thirty calls and a dozen vendors' questions land on one person. If you haven't designated that person, it's you.
You'll be in your wedding clothes backstage taking calls, hurrying the kitchen, seating a relative who arrived late. When you look up, half the reception is over.
Which is why item 24 of the checklist says: on a limited budget, cut the planner before the coordinator.
The two can coexist
And both should coexist. Your coordinator will proactively contact the venue's coordinator before the wedding to align both schedules, which is part of their job.
For you, it means communicating with one person rather than managing the venue and the vendors simultaneously.
Chinese weddings need one especially
If the run of show includes a tea ceremony, bilingual segments, or a lot of family photos (see items 43, 44 and 105 of the checklist), the venue's coordinator won't know what those are, how long they take, or what they need.
You need someone who understands this particular wedding.
In one line
Ask those two questions; if the answer is "you handle it," the day-of coordinator is still money you need to spend.