What Your Day of Coordinator Will Do That Your Venue Liaison Won’t Do
Often, when explaining my role to clients, they ask, “Doesn’t the venue liaison do that?” While a few responsibilities may overlap, the jobs are vastly different.
Venue liaisons work for the venue. Their job is to oversee the set up of the event and ensure that the kitchen as well as the staff operates at an expertise level. Their role is to focus on the venue’s operations to create a successful day and please the client. Day of Coordinators (DOCs) work solely for the client and their families to provide a stress-free and memorable day. Think of the DOC as the fairy god mother who oversees all parties involved and works her magic when unexpected mishaps arise. In addition, a DOC is the point of contact for vendors, the venue, and the family. They ensure everyone is up-to-date on communication, collect the certificate of insurances required by the venue, as well as hand out gratuities to vendors at the conclusion of the evening. Also, the DOC creates a detailed timeline highlighting all vendor contact information as well as items such as the hair/makeup schedule, what the client would like to save from the event (e.g., menu, place card, etc.), the timing of the first look, and the processional/recessional order. Whereas the venue liaison devises a Board of Execution indicating items such as meal times, the number and types of stations during cocktail hour, and the layout of the ballroom (e.g., size/shape of tables, types of linens, etc.) Lastly, DOCs provide more tender loving care throughout the wedding planning process such as checking in on monthly tasks, providing reminders of what to bring to the venue, as well as dealing with any family dynamics to avoid drama on the day of the event!
At the end of the day, both venue liaisons and the DOC are necessary and work in tandem to execute a flawless event for their client.
