The Myth of “Day-Of Coordination”
Wedding planners, let’s get serious for a minute. There is something that has been on my mind and my heart for a while now, and it’s time we all started talking about it.
There is no such thing as Day-Of Coordination. It’s a lie. It’s a unicorn. It does not exist.
I know a lot of planners reading this right now are thinking, “Girl, you have lost it! Of course it exists! It’s on my website!”
To that I say, No. You are selling a falsehood; and in the process, undermining your worth, talents, and profitability. That’s the truth.
I have spoken about this many times and every single time I ask the same questions: “How many of you call your service “Day-Of” but actually start working with your clients four weeks before their wedding?” Or, “How many of you call your services “Month-Of”, but actually start working six weeks prior to the wedding?”
Do you see what’s wrong with this language?
By calling our services something they are not, we are short-changing ourselves and our clients!
When I was calling my coordination services “Day-Of”, it was a very hard sell to convince someone to pay me $2,000 for what I was calling ONE DAY of work. Of course, then I would go into the song and dance of describing my service, and how it really starts four weeks out, and after I rambled on and on for ten minutes, maybe the potential client would say, “Oh, I understand. That makes more sense!” Or maybe they wouldn’t, and I would lose the sale.
Month-of Coordination is no better. When I was offering that service, I would begin my services at six weeks before the wedding. Is “Month-of” an accurate description of that service? No.
No, it’s not. It’s still undermining the hard work and value that we bring to our clients!
I can’t think of any other industry in the world that does this. Does the automotive industry sell you on their base model car, but then explain to you that you are actually getting a luxury one? No. Never.
Now, that’s a product based business. Let’s talk about a service based industry. Do you go get a massage, having purchased a 60-minute massage, and then they tell you, “Oh, that one is actually 75 minutes long!” Um, no. Never.
What should we be calling our coordination services?
We should be calling it Wedding Management. It’s simple, it offers no time constraints, and it is factual. What do we do for you? We manage all aspects of your wedding.
Wedding Management.
The best part of this name change is that you can create a workflow that you prefer and maybe even raise your prices too! When I switched over to Wedding Management, I decided that I didn’t like a six-week workflow. When my Management clients sign on with me, they get unlimited email access to me from day one, which provides them with additional peace of mind. And you know what? I raised my prices. A win-win for everyone!
I can already hear what the naysayers are thinking to themselves at this moment. “What about my SEO?” or “Potential clients are looking for Day-Of! How will I explain it?”
If you are interested in making this language change, here is what you need to add to your website. First, change the title of your service from “Day of” or “Month of” to Wedding Management. Then, add these lines to explain it.
Wedding Management
You are probably more familiar with the term “day-of coordination”. That does not really exist.
It keeps the DOC (day-of coordination) term in play for your SEO, engaged couples feel like they got a bit of education, and then you can proceed to sell them a more robust package that will be much more beneficial for everyone!
Do not be afraid to make bold changes in your businesses! The truth of the matter is, WE are the industry. We can change something if we don’t like it and if it’s not serving us anymore as a community. The outdated and old-fashioned terminology of “Day Of” and “Month Of” needs to be retired.
Please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts!
This is a guest post by Renée Dalo. Renee is the CEO and Lead Planner of Moxie Bright Events, a boutique wedding planning firm in Los Angeles, CA. Renée is also a Leader for The Rising Tide Society’s Tuesdays Together and a strong believer in “community over competition”. She can’t say no to anything Kate Spade, a weekend getaway, or a well-made bellini. You can find Renée on Instagram at @moxiebrightevents.
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Leave a Reply
June 21st, 2016 at 6:08 am
This was a great post and 100% true! I am changing my website as you mentioned because it is so very misleading, and the wording definitely needs to be changed in the industry. I was initially calling it “Month of Coordination.” I work with my brides from the time they sign their contract with me. I specialize in “Month of Coordination,” however, someone in the industry that I highly respect told me I may be losing business by calling it “Month of Coordination” because brides are not familiar with that terminology, they were more familiar with “Day of.” So I changed my website and put specializing in “Day-of-Coordination better known as “Month of Coordination.” However, I like “Wedding Management” much better!!! Thank you! I hope wedding planners all over will make the change so it can be properly called what it is in our industry and “Day-of” can be removed!!
June 21st, 2016 at 10:51 am
Agree Kathy. I hope many planners will make this change too.
June 21st, 2016 at 11:59 am
Thanks so much Kathleen! I hope all of our fellow wedding planners make the change too! I’d love to see a real shift happen in our industry in this regard. Thanks for reading and commenting!
June 21st, 2016 at 7:24 am
100% agree with this! We don’t just work on the day, there is a massive amount of planning before hand that goes into being an on the day coordinator. The brides also seem to think that we don’t really do much as an on the day coordinator and rather believe that we sit around the venue waiting to see if the DJ has arrived and whether the florist/decor company has set up correctly. Sadly in their eyes, they don’t see how big of a job it really is, and that our day actually starts at 05:00 in the morning sometimes, in preparation for their big day, and can sometimes end way past midnight. There’s alot of logistics involved! I think i’m going to make the switch to Wedding Management, thank you for the help on the SEO bit as well.
June 21st, 2016 at 10:51 am
So true Leann. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
June 21st, 2016 at 12:00 pm
Yay, Leann! Make that change! WE have to educate our brides as to what we really do. We can be the change we need in our industry! I can’t wait to see how it benefits your business. Please keep me posted!
June 21st, 2016 at 8:54 am
Great post and I’ve heard the same from many others for awhile. The term doesn’t bother me at all. Granted it’s not exactly in line with the actual service being provided but for that matter, neither does full-service planning, when you factor in the variations of what each planner considers full-service. Gradually phasing in the change could help couples refer to it as Wedding Day Management over the course of time.
June 21st, 2016 at 10:50 am
True Rachel.
June 21st, 2016 at 12:02 pm
Yes, Rachel. A gradual change is what I see happening. Also, I think it’s most beneficial if we remove the word “day” entirely from our coordination services. Wedding DAY Management still sounds like we are only working one day, which will all know isn’t true.
June 21st, 2016 at 10:05 am
Totally true!! “Day of” or even “month of” doesn’t even begin to encapsulate all that I do for my clients!! Wedding management is certainly a more appropriate term!
June 21st, 2016 at 10:50 am
Agreed Rachel. Thanks for your comment.
June 21st, 2016 at 12:02 pm
Yes! Thanks for reading and commenting, Rachel!
June 21st, 2016 at 10:11 am
Great article! I totally agree and will be changing my info to “Wedding Management” – sound more professional too.
June 21st, 2016 at 10:49 am
Thanks for commenting Laurie!
June 21st, 2016 at 12:05 pm
Fantastic, Laurie! I can’t wait to see the positive change it will bring to your business! Please keep me posted!
June 21st, 2016 at 10:30 am
Incredible delivery and a much needed article Renée!!! WE are the industry!! This needs to be shared, implemented, reinforced by our entire community….
HI-FIVE!!
June 21st, 2016 at 12:06 pm
Thank you Dana! HI-FIVE right back at ya! Thank you for your sweet comment. Please share with all your local planner friends! Let’s start a “language revolution”! LOL
June 21st, 2016 at 12:03 pm
This is fantastic. I 100% agree, and love the new term!
June 21st, 2016 at 12:56 pm
Thanks for commenting Hayley!
June 21st, 2016 at 6:08 pm
Thanks Hayley! Thanks for reading and commenting!
June 21st, 2016 at 1:17 pm
[…] If you are making a minimal amount of money and spending a maximum amount of time, it’s definitely time to raise your rates and raise the bar. An experienced planner is worth a significant amount more than $4, $10, or $15 per hour. If you are marketing your services with the name “day-of coordination”, read this post about the myths of using that term. […]
June 21st, 2016 at 1:17 pm
[…] If you are making a minimal amount of money and spending a maximum amount of time, it’s definitely time to raise your rates and raise the bar. An experienced planner is worth a significant amount more than $4, $10, or $15 per hour. If you are marketing your services with the name “day-of coordination”, read this post about the myths of using that term. […]
June 21st, 2016 at 2:18 pm
Brides who hire a wedding planner straight away acknowledge the value in the professional and let’s face it: they have the budget. Brides looking for ‘day-of’ assistance (help!) have a limited budget and are mostly your DIY customers who realize in the end that they may need some help putting all those pretty things together so they can enjoy the party.I ADORE calling it ‘Wedding Management’. It gives the right amount of importance and sophistication to charge the proper amount for ‘salvaging’ some bride’s big day.
June 24th, 2016 at 10:52 am
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Bonnie.
June 21st, 2016 at 7:56 pm
Preach on!!! ???????? I can’t stop clapping! ???????? I have said this so many times! ❤️ Thank you for putting it so perfectly!!! My month of package just rode into the sunset on a unicorn!!!!
June 24th, 2016 at 10:52 am
Haha Ashlee! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
June 21st, 2016 at 9:16 pm
Thank you! I literally just got home from back to back “Day of” Coordination sales meetings where I was exhausted by explaining how DOC is an industry term and what I actually do is XYZ from the point of hire. As I’m in the midst of a website overhaul, I’ll consider the Wedding Management verbiage.
June 24th, 2016 at 10:53 am
Thanks for commenting Kate!
June 22nd, 2016 at 11:15 am
Thank you for this! I agree this is 100% true!! I have updated my website & advertising sites to reflect this since when I receive an inquiry I always have to explain that there is no such thing as “day of” and anyone who says they just show up on the day of and have a successful event is delusional!
June 23rd, 2016 at 5:27 pm
Yes, Tracy! So glad you made the switch!
June 24th, 2016 at 10:53 am
Yay Tracy!
June 22nd, 2016 at 2:56 pm
What about just using the term Wedding Coordinator? I’ve been thinking about this myself and as I am just starting my business, I don’t want to sell myself short.
June 24th, 2016 at 10:49 am
Erica, you can try out using “wedding coordination” and see how it works for you, especially during the sales process.
July 23rd, 2016 at 11:04 am
Hi Erica!
Personally, as a full service wedding business, I consider planning/consulting, design and coordination three totally different aspects to the whole process.
Planning I refer to as the foundation…when you are in the very beginning of the process, choosing the venue and the vendors.
Design, everyone knows this is the fun part! This is where all the details come into play.
Coordination/Management, this is when everything comes together for the “day-of”.
So, I think it depends on what your focus is. I also charge separately for each service and offer a full service package.
June 27th, 2016 at 7:34 am
I prefer wedding consultant over coordinator, because, in essence, it’s consulting.
June 27th, 2016 at 1:06 pm
Thanks for commenting Sam!
June 29th, 2016 at 1:40 pm
When I first started reading this, I got pretty annoyed. I was thinking, “why is she saying this? My services are not necessarily planning services, I do the coordination. I bring peace of mind to the couple on the DAY OF their wedding.” But, I continued reading because I knew there must be a good reason for it! And, sure enough you expressed so eloquently what I have been trying to articulate to myself and clients. The work truly does go beyond that single day. “Wedding Management” is so perfect, I can’t wait to update this in my chatter and in print! Thank you for articulating what I’ve been feeling!
June 29th, 2016 at 3:21 pm
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Allison!
June 30th, 2016 at 1:29 pm
Allison, thank you for your honesty. I love it! And I hope the language change sparks a positive change in your business!
July 19th, 2016 at 6:01 am
[…] a professional wedding planner, you may or may not include some or all of these items in your wedding management services. Personally, these are all tasks that I do not offer as part of my services. When you run your own […]
July 23rd, 2016 at 10:52 am
I am so relieved to hear this! I’ve only been in the industry for a little over a year now and I have to say that I have hated the “day-of” since the beginning! I am inspired by your boldness! When you wrote “Don’t be afraid to make bold changes in your businesses!”, I said to myself, now that’s what I need to hear. I’ve been slowly adding management into my wording all along, but was too afraid that it would be misunderstood. I’m not going to worry about it any more! I do hope that all new and seasoned planners will take on this new terminology…it’s fantastic! After all, like you said, it’s the truth and these clients should better understand what it is that we provide for them.
July 27th, 2016 at 10:48 am
Thanks for commenting Ruth!
July 27th, 2016 at 3:40 pm
Yes, Ruth! I love it! “BE BOLD and Mightly forces will come to your aid!” I think about this quote a lot in my business, and I believe it. I am so glad you are taking big steps!
August 4th, 2016 at 9:37 pm
Such great advice! I immediately updated my website :).
August 10th, 2016 at 9:46 am
Great Kylie! So glad this was helpful.
August 23rd, 2016 at 7:54 pm
Great post, and so true! I’ve recently set up on my own as a planner, but have been planning weddings for venues for nearly 20 years. I’ve had to deal with a large number of “day of” coordinators who seriously had no idea what details they were supposed to be managing, as they were often working from a last minute list hurriedly scribbled out by the bride.
The planners who really had control were, as you said, the ones who had been in much longer-term contact with the couple, had been involved from much earlier in the process and were really involved in all aspects of the wedding.
As I said, I am just setting up on my own as a planner, and would love to share this blog if you don’t mind, I think it has some valuable information.
August 26th, 2016 at 12:27 pm
Thanks for your comment Tara. Feel free to link to this post from your blog.
September 12th, 2016 at 11:27 pm
What is the average price most of you “Day/Month of Coordinator” charge ?
And what are the “general duties: you all include. Thank you
September 14th, 2016 at 12:52 pm
Barb, thank you for your comment. These 2 posts will help answer your questions: https://plannerslounge.com/are-you-giving-away-your-work and https://plannerslounge.com/what-do-you-include-in-wedding-day-management-services
September 24th, 2016 at 3:33 pm
Hello!
Thank you so much for this article. I am actually just in the process of getting my Wedding Planning license and am working on creating a website to have it ready to go once my course is complete and am only familiar with the term “Day-Of”. In fact, that’s what I planned on putting on my business cards as well, but after reading this, I will be rewording this on everything. “Wedding Management” sounds much more professional and, in my eyes, much more appealing as well.
Thank you again!
September 27th, 2016 at 10:18 am
So glad this was helpful for you Dave!
May 7th, 2017 at 11:07 am
Excellent! I’ve struggled with the terminology of Day-of for years. I’m going to start using Wedding Management Services. Thank you!
May 9th, 2017 at 11:38 am
That is great Faythe! So glad this article helped you.
August 22nd, 2017 at 2:25 pm
I like the idea of using Wedding Management. I agree that Day Of may not be the best terminology. It usually ends up being way more work than one day! My question is, if you use Wedding Management, how do you differentiate to your clients the differences in your packages? And how do you stick to just “Day Of” services?
August 23rd, 2017 at 10:19 am
Thanks for commenting Cheryl. You have to be very specific in what services are provided. If you are providing wedding day management, your contract will have exactly what you are providing before the wedding and on the wedding day. Then it is up to you to only do what you are contracted for.
February 20th, 2018 at 5:47 am
[…] when my wedding photographer approached me with a friend who was getting married and needed a wedding day coordinator. So I thought, ok maybe I’ll start my own business for now. She didn’t have a big budget, and I […]
March 28th, 2018 at 11:26 am
[…] or need someone to help with the entire planning process, so they hire a wedding coordinator for wedding day management services only. Maybe they only need recommendations on vendors in their area which many wedding planners […]
September 20th, 2018 at 8:27 am
[…] run some simple numbers, if you charge $1500 for event management service and you deduct the event day assistant pay from that (let’s estimate $200 for one assistant […]
November 7th, 2018 at 9:31 am
[…] The Myth of Day-of Coordination on Planner’s Lounge […]
February 4th, 2019 at 3:20 pm
I never offered day of but struggled with terminology for 8 weeks out planning! I like your ‘wedding management “, thank you ????
April 29th, 2019 at 9:12 pm
[…] is also referred to as wedding day coordination or wedding day management. In this service offering, your wedding clients do all of the planning on […]