The Ultimate Resource for Wedding Coordinators
Weddings are a stressful and costly time for people.
Having an effective wedding coordinator makes the process much easier and happier for everyone involved.
So if you have skills in planning large events, excellent organization, and multitasking abilities, you may be a perfect candidate for the role of wedding coordinator.
Below is a lot of information to help you choose whether a career as a wedding coordinator is right for you.
Wedding Coordinator Information Table
Official Job Title | Wedding Coordinator |
Average Salary | $43,077 |
Stress Level | High |
Work / Life Balance | Good |
Job Satisfaction | High |
Career Advancement | Low |
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Wedding Coordinator Job Description
What Is A Wedding Coordinator?
A wedding coordinator takes on a logistical role, coordinating with all vendors, so they know what is required and when it’s required for your wedding day.
They will more often take over the task from you close to the start of the big day rather than running the whole process from start to finish.
A wedding coordinator will also be the primary point person on the actual wedding day.
They will ensure that everything is ready, all deliveries are accounted for, and any issues are handled.
Their primary responsibility is to ensure that your wedding goes smoothly based on the agreed plan.
What Does A Wedding Coordinator Do On A Daily Basis?
- Read and respond to emails from customers and vendors.
- Call vendors to schedule deliveries and walk-throughs of venues.
- Meet with couples looking to hire and discuss options available to them.
Responsibilities, Duties & Roles Of An Wedding Coordinator
- A wedding coordinator will meet with you on pre-scheduled dates before the wedding to understand what you want and plan out everything needed before the wedding day.
- They will check with all your vendors to review contracts and confirm the delivery of all products and services for the day.
- They will create a detailed timeline for the day and arrange floor plans.
- They make sure they know what items will go where when delivered on the day.
- They will perform a final walk-through of the ceremony and reception sites to ensure no last-minute issues or problems.
- They will review the entire plan to ensure nothing has been missed, whether big or small.
- They will manage and review the rehearsal ceremony, looking for anything that has been missed.
- They will be the primary point person on the day for any issues or deliveries.
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Wedding Coordinator Salary
Average Salary
The average salary for a wedding coordinator is about $43,077 per year.
Of course, this depends on whether you work for somebody else, have your own company, and where you live.
Starting Salary
Starting salaries for wedding coordinators are around $33,401 per year.
If you are in a large city or a market with a lot of need for your services, you should be paid higher.
Senior Salary
Salaries for senior wedding coordinators can reach as high as $120,000 per year.
However, if you run your own business, have high demand, and other wedding coordinators work for you, your potential income is higher.
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How to Become A Wedding Coordinator
The Entry Level: Certification, Training & Degree
There is no entry requirement to becoming a wedding coordinator.
Nobody is likely to ask for your degree or certifications you may have.
However, you will need some customers that will allow you to work for them and then document everything you did, including photos.
Your other better option would be to work for another wedding coordinator or company that provides the service, so you can learn on the job and get the required experience.
Other Skill Sets, Requirements & Qualifications
While customers are unlikely to ask for your credentials, you may find specialized training as a wedding coordinator assists in helping you do your job better.
There are various online and in-person courses you can take that provide specialized training.
However, these are not required and would only be for yourself.
Some private organizations will license you, which may attract customers who want to know you aren’t just a random person who may do a poor job.
However, these heavily favor wedding planners, which isn’t exactly the same job.
How Long Does It Take To Become A Wedding Coordinator?
Because there are no prerequisites to becoming a wedding coordinator, you could start right now.
Your only real requirement is that you can provide services and be hired by customers, which would be the most challenging task, getting your first job.
Is It Hard To Become A Wedding Coordinator?
Becoming a wedding coordinator is not difficult, again, there are no prerequisites.
If you come from a similar career background, it will make it much easier.
Otherwise, the biggest struggle you will face is getting your first few jobs.
A wedding is an important day, and most people may not want to trust a new wedding coordinator.
Two strategies would be to get your friends or family to let you coordinate their weddings so you can gain experience and photos of what you’ve done.
The other strategy would be to work with another wedding coordinator or wedding planner, which would get you the required experience to work independently.
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Wedding Coordinator Career Paths
The Wedding Coordinator Roadmap
Being a wedding coordinator could be considered either your stepping stone to further career opportunities or could be your entire career.
It depends on what you want and what you enjoy.
If you like weddings and want more involvement in the process and more money, you will find your next steps are to move to be a full wedding planner.
You are taking over the entire process, which comes with more money and more responsibilities.
You could even open your own company and have other wedding coordinators and planners work for you.
Your other option is to take the skills you’ve learned and pursue different roles, including event planning, sales, office administration, or managerial positions.
Projections For Growth In Wedding Coordinator Jobs
The wedding coordinator job growth is expected to be 18% through 2031.
In Summary: Is Wedding Coordinator A Good Career?
A career as a wedding coordinator is an excellent stepping stone to future opportunities, even building your own wedding coordinator business.
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Wedding Coordinator Working Conditions
Can A Wedding Coordinator Work Remotely From Home?
It would be impossible for a wedding coordinator to work entirely from home.
The job requirements mean meeting guests at venues and being physically present on the wedding day to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Most of your work can be done remotely, but not providing in-person service would not make sense and limit your opportunities.
How Many Hours Does A Wedding Coordinator Work?
A typical day for a wedding coordinator would be a standard 9-5, you may receive calls or emails outside of those hours, but it would be up to you on how you handle them.
On actual wedding days, you may be required to stay for longer depending on how long the setup is or what the couple needs.
Can A Wedding Coordinator Work Part-Time?
Working part-time as a wedding coordinator is a real possibility.
If you can perform all of your tasks for the clients you have, you don’t specifically need to sit there and wait until the day is complete.
Your only days required at certain times would be for venue visits and the wedding day.
What Are The Average Vacation Days Of A Wedding Coordinator?
If working for a wedding coordinator company, you would get the standard vacation time as any employee in your area.
Generally, this is ten days per year plus statutory holidays.
If you are working for yourself, then you can take as many holidays as your schedule allows.
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Alternative Careers & Similar Jobs to a Wedding Coordinator
- Marketing Coordinator
- Communications Director
- Content Strategist
- Merchandise Associate
- Film Producer
- Marketing Specialist
- Media Buyer
- Administrative Assistant
Wedding Coordinator Resume Tips
Wedding coordinators generally wouldn’t have a typical resume.
Instead, you would be providing a wedding book of all the weddings you have coordinated.
Provide photos and descriptions of everything you did for each wedding.
Provide contact details of any previous clients that would act as a reference.
The wedding coordinator industry is heavily run on word of mouth and referrals.
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Wedding Coordinator Interview Questions
When hiring a wedding coordinator, it’s essential to know more than just how much they ask. Below are a few questions to help make the decision.
Q1: What services do you offer?
Why it works: Understanding exactly what a wedding coordinator will do and how much means nothing will fall through the cracks.
Because a wedding coordinator isn’t the same as a wedding planner, you must ensure what they will do and what you still need to do.
Q2: When will we start working together?
Why it works: Understanding exactly when the wedding coordinator will take over the tasks means that you know what to expect.
If they aren’t taking over tasks until very close to the day, you will need to stay on top of your vendors to ensure nothing goes wrong until the wedding coordinator takes over.
Q3: How much do you charge, and are there extra fees for anything?
Why it works: You may have seen the costs on their website.
However, getting a total price for everything you want and understanding if there are extra fees for any services is essential to keep costs down.
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Jobs Related to Wedding Coordinators
- Wedding planners
- Event coordinators
- Executive assistants
- Venue managers
For HR Managers: Tips for Hiring A Wedding Coordinator
Key Characteristics To Look For In A Wedding Coordinator
- Organized and able to handle multiple tasks at once.
- Knowledgeable about the requirements of the role and what is needed.
- Excellent interpersonal skills because they will be dealing directly with different vendors.
- Great negotiator to ensure you get the best prices from vendors.
- Excellent budgeting skills to ensure your costs don’t go too high.
Minimum Level Of Education & Experience
There is absolutely no minimum level of education required as a wedding coordinator.
The experience check would be what weddings they’ve done, as well as references of some of those couples.
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