Behind the scenes at a dream wedding
The life of an on the day wedding day coordinator.
I’m often asked what happens when I am the wedding day coordinator (sometimes called a wedding day manager). On this occasion I was in charge of getting everyone to the church on time (well, actually a chapel) and then onwards to the venue, plus all the bits in between! It ranges from being a master of ceremonies to a herder of people!
Please enjoy the story of Emily and Joe. The couple got married in June on a spectacular early summer day. They are such a fun couple so their wedding day was never going to be ordinary.
Emily and Jo in the grounds of the King William at Scaftworth
(photo courtesy of Andy Matheson Photography).
Who could she trust?
Emily is a very organised woman and planned her own big day, with the help of some amazing friends. But on the day, those friends were also part of her wedding party and she wanted them to enjoy her day as much as her without added responsibilities. She was left with a quandary - who could she trust to make sure the schedule was on time and critical tasks were carried out. She asked me! I became her wing-woman so she could relax and know that her dream wedding would be delivered exactly as she wanted.
The wedding day organiser
Armed with my glittery gold notebook and dressed in a very bright red jumpsuit (Emily’s request!) my day started at one of Joe’s pubs, the King William at Scaftworth (between Worksop and Doncaster). He owns a chain of pubs called Harper Inns, and the King William has an extraordinary garden with a river running along the bottom. I met up with around 60 guests and had to cajole them onto the vintage double decker so we got to Worksop College in plenty of time for the ceremony.
As a former ‘old boy’ of the college, Joe was allowed to get married in the rather grand chapel. He was there anxiously waiting for us to arrive as I had his, and the groomsmen’s, flower corsages. Second job complete - tick!
Once everyone was seated, Emily swept up the aisle in a gorgeous dress and genuinely looked like a movie star.
The couple just about to get married!
(photo courtesy of Andy Matheson Photography).
A beautiful ceremony
Religious weddings are not really my cup of tea, but I learnt some new hymns and belted out ‘Jerusalem’ as loud as I could!
Once the service was over, we all gathered in the quadrant and I organised the groups for the photos so everyone knew where they had to be. I then got to enjoy some rather fabulous nibbles! It was to be a day of great food (I don’t aways get to eat but I love it when I can!!)
The human confetti coridoor!
(photo courtesy of Andy Matheson Photography).
A helicopter exit
I then arranged for all the guests – around 120 of them – to create a human corridor so the couple could walk through it. We all threw confetti as they made their way towards a helicopter that would take them back to the King William for the wedding breakfast. Joe’s a pilot so he actually flew his new wife away from the college, how amazing is that!
What an amazing way to leave your wedding!
(photo courtesy of Andy Matheson Photography).
It’s the little details
I got all the guests back on to the bus and we headed back to the King William. Once we arrived, I liaised with the team at the pub to get everyone into the marquee and seated in time for the couple to make their grand entrance.
It was my job to speak to the DJ and sound man so I could give guests information about what to expect, such as filling in the guest book, how to use the super-fun photo booth and so on. Then I announced the couple’s arrival!
It’s the little details that I can do that make a big difference to how easy a day runs. For example, asking guests to tuck their chairs under the tables as they stood for Jo and Emily so they could easily make their way to the top table.
The couple arriving to my announcement (that’s me on the left!)
After dinner speeches
Dinner was delicious – I knew it would be, as Joe’s pubs are very well known for their food. As soon as dessert was out, I got the signal that it was time for the speeches. I introduced each person in turn, and managed the microphones, so they got to the right person. The speeches were great and I loved that the bride, Emily, wrote her own poem to her new husband. I do love a little bit of creativity and romance!
And with that, my role was over. The rest of the day was super relaxed and I enjoyed dancing, the photo booth and having a well-deserved glass of champagne.
Don’t ask… Here’s me with Emily and another guest Chloe in the fun photo booth
Congratulations Emily and Joe. Can’t wait to hear about all your future adventures.
If you think you would like an on-the-day manager, let me know!
Thanks to Andy Matheson Photography for letting me use some of his rather fabulous photos. He’s a talented guy if you are looking for a photographer.