A brief throwback to the last 2-3 decades, planning a wedding was normally done by the bridal party. The maid of honor was supposed to be the "lead coordinator", with the bridesmaids as the assistants. Groomsmen also participate in the planning with the groom. However, with the ever changing times and the evolution of lifestyle we have until today, many are too busy to personally assist the couple with their planning. People are more practical nowadays, with technology readily available and resources accessible and inspirations scattered all over the web, somehow the bride and groom themselves can handle most of the planning already, with just hiring an on-the-day coordinator to execute the plans. Although bridal party planning remains true to others, especially international weddings like in the USA or western countries and intimate DIY weddings with just the closest family and friends, most celebrations with a number of guests hire coordinators just so that the couples and bridal party can thoroughly enjoy the day without having to worry about running the program. Same goes for birthday celebrants. You can't really "celebrate" while working behind the scenes and talking with suppliers while your event is ongoing.
Other reasons why coordinators are a must nowadays:
1. Taking advantage of their knowledge, experience and expertise handling events increases the chances for a successful execution of plans and prevention of untoward disasters
2. Wide supplier network! They can suggest and recommend good suppliers to you, and also comment on underperforming ones to avoid.
3. Time constraint. Juggling with work and our personal lifestyle, some find it difficult to adjust with time to accommodate another task of planning for an event. So why not entrust this task to a reputable coordinator if we can afford it?
4. Logistics, especially for overseas based couples, make planning much more challenging. Having somebody to do the work locally and removing all that uneasiness and stress seems very worth it.
5. Professionalism. Others say they can just ask their friends and relatives to be their coordinators or suppliers, because why not when they have businesses or skills that can help you save money? While this works for some, it spells disaster for others. Major events such as weddings and debuts are on a different level versus your annual birthday celebrations. Will their experience be enough to handle such an event? Are they professionally reliable not just because you know them personally? Will your friends still be able to focus on working while they are enjoying your event? With this much to consider, some simply opted for reliable third party suppliers. No strings attached!
Hiring on-the-day coordinators is the minimum requirement for any event, especially with full-day programs and timeline. For other couples and celebrants requiring much more help with the planning before the day, full coordination and partial coordination packages are also widely available.
It's true that anybody can research, plan and coordinate. After all, it's not rocket science, just basic critical thinking, organizing and life skills. If that's the case, then why do results vary? Coordination is not any different with other careers, and like them, knowledge, passion and experience always make the difference.
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