Well, ask and you shall receive. Here's the story about how I became a wedding coordinator. But I will warn you, this might be a long boring post.so. i want to hear the whole story about how you came to be a wedding coordinator. when will you be telling it?
From the beginning...
I started working for OCC in February of 2004 as a temp. They had to lay the girl before me off due to conflicting personalities between her and the whole rest of the staff. The first day I walked in they said to me, "No one knows how to do this job, do the best you can and figure it out, there are bills to pay and payroll is in 13 days." Well, no pressure there! I'm pretty good at figuring out different computer programs so I just hunted and pecked around for a couple of days then started writing checks. Well, after two months of impressing them they hired me on as a full time bookkeeper. The lady before me had been not only the bookkeeper but she also was the wedding coordinator and head of women's ministries for that church. They did not ask me to take over these things and at the time I was very grateful!
Fastfoward a year to 2005. Seeing that I had a firm handle on what the bookkeeper does and was doing my job so well that I had time to spare they approached me about being the wedding coordinator. They told me how much it paid, at that time a whopping $50 and a few other details, but like the last time I started doing a job there they told me that no one really knew how to do this job so I'd have to just figure it out on my own. Basically my responsibilities were to be the face that people met when they came to the church to book their wedding. I would check the church calendar to see if there were any conflicting activities, take their money, show them what decorations we have and that's it until the night before the wedding when we had rehearsal and I would supervise that and the wedding. This sounded pretty easy and looked like a good way to make some extra money on the side so I agreed.
That's how I became the wedding coordinator. I'm not a wedding planner (they get paid better then I do) I basically coordinate for the buildings. I make sure that everyone effected is aware of what's going on. This includes (but not limited to) talking with custodial so that they clean the sanctuary before Friday and then again Saturday night, security so that the doors are unlocked the heaters or ac are on, sound technician to run lights and sound at both rehearsal and the day of the wedding, the maintance guys to clear off the stage and move the catwalk, worship leader to schedule band practice earlier in the week, etc. The day of the rehearsal I help decorate for the wedding (and sometimes I do more then anyone else) and supervise the rehearsal. My boss(the senior pastor) and the sound techs and I have done enough weddings together that we've got our hand signals down so that they know when I'm ready for music, lights, and groom and groomsmen to come out of
Every wedding I've done has started on time, by that I mean five minutes after what the invitation states. You'll never believe how many people show up to a 2 o'clock wedding at 2 o'clock! If people are more then five minutes late I make them stand in the hall until the wedding party is down front.
So, anymore questions?
5 comments:
Hi Christy, thanks for stopping by tonight! Yes, I'm still the bookkeeper and the wedding coordinator is just a side gig.
I have a wonderful job, there are days that I wish I had a little bit more to do but then a wedding quickly approaches and I don't have time for anything!
Summer vacations, yes, much harder to schedule. I am actually taking 8 days off in the month of June, but only 6 are consecutive. I have a wedding the 17th of June and my week and a day vacation starts after that wedding is over! I do have a back up coordinator, she did the weddings before the lady I replace so she knows what she's doing and is actually doing a wedding for me in August because I thought I would be out of town with my church's youth group, we ended up moving camp to June but because I had already offered her the wedding I'm not going to take it away from her.
I might need a vacation in July though because I have two weddings back to back! I'm going to find out if they REALLY need the stage put back up the Sunday in between. LOL
And sadly, somewhere, there is someone saying...'Do we really need to pay someone $50 to coordinate weddings...how hard could it be?'
That makes me so mad. It is part of the reason why I don't do events anymore...because people just don't appreciate how much work goes into even the simplest meeting.
Although...when you do work for someone who 'gets it' it makes the accomplishment that much sweeter.
--girl
I am a Church Administrator (well, I have a newer, more ambiguous, less meaningful title now) who sometimes is Wedding Coordinator. I hate it.
Actually, I hate the rehearsals: always start late and go late, everything important is forgotten, people don't show up, and the bride (or anyone else) has no clue what she's doing.
Then, the day of the wedding, everyone looks beautiful, everything (seems to) run smoothly, and all our worries were for naught.
Not my gift, that's for sure!
Please remember to tell the engaged couples that I am available to officiate their weddings, if they would like a proper canine Muslim ceremony. For a small fee, of course.
You could call me the Church Administrator...Pastor says the thing wouldn't run without me. I'll take that compliment since he missed Administrative Assistant's day.
I have never had to coordinate any weddings, however, until this week. We have a special (and by special, I mean, nearly retarted) couple that are getting married this Friday. They haven't got a clue about anything so I am organizing a reception. I am not doing everything but I am heading up most areas.
It's not something I particularly like doing but for them, it's been alright.
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