Volunteer Wedding Coordinators? Sound impossible? Well, it's not! Should hiring professional wedding coordinators be out of your game plan and budget, you can always ask friends and family to take on some special roles.
If you have organized your day well, you can feel confident that everything will run smoothly. It's a good idea to have at least two people coordinate your ceremony and reception.Your volunteer wedding coordinators should be interested in you and your wedding, such as a sister or best friend. If the people are volunteers who otherwise wouldn't be invited to your wedding, you should include them on your guest list now. It will help if they are organized and energetic by nature, and they should be willing to take on responsibility. They need to be free to take charge of the entire day and address unforeseen things that will come up. A volunteer wedding coordinator should be a take charge person; someone who is up for a challenge. You should set aside some time to meet with your coordinators and give each a copy of the vendor list and a schedule for the day.
It's important to take the time to go over these information sheets, so they know who all the players are and where they should be and when. It helps to prepare two separate bags; one with items needed for the ceremony site and one with items needed for the reception site. Some of the items needed for the ceremony would include programs, the ring pillow, the unity candle, guest book and pen, extra maps left over from your invitations, the marriage license, and anything else you'll need. 
The reception site bag could contain the items such as the cake knife or knives, toasting goblets or flutes, place cards, a basket for the gift cards, a roll of tape to attach cards to gifts, favors, and disposable cameras for the guest tables.
The volunteer wedding coordinators day will usually start an hour and a half before the ceremony, typically when the flowers are delivered and the photographer arrives for the first pictures.
Here are some of the details your volunteer wedding coordinators can take care of:
- pin on boutonnières and corsages as the families and groomsmen arrive.
- while pictures are being taken, put out the guest book and pen, arrange the programs and give the marriage license to the officiant if it wasn't left with him or her at the rehearsal.
- direct people to the restrooms.
- know what flowers the florist is bringing and what decorating, if any, he or she will be doing.
- know whether there are pew bows and who is delivering and/or placing them.
- they should know who the musicians are and what selections they will be playing.
- ensure that whoever is handing out programs is positioned at the door.
- if there is a guest book attendant, show that person where to stand.
- make sure the couple and their attendants are out of sight when the first guests arrive.
- make sure the ushers are ready to seat guests a half-hour before the ceremony, and help them with any seating questions they might have.
- make sure the musicians are informed of guests arriving so they may start playing the prelude music.
- check in with the bride and her attendants and make sure they are comfortable and just about ready. See if there's anything that they require.
- your volunteer wedding coordinators can also confirm that candles are lit at the appropriate time.
- a few minutes before the ceremony time, close the guest book and ask latecomers to please seat themselves as the ceremony is about to begin.
- musicians should be queued that the ceremony is starting and the chosen selections should begin.
- gather the attendants and line them up for their processional. As as the bride and her father or parents go through the doors, the coordinators should close the doors behind them.
If you are lucky enough to have two volunteers to help you today as coordinators, you should have one leave for the reception now.
The volunteer wedding coordinator left behind after ceremony should oversee these tasks: - make sure that everyone needed for the pictures is there.
- gather up any programs left behind, the unity candle, and other items to be put back in the bag for safekeeping.The guest book will have gone on already to the reception with the other coordinator.
- after pictures are done and making sure nothing is left behind, the wedding ceremony coordinator could now join the other at the reception.
For the reception, make sure your coordinators each have a copy of the vendor list in case they need to call anyone.
Your volunteer coordinators responsibilities at the reception might include some or all of the items listed here:- survey the room to make sure everything is laid out the way you have requested.
- know what the centerpieces are and who will be placing them on the tables.
- place the items from the reception bag in the appropriate spots.
- put the place cards at the correct tables is an area.
- make sure the DJ or musicians are ready to play at the designated time.
- as the guests arrive, make sure they are comfortable and see that drinks are available for them.
- as the wedding party arrives after pictures are taken at the ceremony site, the volunteer wedding coordinators can take their bouquets and place them on the head table and cake table.
- know when the food is to be served and the time for the toast.
- confirm that a microphone is available for the best man and ask the maid of honor whether she also wishes to give a toast.
- make sure the champagne is poured for the toast, just before the best man is given a microphone.
- place a wet napkin on a plate on the cake table for after the cake cutting sticky fingers.
- the wedding coordinator (or the photographer) can also instruct the bride and groom as to how to hold the the knife when cutting the wedding cake.
- if the bride wants the top layer of the wedding cake to be cut or saved. If saved, make sure that the cake is placed in a safe place and later taken home and refrigerated or frozen.
- know where the throwaway bouquet is, and let the DJ or band know when it will be thrown.
- use the tape brought to the reception to tape all cards to the gifts.
- distribute any cheques to vendors that need to be paid on the day of the wedding.
- finally, gather up the toasting goblets, cake knives, disposable cameras and place them back in the bag. The bag can then be placed at the gift table to be picked up by the couple's family at the end of the day/night.
Some other duties to think about:- who will pick up and return the rental items?
- who will set up the chairs, arch and other decoration at the ceremony location?
- who will take items such as wine, beer and soft drinks from the bride's home to the reception location?
- who can get ice at the last minute?
- who can take the gifts, bags, leftover wedding cake, extension cords, any unused drinks/wine/beer back home after the reception.
- who will return all the rentals (tuxedos, suits, tables, etc.)
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