As a wedding officiant I perform ceremonies at a variety of venues.  While I know that I have high expectations for places that host weddings and other events, my experience is that the coordinators at these venues can range from excellent to marginal in their coordination efforts and customer interface. 

Last weekend, I was at a venue that did not allow the florist, or any of the other vendors to have access to the site until 1 hour before the ceremony.  As the venue itself did not offer anything but basic set-up, had this couple not hired a "Day of Wedding Coordinator" the guests would have arrived and the site would not have been ready.  This particular wedding coordinator had the planning knowledge and experience to pull the site together so that the ceremony and day could begin on time and the day would run smoothly. 

This past weekend, I arrived at a site 30 minutes before the ceremony.  No chairs were set-up, and the coordinator was no where to be found.  I took it upon myself to ask one of the waitresses about the ceremony chairs, she said that chairs were not on the set-up sheet.  I explained that it must have been an oversight and asked if she could ensure that the chairs were put out quickly, which gratefully she did as guests were mulling about. 

Your wedding day and celebration is important, and while chairs are hardly a small detail, a professional wedding coordinator, not affiliated with your site, will ensure that your day runs smoothly and that the small details are tended to. My experience has taught me, that if you have it in your budget for a "Day of Wedding Coordinator" it is money well spent.