Meet Cindy Decker of Cindy Decker Weddings

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cindy Decker. 

Hi Cindy, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
In 2017, a good friend of mine asked me if I would consider coordinating her daughter’s wedding. She said her daughter was looking for a “wedding coordinator” and since my friend knew me so well, she thought I would be perfect for the job. Honestly, though, I had no idea what a “wedding coordinator” actually was! As it turns out, I’ve already coordinated two other weddings – my sister’s & my best friend’s 10 years prior. I just didn’t know there was an actual title for it out there in the wedding industry world. So, I said yes to my friend and coordinated her daughter’s wedding in the spring of 2017. When it was over, I went home that night high on adrenaline and told my husband I had been bitten by the wedding bug, and there was no turning back. 

After coordinating that first wedding, I went on to coordinate another wedding of a close friend’s daughter. Soon, I realized there was a real need for services like these out there. Brides and families want to enjoy their wedding day. They do not want to worry about setting up their decorations or making sure their cake arrives on time and placed in the right spot. They like when someone is in the back who knows the nuances of a ceremony and who can get them and their bridal party down the aisle. Basically, solving hiccup after hiccup that comes up on any given wedding day is the job of a coordinator. Soon, I began advertising my services on Facebook and before long, my first “stranger” contacted me to set up a meeting to talk about her wedding. It didn’t hurt that this first bride was also a wedding photographer, so some invaluable networking had begun! It was at this time, I realized I could make a business out of this. So, I started my own LLC, and Cindy Decker Weddings, LLC was born. 

I spent a great deal of time researching what a wedding coordinator was and what they do. Like I said, I didn’t know that was a “thing”! I had heard of wedding planners before, but not exactly wedding coordinators. Basically, it means that the couple does all of their own planning – securing their vendors, deciding on their decorations, attending their tastings, picking out their flowers, etc. Then, the wedding coordinator is used to pull everything together at the tail-end of their planning and execute it on their wedding day so the couple, or their friends and family, don’t have to. Many couples want to do their own planning. I get that! And for me, with a family of 3 super active kids, I didn’t necessarily want to devote the time and attention it would take to full-blown planning. Although I love the idea of wedding planning as a whole, I knew I could give my couples so much more attention by coordinating their weddings, rather than planning them. The term “day-of coordinator” is used frequently and it simply means that your wedding day is being coordinated for you. Of course, that takes some pre-work to do it correctly, but the whole point is so the couple can relax on their wedding day and let someone else do the work. Once we’ve met and toured their venue, at about a month out, that’s when I really start to take the reins. I take the loose ends, tie them up neatly with a bow and ensure my couple has the wedding day they’ve been dreaming of…and planning for so long. 

I’m constantly amazed to think how far I’ve come. I’ve always been the “party planner” for my family and friends, so this was a natural fit for me. Details and logistics literally get me excited. I have met so many wonderful wedding vendors during this journey, in every single category – photographers, videographers, DJs, florists, caterers, linen providers, rentals of all kinds, transportation, live musicians, photo booth operators, even cigar rollers! Because of this, I have many recommendations for my couples when they have missing holes in their vendor list. I love the relationships I’ve developed in this industry. I’m happy to say that I am also in touch with several other wedding coordinators around the country and am constantly learning and growing, thanks to them. 

It took me quite a while to develop my “system” and how I would be of most value to my couples. I believe I’m finally at a point where it all makes sense and I feel like I’m super helpful and useful to them. After we’ve sat down for our first meeting and I’ve asked them a million questions, more times than not they look at me and say how good they feel. Many of them have said to me, they feel like a weight has been lifted off their shoulders because they have me on their team to help guide them to the finish line. Comments like that never get old to hear and just reiterate that this is what I’m meant to do. The wedding industry is magical. We are constantly making dreams come true and I’m honored to be a part of it! 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
When I started my business, it was definitely challenging trying to figure out how to BE a business. I’m not what you would call a “business person.” Thankfully, I had my husband and a cousin who knew a lot about the business world and how to run things, especially from a financial standpoint. I remember constantly researching what I would charge a couple who came to me. What were my services worth? Where do I even begin? That definitely took some time and a great deal of thought. In 2019, I created a website on my own, which was also a pretty good challenge for me. I had never done anything like that before. I had to do a lot of learning – researching, attending webinars, talking with other professionals – as I got my website off the ground. But I did it and am very proud of that accomplishment! 

Not every wedding was perfectly smooth either. One wedding, in particular, stands out to me as probably, and hopefully, the biggest challenge of my career. It was in May 2019. My couple wanted a rooftop ceremony on one of the Eastern Market buildings (downtown Detroit), then their reception at the Detroit Yacht Club. Setting up at the DYC all day went well until the cakes (to be used as centerpieces) were late forcing me to have to leave my assistant behind to deal with the cakes (and decorate them!) while I raced off to the rooftop to run the processional. Upon arriving, the weather started to turn. The skies darkened and the winds picked up, blowing over all the chairs and the arch, already decorated with flowers. With my bride in tears inside, a massive storm hit right at ceremony time. The building owners turned to me and said, “The 200 people on the rooftop have to be evacuated…now.” I’m receiving this information in my earpiece at the same time I’m consoling my bride. As I reassured her everything would be ok, I headed out and started moving the 200 guests down the spiral stairwell that ran down the center of the building. There’s nowhere for the guests to go so they are just lining the stairwell from top to bottom. I ran back up to the rooftop, made some quick adjustments to the setup by scrapping the chairs and moving the arch under the small canopy that was there. With the storm letting up a bit and me getting the word that it’s safe for everyone to come back, I ran back to the top of the stairwell and made an announcement from the top floor to the bottom, “This is now a standing room only wedding! We are going to do this for our bride and groom! Let’s all huddle under the canopy, form an aisle down the middle, and get these two married!” Much to my surprise, everyone clapped and cheered! After the ceremony, my bride was telling me how much she loved it and how it “felt even more like ‘them’ than it would’ve.” I learned a lot about myself that day. I learned what I was capable of. I was completely drenched from the storm by the end of it, but it’s a wedding I’ll never forget and never want to forget. Challenge accepted. 

We’ve been impressed with Cindy Decker Weddings, LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I absolutely love meeting new couples and hearing their story and listening to what they want on their wedding day. The first time we sit down and have our first meeting is probably one of my favorite parts of the process, besides their wedding day. It’s when we get on the same page and “click.” I have been truly blessed by the couples that have crossed my path. I can honestly say I have never had a “bridezilla.” People ask me that all the time. I have had the sweetest couples all the way through and it just makes my job so much more rewarding. Seeing my bride across a crowded reception space, smiling from ear to ear because she’s having the time of her life and isn’t worried about the tiny details all around her – that’s what it’s all about for me. 

As a wedding coordinator, a typical day includes being a gopher, playing florist, decorator, electrician, builder, go-to person, therapist, keeper of the timeline, cleaning crew, hostess and nurse. I am the one who has the Mary Poppins bag full of anything my couple and their bridal party might need. I create the day-of timeline and work hard at sticking to it. I do anything and everything that needs to be done to ensure that my couple has the wedding day of their dreams. 

I also have to mention the many incredible vendors I’ve met along the way. I love coming alongside any vendor to make their job easier on wedding day, helping out with whatever they need to ultimately make the entire day more seamless. The wedding industry is full of people who are willing to bend over backwards to make their clients happy. We all want the same thing – a happy couple. And when I get a team of outstanding vendors and we all come together on a wedding day to shine in each one’s expertise, it’s a magical sight! That’s been a lot of fun as I’ve grown my business. I’ve met some wonderful, hard-working people. 

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I have to start by giving credit to my husband and my kids. They have been so supportive throughout this journey as it was bound to take up a lot of my time. My husband, though, not only helps me figure out many business-related issues but he’s also served as an assistant for me several times on wedding days. I’m pretty convinced he can do anything. 

Secondly, I wouldn’t be a wedding coordinator at all if it wasn’t for my friend, Kris, asking me back in 2017 to coordinate her daughter’s wedding. It’s really there that it all began. 

Finally, I would also have to say credit goes to my couples. Like I said, I have had the best couples! And they continue to write amazing reviews for me and recommend me to their friends and family. It’s always an honor to coordinate a bride’s wedding, and then her sister’s wedding, and then her best friend’s wedding. 

Contact Info:

• Email: cdweddings17@gmail.com
• Website: www.cindydeckerweddings.com
• Instagram: cindydeckerweddings
• Facebook: Cindy Decker Weddings, LLC

Image Credits
Christin Williams
Falcon Film Studios
Madalyn Muncy Photography
K. Danielle Photography
Avery Phillips Photo