How Operational Strategy Elevates Every Event
Behind the scenes isn’t just where I work, it’s where I lead.
From coordinating large-scale corporate events at Levi’s Stadium to directing weddings with precision, my role is about logistics, foresight, and seamless guest experience, no matter the scale.
Bringing Operational Precision to Meaningful Moments
Ever wondered what really goes into coordinating a seamless wedding or event?
Whether you're a couple planning your big day or someone exploring the events industry, here's a look behind the scenes, from strategy and systems to the thoughtful decisions that make each experience feel calm, joyful, and entirely you.
Before launching The Day-of, I managed complex programs and workplace operations for Bay Area companies, including corporate events. What I bring to weddings is a blend of hospitality, logistics, and structure, so your day doesn’t just go smoothly... it’s built to.
High-Touch Events Meet Operational Precision.
Through my business, The Day-of, LLC, I manage the event lifecycle, serving as the strategist and creative director and the operator onsite. Picture an operations director meets set director, and what you get is a blend of cinematic framing and calm authority with a creative flair.
At a wedding rehearsal, I do not just see you as simply practicing your walk; I see you emerging from the trees, flowing down the aisle, before taking your final steps toward a new chapter, and for corporate functions, I see the moment a nervous or introverted executive tests the mic, before the room fills with curious employees, and the company’s message begins to take shape.
But before we can get to the theatrics, each engagement does include strategy:
Intake workflows that mirror professional CRM systems, helping me assess scope, fit, and budget alignment before we even step on-site.
Custom logistics plans that follow structured timelines and include vendor handoffs, lead times, and built-in risk buffers.
On-site execution that includes directing cross-functional teams like venue staff, catering, AV, photographers, and transportation—all while ensuring the guest experience remains seamless.
Continuous process improvement allows me to scale the business and improve outcomes for every future event.
Real-world venue knowledge applied to wedding and event safety.
While I no longer manage speedlane vendors and breach protocols, I still carry that situational awareness into every wedding. Understanding safety requirements—such as chair spacing or egress aisle widths—means I often notice details that many hobbyist planners might overlook.
Foresight and on-the-fly problem solving are core to what I do. Sometimes that means intercepting a timeline delay, and other times, it’s making a quiet safety call to keep everything running without you ever knowing a thing happened.
Translating Program Management into Event Leadership
My background includes leading fire and security projects for school districts, universities, and hospitals, plus overseeing a global security account worth nearly $20M. It may sound unrelated to weddings, but the operational structure, pressure management, high-stakes risk, and stakeholder alignment required in those roles show up on wedding days more often than you think—and vice versa.
I’ve worked in high-stakes environments where a missed detail could cost millions or compromise safety. Weddings and events may feel different, but the principles are the same: act early, think clearly, and lead with intention.
“It’s about more than execution. It’s ownership. Ownership of the process, the result, and the reputation tied to both.“
— Layla, Owner of The Day-of, LLC
Your wedding or event isn’t just a celebration. It’s a complex production with emotional weight. You deserve a leader who not only understands logistics but who anticipates risk, brings clarity to complexity, and ensures the experience feels effortless for guests, teams, and stakeholders alike. I lead with purpose, make decisions that move the needle, and don’t shy away from accountability. My ability to drive accountability and deliver consistent results has been recognized across teams and leadership.
That’s what I bring: calm behind the curtain, strategy in motion, and a deep commitment to making sure your event feels as effortless as it looks.
Why It Matters
Whether managing internal communication among cross-functional teams or coaching a new vendor through day-of execution, my work is rooted in people-first leadership and precision under pressure. That same operational mindset supports seamless experiences, whether I’m partnering with clients directly or collaborating with teams behind the scenes.
Behind every seamless experience is a leader who planned for what others missed. That’s where I operate best, behind the scenes, driving results.
The Day-Of… and Then Some.
Many couples assume “day-of coordination” means your coordinator shows up with a clipboard to execute whatever’s been planned. And to be fair, for many coordinators, that’s exactly what happens.
By the time a couple reaches out to me, they’ve usually done a lot. They’ve booked their vendors, outlined a timeline, and maybe even created a color-coded spreadsheet. But here’s the thing: those timelines? They’re rarely ready to execute. Not without vendor transitions, contingency buffers, and the minute-by-minute flow that only someone who’s been behind the scenes of hundreds of events knows to plan for.
The moment I start asking questions, there’s usually a pause—and then:
“Oh… we didn’t even think of that.”
Which makes sense. They’re not supposed to think of that. That’s where The Day-of comes in.
Yes, I’m your day-of coordinator, but I don’t wait until the day-of to get involved.
My approach blends light planning with hands-on coordination. I step in about six weeks out, long before your event, to review what you’ve already put together, spot the gaps, and start building a plan that works. That means coordinating vendor arrival times, managing transitions, flagging red flags in your timeline, and adding the kind of detail most people don’t think to include.
For example, when clients tell me there will be speeches, I don’t just block off 15 minutes and hope for the best. I confirm who is speaking, recommend they keep it to 2–3 minutes max, and build each one directly into the timeline, with cues for the DJ so they know exactly who to announce and when.
That’s how we avoid awkward pauses, lost transitions, and moments where no one knows what’s supposed to happen next.
It’s not about redoing what you’ve done. It’s about making sure what you’ve built can hold up under the weight of real people, real timelines, and real unpredictability.
And while every event is different, there’s a rhythm to what I do behind the scenes, from quiet fixes, smart pivots, and all the little things you didn’t know you needed until someone’s there making them happen.
So, what does that look like?
Confirming who’s giving a toast, how long they’ll speak, and whether it’s a casual toast or a formal champagne moment. If glasses need to be poured, I build in time for venue staff to do it, so we’re not announcing a toast while half the room is still empty-handed.
Asking the questions others don’t: Is wine already on the tables? If so, who’s opening it? If there are corks, are wine keys provided at each table, or is someone walking around doing it? These details don’t seem big until they are.
Timing dinner service and bussing around key moments like pausing dish clearing during toasts so guests don’t hear clanking silverware over someone’s speech. It’s something I plan for while reviewing timelines because I’ve worked in venues where no one did, and the day-of coordinator had to carry it out anyway, despite the noise, awkward looks from guests, and staff stuck trying to follow the timeline as written or risk throwing off the flow of service.
These aren’t extras. This is the work. The kind that keeps your event from becoming a series of avoidable surprises.
In Closing
You’ve already hired vendors, picked a venue, and planned out the details. My job is to make sure all of that doesn’t fall apart under the pressure of a real event with real people and real timing.
The Day-of isn’t just the day of. It’s everything leading up to it that ensures you can enjoy it.
Stay tuned for our next post, where we’ll share real-world planning insights, behind-the-scenes tips, and things most couples don’t know they need—until they do.