The Uncorked Coordinator

Event basics

The stuff nobody tells you about working events.

I'm Katie. Twenty years behind bars, in pastry kitchens, and on event floors. Here's what I carry, what I've learned, and how to build an event business of your own.

See what's in my bag Brands, start here

Run of show · Saturday

  1. Load in. Steamer plugged in before the linens come out of the bag.
  2. Vendor check. AirTag says the cake is two miles out.
  3. Ceremony. One earbud in, watch on silent, fanny pack zipped.
  4. Cocktail hour. Bar is three deep. Pull the backup ice.
  5. Last call, last dance, last box in the car.

Every item on this page has worked a shift like this one.

The planner's kit

What's in my bag on event day

These are the tools I reach for when the timeline starts slipping. If I wouldn't pack it, it isn't on this list.

Pack first

Handheld steamer

Linens, chair sashes, a groom's shirt, a bridesmaid's hem. Wrinkles show up in every photo, and this fixes them in minutes.

Shop link coming soon

Always on

Wireless earbuds

One ear on the call with the catering captain, one ear on the room. You hear the problem before a guest tells you about it.

Shop link coming soon

Quiet alerts

Apple Watch

A tap on the wrist during toasts beats a phone buzzing in your hand. Timers for every cue, and nobody sees you check them.

Shop link coming soon

Peace of mind

AirTag in the bag

My kit goes venue to venue. When it gets moved to a back hallway by a well-meaning server, I know exactly where to look.

Shop link coming soon

Hands free

The fanny pack

Safety pins, a lighter, bobby pins, a pen, mints, and the vendor contact sheet. Everything I need without walking back to the bag.

Shop link coming soon

Dressed to work

Planner outfits

Black, pockets, shoes you can stand in for twelve hours. Looking polished and moving fast at the same time is a skill, and clothes help.

Shop link coming soon

Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only share things I use on real events.

Stories from the floor

How I got here, and what it taught me

The tools matter, but the stories are where the lessons are.

2013

I hired a bad planner for my own wedding

So I started Eat Drink N Be Marry to make sure other couples got the planner I wish I'd had. That frustration became a business that's still running.

Pastry

From the pastry kitchen to the event floor

I trained as a pastry chef before I ever sold an event. Knowing how a kitchen runs changes how you write a timeline and how you talk to a chef at 6 PM on a Saturday.

2017–19

Three years of Planner of the Year

WeddingWire named me Wedding Planner of the Year three years running. What actually earned it was the small stuff, and I'll break all of it down here.

6 venues

Selling events for six venues at once

Running sales across multiple venues teaches you fast what matters to a client and what doesn't. This is the series for anyone who wants to sell events, not only plan them.

For brands

Content made by someone who actually works the event

I make UGC and product stories for brands that serve planners, venues, bartenders, and the people who hire them. Your product gets shown in a real setting, by someone who uses it under pressure.

  • UGC videoShort vertical videos showing your product in use on event days, in setup, or in my kit. You own the content for your ads and channels.
  • Product storiesYour product told through a real event moment, posted to The Uncorked Coordinator.
  • AffiliateLong-term placement in the planner's kit for products I use and recommend.
  • Good fitEvent and wedding gear, hospitality and bar tools, workwear, tech, planning software, and venues.

Let's talk about your product

Send me a DM or an email with what you make and what you're hoping the content does for you. I'll reply with ideas and rates.

Message me on Instagram

Or email me:

theuncorkedcoordinator@gmail.com

@theuncorkedcoordinator on Instagram and Pinterest

About Katie

Twenty years, every side of the event

I've served, bartended, run a pastry station, managed the floor, coordinated, planned, and sold events. I've done the job you're trying to get.

I'm based in San Diego and have run Eat Drink N Be Marry since 2013. Before that and alongside it, I worked my way from serving and bartending into event coordination, event sales, and directing sales across six venues.

The Uncorked Coordinator is where I take all of it back to basics. What to pack, what to wear, how to handle the day, and how to turn event work into a business you own.

  • Founder, Eat Drink N Be Marry, since 2013
  • WeddingWire Wedding Planner of the Year, 2017, 2018, 2019
  • Pastry training, San Diego Culinary Institute
  • Director of event sales across six venues