Do you know the difference between a
“Wedding Planner” and a “Venue Coordinator”?
If not (or maybe you think you do), stay tuned to learn more
about each of them.
Many brides and grooms think that they’re one in the same
and believe that hiring a Wedding Planner whilst the venue provides their own
coordinator is essentially paying for the same service twice. This is entirely inaccurate! The Wedding Planner and the Venue Coordinator
each have their own job descriptions, purpose, and involvement on your wedding
day. The difference is that the Venue
Coordinator works for the venue and supports their interests. The Wedding Planner works for you – the Bride
and Groom.
The Wedding Planner
The role of the Wedding Planner is to ensure your wedding
runs smoothly and exceeds your expectations.
Planners offer various levels of service and are likely to have planned
most, if not all, of the elements of your wedding day from start to finish.
You can hire a wedding planner right from the start –
sharing your vision for your dream wedding.
The planner then steps into action with an exact idea of the logistics
and style of your wedding. For the bride
and groom, this means there is someone on hand throughout the process who knows
every detail about your wedding day. So
while you’re off getting married, you and your family can relax and enjoy every
moment knowing that you have a planner ensuring every aspect of your day will
be executed to perfection.
A Wedding Planner will be onsite and accessible on your Wedding
Day from early morning until the last vendor has dismantled and departed the
venue. The planner will double (and
triple check) that everything is just as you had envisioned – from the place
settings to the lighting to those always entertaining toasts from the Best Man
and Maid of Honor, and everything in-between.
Your planner handles the details and timings ensuring that everything
runs according to schedule and plan.
The Wedding Planner is always prepared and can make sure
that if anything goes wrong, they have the answer for it. They come prepared for any potential
mishap. From those ever important vendor
contact details to emergency sewing kits and breath mints, your planner will
make sure there is never a need for panic.
The Venue Coordinator
The Venue Coordinator is usually the individual that
responds to your initial inquiry and provides a tour of the venue. Their role is part salesperson, ambassador
for the venue, and point of contact between the couple and the on-site
operations team.
The Venue Coordinator is responsible for all aspects of your
wedding day that are specific to the venue.
Examples include drawing up the contract, organizing and scheduling the
menu tastings, and monitoring all payments.
Once you’ve confirmed your wedding date, you will have little to no
contact with them until a month or two before your wedding to sort out the
logistics for your wedding day.
On the actual wedding day, their responsibility is to ensure
the venue is set up correctly, your vendors adhere to their rules and that your
refreshments and wedding breakfast are served correctly. Many venue coordinators leave after the main
meal has been served, perhaps leaving an operations manager or banquet manager
in charge.
If you’re having a multi-venue wedding, your Wedding Planner
and their team(s) will work together to set up each venue and coordinate
transportation between them – something your in-house Venue Coordinator (who is
tied to their specific venue) will be unable to do.
Regarding vendors, if you ask a Venue Coordinator for
recommendations on a caterer, bakery, florist, music, etc., you will find that
they will likely suggest someone from their own recommended list. Unbeknownst to you, these are most likely
vendors who have paid to be on their list or who work on a commission
basis. This is not true with all Venues, most refer vendors they are comfortable with and haven been working with over the years. So, you may not really be getting an
honest referral based on someone’s merits or experience.
By contrast, Wedding Planners invest their time to build up
a network of trusted vendors who they can call upon. Not only will the Wedding Planner be
personally acquainted with their work, but they’ll also tailor their vendor
recommendations based on your budget, wedding style and personality. This will ensure that you have a team of
wedding professionals that we know will deliver superior service at the best
value all within your budget.
Cost
Now that you’ve learned the difference between the role of
the Wedding Planner and the role of the Venue Coordinator, you may now be wondering
if the Wedding Planner is a wise and costly addition to your wedding. As previously stated, the Wedding Planner
works for you – the bride and groom. They
are well-versed in sourcing services through tough negotiations on your
behalf. We ensure that you get the most
bang for your buck and pass on any savings from preferential rates to our
valued clients. As such, the Wedding
Planner can save you not only time, but also money.
The Venue Coordinator may seem like a ‘free wedding
planner’, but actually, they don’t have nearly as close a relationship or as
deep an involvement as a Wedding Planner would have. They are answerable to the venue and less
able to offer discounts or other opportunities for savings.
Conclusion
There are many Venue Coordinators who are outstanding and go
above and beyond to ensure their clients have their perfect wedding day and are
a joy for the Wedding Planner to work alongside. Nonetheless, it’s important to remember that
the Wedding Planner is yours from the moment you’re engaged till you leave for
your honeymoon. On the other hand, the
Venue Coordinator is more likely to be available during set office hours during
the planning phase of your wedding and for a limited time on your actual
wedding day.
In conclusion, the difference between a Wedding Planner and
a Venue Coordinator simply comes down to the fact that a Wedding Planner has a
greater vested interest in every aspect of your wedding because we are working
for you.
YDYW
At Your Day Your Way, our goal as Wedding Planners is to
make sure everything, up to and including the day of your wedding, not only
runs smoothly, but is stress-free. This
allows you and your family to relax, enjoy your engagement as well as your
Wedding Day!
As previously explained, a Wedding Planner can
help you from the very beginning - from budget planning, creating your design
and color scheme, to the all-important Vendor selection (for example, the
venue, caterer, florist, entertainment, transportation – you
name it!) This saves you time while also
keeping you within budget. I’ve had so many
brides share that they had been contacting vendors on their lunch break or
between work and school only to be forced to leave a message and wait for a
return call – which, of course, happens when you can’t answer the phone. A wedding planner can make all of the phone
calls and handle all the details, while keeping you involved throughout the
planning process.
In addition to the wedding planning packages we offer, we
also provide “Day-Of” services. As your
Wedding Planner, we know what you envision for your wedding day and will
execute it to perfection. Many couples
have proclaimed that they have family and friends that can (and want to) help
with the setup of the décor at the venue or church, and the bride and groom can
“get themselves down the aisle”. At Your
Day Your Way, we want you, your family, and friends to enjoy your wedding day
without the stress. We have an expert team
that can handle all the details. We also
make sure your vendors arrive on time and are set up.
Have a loose button?
Is your hem falling out? We have
that emergency sewing kit ready to go.
Need a Band-Aid, Tylenol or ibuprophin?
We have the emergency medical kit as well. Whatever your last-minute needs, we are here
for you.
Your Day Your Way takes the planning off your shoulders, but
never out of your hands! Let us handle
the time-consuming details so you can enjoy being engaged!
Like most vendors, we vary in price. Do your research. Look at how long they have been in
business. Read their reviews. Meet with the Wedding Planner. You want to hire a Wedding Planner that
you’re comfortable with – if you can’t meet them face-to-face, talk with them
over the phone. Don’t just look at their
web site and decide they are not for you.
Just because they are Popular or Expensive doesn’t mean they are the
right Wedding Planner for you.
Congratulations on your engagement and I look
forward to the opportunity to work with you to plan your dream wedding.
