What is the difference between a Wedding Planner and a Venue Coordinator?
When you’re about to start planning a wedding, everything can seem a little daunting so the offer of a little help can be an awfully reassuring idea.
Some venues include the services of a coordinator for free, which seems like a pretty sweet deal and you may consider that there is then no need for a wedding planner. However, there are some major differences between a wedding coordinator and a wedding planner, and you may not realise how much their jobs really vary.
The biggest difference really is that they work for completely different people. A venue coordinator, no matter how lovely they are or how special they want your day to be, works for the venue that they represent. This means that anything outside the details of the venue isn’t something that they will deal with. They won’t help out with dress meltdowns, nightmare bridesmaids, or any sort of advice in the early days of planning your wedding. Because of this, it can be difficult to create a personal relationship with your wedding coordinator, and some venues may have more than one, so you may be dealing with lots of different people in the lead-up to your big day. Obviously, this can completely depend on the venue that you’ve chosen, but it’s something that's worth checking out.
On the other hand, if you’ve secured the services of a wedding planner, then that person or team works for you alone. They are not solely available with the purchase of a venue, and can help with the entire process. They could help with all aspects of the wedding from the start of the planning, including the smaller details that people often don’t think about, to the clear up the day after. Add to this the fact that as your wedding planner gets to know you, they’ll understand your taste as a couple, meaning they can give you great ideas that reflect both your tastes as well as industry tips for your wedding day.
Many couples want a familiar face helping out across the journey of their wedding. Venue coordinators can be fantastically organised and helpful people, but chances are, you won’t be hearing from them in the time between booking the venue and the immediate lead-up to your day. They’ll have lots of weddings to co-ordinate in that time, and you may find the only communication you get with them is about the final invoice for the venue. Your wedding planner however will love making sure that your wedding is exactly how you want it, with every last detail that you’ve thought about in the planning period. A wedding coordinator will do everything they can on the day, but, as many brides have learned, a wedding is a lot more than a day’s work!
If you need to know the exits and entrances for your venue, or the best place for the florist to park, then a venue coordinator is exactly the kind of help you’ll need. If you want a lot of the stress relieved whilst planning your wedding, from the paperwork to the rings, then it sounds like you’d really appreciate the benefits of a wedding planner.
Ps did we mention that our full service wedding planning will not cost you a single penny, want to find out how? Visit our website!