Wedding Planner vs Wedding Coordinator
Planning a wedding can feel like trying to learn a foreign language..it is HARD if you aren’t versed in the industry. This is why it really is important to hire a professional to help! BUT (yes, there is but-bare with us), a lot of times a couple will hire a wedding professional to help them through the planning process and then quickly realize that they don’t exactly know what they hired this person to do! That is why we fully recommend that before deciding on a wedding professional and a package- take some time to understand the difference between a wedding planner and a wedding coordinator and then choose the option and package that suits your needs and budget the best! At Finerr Weddings and Events, we offer both coordination and planning services- and we're here to give you a rundown on the difference between the two and hopefully help you in choosing which one fits your needs best for your big day!
First things first, we created this cute and handy graphic just for you! This gives you a clear breakdown on the differences between hiring a wedding planner and a wedding coordinator. Screenshot this, Pin it to your Pinterest board, take a mental picture- whatever works best for you in keeping this cheat sheet on hand.
Before we dig deeper into both roles- here’s a big picture explanation on the difference between wedding planner and wedding coordinator. We like to say that you can think of a wedding planner as your new best friend, like your logistical maid of honor. They are there by your side throughout the majority of the wedding planning process. From the moment you say YES until your lounging by the pool on your honeymoon- your wedding planner will be there, helping with it all.
On the other hand, think of a wedding coordinator as your wedding guru. They are there to help you cross all your t’s and dot your i’s in the weeks before your big day and come day of your wedding, your coordinator will be your right hand man (or woman) to ensure everything goes off without a hitch! Make sense? Let’s break it down a little further into the finer details!
Wedding Coordinator
If you’re excited to plan your wedding and have an overall picture on what you’re trying to achieve…but just need help with the execution- a wedding coordinator is for you! A wedding coordinator will usually begin helping you prepare between 30-60 days out. On the day of your wedding, your coordinator will function as the point person for all things. They are there on your big day to ensure everything runs smoothly, all vendors and venue needs are taken care of and to take the logistics and stress off of you and your loved ones plates so that you all can sit back, relax and enjoy this monumental day!
Although every business offers slightly different packages, you can usually count on your wedding coordinator to manage these items leading up to your wedding day: Recommending the right vendors for your style and budget and making those introductions (this can also include preferred vendor discounts!); creation of a detail oriented wedding day timeline; management and coordination of all vendor on-site logistics including arrival time, venue requirements, set up information and any questions they may have; coordination and oversight of the wedding rehearsal.
On the day of your wedding, you can typically expect the following from your wedding coordinator: Be onsite early to ensure all is ready and manage all vendor arrivals and set up; set up of any needed wedding decorations; ensure all day of deliveries arrive and are correct; direct and oversee wedding ceremony, cocktail hour and reception and ensure the timeline is maintained; assist bride and groom with any issues that may arise; overall onsite support for bridal party and vendors throughout the duration of the wedding; clean up after event is complete and collection of any decor or rentals that need to be returned.
Wedding Planner
If you are wanting the least amount of wedding-related stress or simply do not have the time it takes to plan a proper wedding, then hiring a wedding planner is the route for you! We will note that a wedding planner will cost you more than a coordinator- so ensuring you have the proper budget to hire a planner is important as well.
When hiring a wedding planner, you can expect them to handle the following things for your wedding: Full management of the wedding budget; venue research, site visits and contract negotiations; vendor sourcing, negotiations and contracts; wedding design and decor; registry and website management; creation of guest list/seating chart; creation, delivery and management of wedding invitations and responses; management of all catering and alcohol; travel and lodging logistics; coordination of wedding rehearsal as well as rehearsal dinner planning and management; honeymoon planning. On the day of your wedding, you can expect that your wedding planner will do all of the same things that are involved with the wedding coordination day of- plus that extra layer of support as they will know all of the wedding day details thoroughly as they are the ones who planned it!
Venue Coordinator
Now, to make matters even more confusing, a lot of venues will provide and/or require you to use their venue coordinator. What can you expect to get from a venue coordinator? A venue coordinator works for the venue and they are focused on managing only the venue facilities and venue staff members to ensure the wedding runs smoothly from their end. Their responsibilities include items like providing a preferred list of vendors, working on event space logistics like room layout and vendor setups, ensuring all venue facilities are ready for use and working properly and final invoice details. If the task does not involve the venue or its staff members, a venue coordinator will not be able to help.
A lot of couples will see a venue coordinator and conclude that they will be assuming all of the typical roles of a planner or coordinator but that is not the case. Do not make the mistake of not hiring a planner or coordinator if your venue has a venue coordinator. A venue coordinators job is to work with your planner or coordinator to ensure all wedding day happenings go off without a hitch!
Now that all the details are out on the table, we hope we haven’t confused you more! If you are still undecided about what level of support you need for your wedding, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team here at Finerr Weddings and Events. We provide both wedding planning and wedding coordination services and offer packages to fit every couples budget and needs!
We truly pride ourselves here at Finerr Weddings Events on delivering top-rated wedding services along with our many years of expertise! Our goal with every wedding is to inspire, create the extraordinary and leave an impression that will last a lifetime. Learn more about what we offer at www.finerrweddingsandevents.com