"My wedding venue comes with a wedding planner, we won't need your services." I can't tell you how many times I have heard that. Let's clear up any confusion with a clear explanation of who does what in this blog post! The venue coordinator or banquet manager and your wedding planner both have very different jobs on the wedding day. We work together seamlessly to ensure your wedding day is perfect. We ask you different questions and we take on very different roles.
Your venue coordinator works for your venue. He/she will guide you in all venue related aspects such as menu creation, pricing items you will receive from the venue, food samplings, vendor access times based on events taking place that weekend and scheduling staffing for your event. It's important to note that you may be working with a sales team up until the wedding day, and then a banquet team steps in and takes over.
The venue coordinator won't know which vendors you have hired and for which tasks, with the exception of the preferred vendors that are included with the venue. Otherwise, they won't know if the florist delivers the incorrect order. They won't know if you have ordered a wedding cake if one doesn't show up.
The venue coordinator will make sure that all scheduled food and beverage services go according to schedule. Your venue coordinator will probably be in the kitchen throughout dinner service, rather than present on the floor if you need anything.
Your wedding planner will make sure every event goes according to plan including speeches, dances, emcee notes- everything that falls in-between those food and beverage services.
Your wedding planner works for you. We are advocates for you on the wedding day. We ensure there are no gaps in the contracts or services on the wedding day.
We set up personal décor, we cue music, we coordinate vendors/ingress/egress, we work with you throughout your entire planning process. We have a very clear idea of your expectations on the wedding day. We are onsite all day to ensure those expectations are met.
Your venue coordinator will help you create an appetizer/dinner timeline. They will be able to give you valuable information on how long each course will take, or the best location of the bar.
Your wedding planner will create a timeline starting at hair and make up bright and early in the morning right through to last song of the night. Your wedding planner will talk to all of your vendors to make sure the timeline is realistic and cohesive based on the services ordered. Your wedding planner has a hand in everything. Period.
Your venue coordinator likely takes on hundreds of events every year and works a structured schedule. This means that if you have a pre-wedding emergency at 10pm the night before the wedding, you are on your own.
Your wedding planner takes on a limited number of events per year, and will provide you with their personal cell phone number. While we always strive for a healthy work/life balance and structured boundaries, the bottom line is that if you call at 10pm the night before your wedding, we will help you.
The venue coordinator will not help you with any Style and Design. You are on your own to determine how everything will come together. You are on your own to find the vendors that you are looking to hire based on your Pinterest board.
Your wedding planner will design your entire wedding day. They will accompany you to meetings, create vision boards, budgets, suggest vendors and tie everything together with a smile.
Hiring a wedding planner early in your engagement will save you money, time and confusion. Don't wait to find out half way through your planning process that you are actually navigating 75% of your wedding on your own. Consultations are complimentary with most planners so reach out to see how a planner can add value to your wedding day.
Happy Planning!
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