Wedding Planner vs Venue Coordinator

 I found this article helpful in explaining the difference between the two roles.

The Difference Between A Wedding Planner And Venue Coordinator

"Unless you’re in the wedding industry, the differences between the two aren’t commonly known."

By 

Summer McLane, Contributor

 

Alright ladies, let’s talk about the differences between venue coordinators and wedding planners. As a wedding planner, one of my biggest pet peeves is when a venue sells their in-house coordinator as an actual wedding planner. I’ve learned that unless you’re in the wedding industry, the differences between the two aren’t commonly known.

About 4 years ago, I received a frantic call from a bride who desperately needed help with her wedding which was 36 hours away. Yes…36 HOURS AWAY! When booking her venue, she said that the biggest selling point was that the venue came with a coordinator. She was told that hiring an outside planner would be a waste of money since she was already paying for one with her venue. Filling out a last-minute questionnaire from the venue, she thought it was odd that they asked who her coordinator for the day would be. She answered “you” with a smiley face. The next day, she received an email stating that the person who she had been working with for months wasn’t even going to be at her wedding. She was confused as to why the bride would think she’d be there…maybe because that’s what she was told? Luckily, I was able to step in and make magic happen.

Here are some of the key differences between a venue coordinator and a wedding planner:

1. Venue:

Venue Coordinator- They are responsible for everything that specifically deals with the venue. Tables, chairs, linens, food, etc. If the venue provides catering, their focus is to make sure that the kitchen and wait staff are scheduled according to their needs.

Wedding Planner- They are responsible for everything that comes with your venue AND making sure that your vendors know where and when they’re supposed to be. If the venue provides linens, it is the job of the wedding planner to choose the color based on the design of the wedding and to keep the quantities correct.

2. Vendors:

Venue Coordinator- The venue coordinator will most-likely provide a list of preferred vendors and that’s the extent of their involvement when it comes to interacting with the vendors.

Wedding Planner - Your wedding planner will schedule and attend your meetings with your vendors. They are the main point of contact between you and your vendors. If a vendor is lost or running late or is having an emergency, they’ll contact your wedding planner who will then put out the fire. Your wedding planner gives recommendations based on vendors they’ve worked with previously. They also review contracts; set up hotel room blocks, etc.

3. Timeline:

Venue Coordinator- Hotels that provide catering will have a timeline solely for their catering staff. Their timeline will center around when the food will be prepared and served. That’s it.

Wedding Planner - The wedding planner’s timeline details all aspects of the day from the time that the bride wakes up to the moment that the doors close. As a wedding planner, I have to know every single that is happening with every single person involved in the day. I schedule arrival times for all vendors, when the photos will be taken, what songs will be played for each dance, when the cake will be cut and when and where the sparkler send-off will be. We do it ALL.

4. Accessibility:

Venue Coordinator - You’re most likely sharing your venue coordinator with at least 100 other brides. This means delayed responses to phone calls and emails. This also means that you have to try to catch them during business hours.

Wedding Planner – Fortunately (and unfortunately), wedding planners are available almost 24/7. Of course there are exceptions but if you’re having an emergency, you can pick up the phone and send a quick text message. Your venue coordinator isn’t giving you their personal cell phone number.

5. Design.

Venue Coordinator – They’re not designing your wedding. Period.

Wedding Planner – They’ll design your ceremony and reception. They’ll choose your colors, linens, flowers, table set-up and design and so on and so on.

Brides, do not make the mistake of not hiring a wedding planner because your venue has a “wedding coordinator”. Planners do drastically different things and they’re more hands-on. Believe me, spend the money on a planner at the beginning so that you don’t have to find out in the middle of planning that you don’t actually have a planner, but a venue coordinator.

 

Nicole and Morgan-Narragansett Home Wedding

      Nicole and Morgan had so many changes in their wedding plans due to COVID, but with all the necessary changes, managed to have a wonderful and special day with their closest friends and families. They had a gorgeous ceremony outside by the water in Narragansett, even with a little wind, managed to have a memorable ceremony with Nicole's brother as the officiant and sharing special stories and were married underneath an arbor built by Nicole's father.  Once the ceremony was over, guests headed back to the home of Nicole's parents and enjoyed a wonderful meal provided by Pranzi Catering. The Felix Brown Band played to a socially distance crowd and were incredible. The evening ended with a dessert buffet and late night snacks. What a wonderful day even with all the important changes! Congratulations Nicole and Morgan!

Kathy and Steve-Oceancliff

     I had such a wonderful time working with Kathy and Steve.  They were from New York and Kathy and I worked on the wedding for about 1 1/2 years.  After viewing a couple of different venues, they immediately fell in love with Oceancliff and the great team there.  It had everything that they needed and wanted for their wedding. I worked with them to match them with the perfect vendors for their wedding day, which included, Jennifer Neves Photography, Mike Picard Videography, Heavenly Weddings,Sayles Livingston Designs, Night Rhythm, JF3 Salon, and Scrumptions.  With a great team on their side, everything was absolutely seamless.  They had a gorgeous October day and could not have asked for a better back drop.  Their friend hired a painter to paint the first dance scene and it was amazing to watch. Congratulations to Kathy and Steve!

 Jennifer Neves and myself

 Almost done!

Alyssa and Kyle-The Graduate

     Alyssa and Kyle were college sweethearts from Providence College, where Kyle still works and had their ceremony at the chapel on campus. Which included pictures of the wedding party, with the Friars mascot! After a morning of some raindrops, the weather cleared for a beautiful ceremony and pictures on the grounds of the campus taken by my good friend Jennifer Neves from Jennifer Neves Photography.  After photos the couple headed to the Graduate to enjoy their cocktail hour with family and friends. 
     There were many personal touches by the couple, who had a great number of crafty friends that were able to make their dreams a reality! A gorgeous mirror painted for the ceremony and a fun donut display, that just about every guest enjoyed. This group was a huge dancing crowd and were on their feet until the end of the night. Such a fun wedding for a great couple! Congrats to Alyssa and Kyle!

Emme & Tripp-Private Home Westport, MA

Emme & Tripp held their wedding at a private home that Emme's family had rented for years. Their wedding ended up being the hottest day of the entire year, with temp's over 100 degrees!!! Luckily, their wedding was right on the water, so the breeze helped out immensely. This could not have been a more perfect spot for their wedding. The landscape of the property provided an opportunity to have a private space for the ceremony, to a coastal cocktail hour and dinner/reception under the tent. Emme and Tripp had many close friends help out with flowers and catering and really gave it such a beautiful, personal touch.  It was a wonderful, HOT day, but a beautiful wedding. Congrats to Emme and Tripp!

Erin and Ben-Glen Manor House

     Glen Manor House is one of my absolute favorite venue to be at so I am always excited to work there. Erin and Ben were planning a long distance wedding from Arizona and I worked with them so they could come here the weekend of the wedding, enjoy their family and friends and not worry about anything. Erin shipped me as many items as she had prior to the wedding so that she did not have to worry about packing anything or bringing additional luggage with her. What I love most about the Glen, is that you can really make it your own. There are so many places you can personalize and Erin and Ben really loved candlelight. I think it is the most candles I have ever seen there but it gave the house a beautiful soft warm glow to it, it was absolutely gorgeous. The food was provided by Glorious Affairs and they did an outstanding job with all that was offered.  Blooming Blossoms was the florist and as always Pam and her team did an amazing job. Congratulations to Erin and Ben!

Dolores and Jack Aldrich Mansion

     Dolores and Jack were married on a beautiful June Day at the Aldrich Mansion in Warwick, RI. Both the ceremony and reception were held on the property The bride started her day by getting hair and makeup by Kristin Greene and Company at the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel in Warwick. After hair and makeup the ladies headed over to the Aldrich Mansion to get dressed and to get ready for their first look. Upon arrival at the hotel, Dolores realized she forgot her veil in the hotel room.  We had it under control, Tara my trusty sidekick was at the hotel making sure guests were getting on the shuttles in time, got a room key, found the veil and brought it quickly to the mansion before any of the photos had even started. Sarah Pudlo was the photographer for the day and she does an amazing job keeping on time and takes some pretty amazing shots! Tony and the staff at the Aldrich Mansion always do such an excellent job, and with so many details incorporated into this wedding, we worked as a great team to get everything set up and broken down at the end of the evening. Of course, no wedding is complete at the Aldrich Mansion without the fantastic dessert room, which never disappoints a crowd of wedding guests. Congrats once again to Dolores and Jack!

Xinyu & TengTeng-Renaissance Providence

     Xinyu and Tengteng were planning a wedding with each living in a different state, so this made planning interesting! They were set on a wedding date so needed everything to work around the date.  The one must have was their ceremony at Brown University's, Manning Chapel because it had special meaning to the couple.  I always enjoy when I work with a couple from another country because I learn so much about the culture, and it is a great experience. The Renaissance Providence provided the perfect location that the couple was looking for.  A hotel for their guests to stay and a small intimate setting for their reception. Most of their guests had come from out of the country, so they need to make everything as easy as possible for them.  It was such a beautiful wedding for a beautiful couple. Congrats to Xinyu and Tengteng.