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.

 

Microweddings-What are they? Should I have one?

     Microweddings have increased immensely due to Covid 19 this year.  This is a smaller version of both the ceremony and the reception, typically no more than 50 guests.  It is a super intimate wedding based of guests that are usually family and only close friends. Many couples don't look at it as a way to cut costs, but to provide more for their guests that they may have not been able to offer initially.  It is the perfect compromise if a couple still wants to get married in 2020 and does not want to postpone.  A smaller wedding may offer the opportunity to be more creative.  You could possible afford more florals or linens and decor, or add some lighting. You could move to a top shelf bar offerings and possibly an extra dessert or late night snack. A microwedding provides an opportunity to spend more time with your guests because there are not as many people to greet. Whether or not to have a microwedding is a personal choice. Many people want the larger wedding and are opting to postpone to 2021, And with many strict guidelines still in place in Rhode Island, the postponement means a full dance floor and a bar that guests can enjoy. No matter what you choose, it is between you and your spouse and what fits for you.  We are always here to help and answer your questions. 

Hope is not cancelled...

     It is August, I have not done a wedding since October 2019.  This is the longest I have gone without a wedding in 15 years.  In this time, I feel like a part of me is missing. I love what I do, I am passionate about my work, I truly love the connection with my clients and I have established such wonderful and meaningful relationships with vendors over the years, not seeing them has been difficult.  But we have to hold on top hope, that we will get past this difficult time and watch the joy on couples faces as they say their vows.  We have to embrace the micro weddings, because for the time being, they are what is possible. In an uncertain time, we have to have hope that the love of couples about to be married will prevail and they will embrace the changes that the wedding will now have. In the end, what really matters is the love between two people, looking to share a lifetime together. For now, we have hope, we have to hold on to that with all we can.  I miss you all and can't wait to share in your memories soon. 

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!

Amanda and Mike-Acoaxet Club

Amanda and Mike were married at the Westport Free Chapel in Westport, MA.  It was such a quaint location with much history to the small chapel.  After the ceremony, guests headed down the stree for the reception at the Acoaxet Club.  The cocktail hour was held outside on the lawn and it had a beautiful scenic view of the ocean.  The theme that Amanda and Mike went with was party animals, because they wanted their guests to relax and have a good time.  Many of the guests had rented private homes in the area, to be close to the couple for the weekend.  After a wonderful dinner, guests were on the dance floor most of the night. After the reception, they headed to the rented home of Amanda and Mike for more fun and food!  Congrats to Amanda and Mike!

Annaliese and David-Belle Mer

Annaliese and David started their wedding weekend with a lovely dinner at The Mooring Restaurant, invited guests had a delicious dinner which was followed by a Welcome Party with lavish desserts.  The morning of the wedding began with the ladies getting ready at Belle Mer with hair and makeup done by Jennie Kay beauty.  The groomsmen relaxed at The Hyatt hotel and enjoyed a breakfast in their suite.  The bride and groom had a first look at Belle Mer and were off doing pictures.  Both the ceremony and reception were held at Belle Mer. Flowers were arranged by Flowers by Semia and they were lush and gorgeous.  Thank you to all of the wonderful vendors including Rockstar Limo, Viking Trolley, Artistic Wedding Video, Nancy Spirito, Belle Mer and The Stingers Band.

A repost from the Reflective Bride, Why We Didn't Hire a Wedding Planner...But Wish We Had

Why We Didn't Hire a Wedding Planner... But Wish We Had

In the early stages of preparing for our big day, we decided not to employ the services of a wedding planner... but in hindsight, oh, how I wish we had!

Why we didn't
We had very little debate about whether or not to bring a wedding planner on board. Quite simply, I wanted us to handle all the preparations and vendor research ourselves. I thought it would be fun to do the research, and also felt that us looking into the suppliers was the only way to know all the options... so that we could make a truly informed decision and ensure we got the style we liked at the most reasonable price -- not simply a wedding planner's "usual" contacts. My groom was more than happy with this conclusion, since it saved us an extra line item in our bridal budget... and we were indeed worried that a wedding planner would be quite expensive.

Why we wish we had
• Wedding tasks aren't always fun. Sure, it's a ball to ooh and aah over cake designs, but there's nothing enjoyable about researching mini-buses for guest transport or making seating charts. There isn't much joy in reviewing vendor contracts or keeping track of payments, either. Contrary to what I had thought, hiring a wedding planner doesn't mean outsourcing your entire wedding; a wedding planner only handles what you want them to (support at the start to get you on the right track, on-the-day coordination only, or indeed the whole shebang) so won't take over and choose your final bouquet design for you. So if do you want to drive your wedding planning, you can focus on the fun parts... and leave the boring bits to someone else.

• Wedding planning is stressful. Wedding planning is not the romantic experience one expects it to be. There are many details to take care of, meddling family and friends might drive you crazy and vendors can be a source of drama. During our engagement, several recently married friends told me that in the final month before the wedding they had been so exhausted that they just wanted the day to be over. This ended up being true for me: in the final week I lost five pounds from stress, burst into tears a few times and my groom and I were snapping at each other. This is not how anyone's planning should be. Bringing on board a professional planner to help and take some of the workload off our hands definitely would have made sense (and they probably could have given advice on managing family drama).

• We weren't that great at choosing vendors after all. Despite thinking that researching vendors ourselves was the only way to ensure we could make the best supplier decisions, this didn't work out so swimmingly. Out of 15 or so wedding day vendors, there were only three that we were actually totally happy with... and some others we were extremely unhappy with. When we started out planning, we had organized less than one wedding... why did we think our judgment would be better than that of a professional, who has seen these vendors in action at more than one (and perhaps several, and perhaps many!) weddings? Why did I think a planner would force us into choosing a vendor we weren't completely happy with?

• We didn't know what to look for in a vendor. Other than a little Google research before interrogating potential vendors via email, we really had no idea what to ask. For example, after contacting 20 different hairdressers for quotes, I realized I had to specify if I was planning an up- or down-do to get accurate pricing... so had to email them all over again. We asked cake makers for price quotes for a three-tier cake, but it didn't occur to us to ask about the height of the tiers... until two months before the wedding, when we found out the "magnificent" wedding cake we were paying hundreds of dollars for was only nine inches tall, and we'd now have to shell out twice as much money to get it to the grandeur that we wanted.

• Wedding planning takes time. Until you really get into the preparations for your big day, it is impossible to fathom how much work is involved and how many details need to be taken care of. I know brides who have taken leave from work in order to have more time to prepare their weddings. If you work long hours, have lots of hobbies or have children to look after, and don't want to be completely drowning in to-do lists during your engagement, a wedding planner handling some of those tasks for you could be a real lifesaver. Also, you really don't want to get in trouble at the office by getting caught doing wedding planning on company time!

• Things do go wrong at the last minute. The day before the wedding, the baker for our cake buffet claimed they never received our order, and our dance floor provider phoned halfway through our bridal party lunch claiming they hadn't been paid. That night while setting up the reception room, we realized one table setting was missing, so had to frantically call the decorator for extra chair decorations, and re-confirm guest numbers with the kitchen. Tiny things, but they were unnecessary and brought a general feeling of stress on a day my groom and I had planned to be lovely and relaxing. Someone to handle those details for us would have been amazing. We were lucky nothing went wrong on the wedding day itself, but -- yikes! -- what if something had?

• A wedding planner can help with costs. The imagined price for a wedding planner was a reason we decided against hiring one. However, here are two things that I realized in hindsight: 1) Planners know what different services cost, and can better spot when a vendor price is exorbitantly high or too good to be true. They know most local wedding vendors, and can help you get the best value for your budget. 2) As with any other wedding vendor, you will agree in advance what services you want from your planner and how much that will cost. It is not in their interest to hand you a bill at the end of the wedding that you can't afford to pay. Wish we'd realized all that earlier!

• It can be difficult to find help elsewhere. There is much to do in preparing your special day, so without a planner you either must ask help from others or handle everything yourselves. Occasionally we asked our family or bridal party to help, but none actually themselves offered assistance, so we soon felt awkward asking. On the wedding day, when my groom should have chilling out, he was driving all over town picking up cakes and buttonholes, and when he arrived at the ceremony had to set up our refreshments table. We asked one friend to reach the ceremony early so she could SMS us that the officiant, musicians and decorator had arrived on time. These are all tasks that an on-the-day wedding planner could have coordinated for us, rather than burdening ourselves or our guests.

At the beginning of your wedding planning, sit down as a couple and consider how much time, how much budget and how many helpers you have available for big-day preparations. Consider which areas you could do with professional support, and which planning areas you're less interested in and happy to outsource to someone. Look into wedding planners in your local area; even if you're hesitant, it won't cost you anything to give them a call and find out the range and price of their services. It could be your best way to a smoother, less stressful and more romantic wedding planning experience.

This post was originally published at ReflectiveBride.com. Follow the Reflective Bride on Facebook and Twitter.

I Choose You...

I am a huge fan of Sara Bareilles and was able to see her amazing show last week and I am also a huge fan of weddings. Sara had a contest for her fans, and made her "I Choose You" video to their proposals. Imagine getting engaged AND having Sara Bareilles there serenading you. Click on the link to see the video. Enjoy!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjE5D9cHiOk&authuser=0