Fewer sentences makes this wedding-planner-turned-wedding-blogger cringe more than:
- “We’re having a cash bar.”
- “Do we have to feed our wedding vendors?”
- “I don’t need a wedding planner. My venue has one.”
(Insert all of the sad crying face emojis here.)
Listen, I don’t believe in telling brides and grooms that they NEED to do anything. I say it’s your wedding; you can do whatever the hell you want! There are no rules, especially none that states you have to have a wedding planner. BUT before you totally commit to not hiring one because you think your venue coordinator is basically the same thing as a wedding planner, read this.
1.) Sales vs. Logistical Planning
A Wedding Planner is…
- A logistics and creative wizard. They are hired by YOU to work their magic. Planners specialize in coordination, execution, and design and can help you with everything from budget tracking and contract negotiation, to finding that perfect shade of blush pink. They’re in it for you and you alone.
A Venue Coordinator is…
- In sales, most likely. While they may have experience in coordinating and executing events, their job falls within the sales industry. They have quotas and sales goals to meet and their ultimate responsibility is to serve the venue. While they might have your best interests at heart, they weren’t HIRED by you and therefore don’t work for YOU.
2.) Wedding Budget
A Wedding Planner will…
- Save you money in the long run. Planners do all that they can to help you stick to your wedding budget and possibly even save you money. Many planners work with vendors to offer discounts or upgrades to their clients, but more importantly, wedding planners know all the tricks of the trade that will leave your money in your pocket after the wedding day is over.
A Venue Coordinator will…
- Be motivated by sales incentives and bonuses. That might mean they’ll try to push you over your anticipating budget. They are in sales, after all. It’s their job, so you can’t really blame them. Just be aware.
3.) Vendor Recommendations
A Wedding Planner will…
- Suggest the best vendors for you based on your wedding style and budget. They will likely already have worked with those vendors in the past, which means they’ll have a great rapport…which could mean an easy experience for you too! Additionally, many planners will attend meetings with those vendors with you to ensure that it’s a perfect fit and everyone has all the information they need.
A Venue Coordinator might…
- Only suggest those vendors that are on the venue’s preferred list. The venue may be getting a kick back from these vendors, or that list may be very outdated. Even if the venue doesn’t have a preferred (or worse, exclusive) list, the venue coordinator might only suggest those vendors who have worked at that venue, which is a disservice to you and all of that other talent out there.
4.) Ideas & Inspiration
A Wedding Planner will…
- Make creative design suggestions for every aspect of your wedding, like how to display your escort cards in an eye-catching way to which hair accessory will go best with your wedding dress style. Wedding planners loooooove details and they will offer their design expertise so that every last one of them at your wedding is styled to perfection.
A Venue Coordinator might…
- Offer up some design ideas. Or they might not. It all depends on how involved they want to be in your creative process. But if they do, those suggestions will likely revolve solely around the venue, not the entire wedding as a whole.
5.) Vendor Management
A Wedding Planner will…
- Work with ALL of your vendors throughout the planning process. They’ll negotiate contracts on your behalf, they’ll make sure your wishes are being carried out, and they’ll make sure everyone knows what time to arrive and what to do when they get there.
A Venue Coordinator will…
- Likely only work with those vendors that impact the venue…the linen company, florist, DJ, caterer, etc. But what about everyone else, like your makeup artist, hair stylist, or the limo? The jobs of these vendors are usually done before getting to the venue, so the coordinator there likely won’t ever contact them.
6.) The Ceremony & Rehearsal
A Wedding Planner will…
- Conduct the ceremony and rehearsal no matter its location. Church, synagogue, local park, your own backyard, the random street block that you’ve shut down just so you can say I Do…it doesn’t matter. Your wedding planner will be there to make sure your walk down the aisle is totally flawless.
A Venue Coordinator will…
- Conduct the rehearsal only if your ceremony is also taking place at your reception venue. They won’t travel to another location to make sure the best man has the rings or that there is a lighter next to the unity candle.
7.) On Your Wedding Day
A Wedding Planner will…
- Likely be the first to arrive in the morning and the last to leave at the end of the night. The person you spent months working with to make sure your wedding day is exactly what you’ve imagined will physically be there to carry out on those wishes and make your dreams come true!
A Venue Coordinator will…
- Probably leave after dinner is served. That isn’t to say you’ll be totally on your own! It’s just that after the meal, usually a banquet captain is put in charge to make sure the rest of the night goes smoothly, in terms of catering anyways. Your DJ and photographer will likely have to jump in to make sure other events like the cake cutting, garter toss, and sparkler exit are executed according to plan. BUT that also means your DJ and photographer are then paying less attention to what THEY were hired to do.
Hey, I’m not knocking venue coordinators! I know many of them and they are all very hard working and dedicated, and the impact they can have on your wedding day even varies from venue to venue. But I like being honest with you; it’s one reason people love Burgh Brides so much. And if I’m being totally honest, there are some big differences between a wedding planner and a venue coordinator. Maybe you need a planner, maybe you don’t. But at least now you can hopefully make a better informed decision!
What do you think? Did your venue have a coordinator? What did he or she do? Did you hire a wedding planner? Why or why not? Comment below!