What is the difference between a venue coordinator and a wedding planner?
Great Question!
“Wedding Planner” and “Venue Coordinator” are often used interchangeably, but in regards to what a couple should expect, there is a BIG difference.
Put simply, a wedding planner works FOR YOU as an advocate between you and your vendor team. Their scope of services cover all aspects of your wedding. A venue coordinator works FOR THE VENUE and typically only handles details pertaining to the venue.
Most corporate or large volume venues have a Venue Coordinator or Events Manager. Their primary responsibility is to be your main point of contact with the venue and serve as a liaison with the Sales and Catering team. They facilitate and oversee details pertaining to the BEO which the venue may require. This person is usually involved with your lead inquires, site visits, development of the food and beverage services, and limited timeline and layout details. For hotel venues, they are typically familiar with room locations, layouts, and venue occupancy numbers. Depending on their work schedule, they may or may not be there on the actual day of the wedding and rarely will they stay to the end of a wedding. Venue coordinators work hard and do their best to ensure that their clients have a great experience, but their primary responsibility is to manage the venues priorities and restrictions. They are not your personal wedding planner and to expect them to take on the same responsibilities is unrealistic and unwise.
We are Wedding Planners. We are experienced in all areas of a wedding and work directly with you and on your behalf alone. It is our responsibility to professionally guide you through the entire process. We get to know your personal style and your vision for your wedding. We work with you to find you the best venue and vendors to make your vision a reality. Often this includes budget management, overall organization of the wedding details, and theme and color palette design. We ensure your vision is reflected throughout the celebration from the invitation style, to the flower design, to the place settings, music, food, and attire. We take the time to suggest ideas to customize your wedding and make it uniquely your own, as well as share our expertise on wedding etiquette and advise. We look at the overall logistics, acting as a liaison between you and the venue, sorting out the details and helping put together a realistic itinerary for the entire day. Most importantly, you are our first responsibility and are onsite on for the duration of your wedding day, acting on your behalf to look after everything from start to finish!
One of the main reasons couples hire a wedding planner is for the peace of mind. You will be able to relax and enjoy your big day knowing that we can be trusted to work along side you each and every step of the way.