wedding planner designerYou’re planning your big day and may not know where to start. The best place is to hire a planner. You might already know that there are different types of planners. The two terms you hear most often are wedding planner and venue coordinator. So, what is the difference? Do you need just one? Or is it better to have both? We’re glad you asked!

Wedding Planners: It’s All About You!

When you hire a wedding planner, you hire someone who is committed to making your big day the way YOU envision. A wedding planner is the one who will represent you in all you need and has your interests as their #1 priority.

Wedding planners will work with you to recommend vendors that fit your needs and will stay within your budget. Wedding planners help you create your timeline, select décor, review contracts, and keep your plans moving forward. They will follow up with your vendors to ensure the contractual obligations occur, answer any questions vendors may have, help you keep on track with the things only you can do, organize the rentals and organize and oversee your rehearsal. More, your wedding planner makes sure the day is picture-perfect, coordinating all the details from beginning to end and attending to your bridal party’s needs.

A wedding planner is pivotal on the day of the wedding because they’ll make sure everything runs as planned, handle anything that pops up and make sure the focus is all about you and your fiancé. It’s given…last-minute changes and emergencies occur and your wedding planner will make sure they are non-issues.

Venue Coordinators: You Can Count On Them For The Perfect Venue

In contrast, a venue coordinator is all about making sure the venue is perfect. Whereas a wedding planner is all about you as the focus of their business, a venue coordinator focuses on their venue first. They’ll give you tours and book your dates (often in coordination with your planner), and they’re who you and your planner will turn to about rules and regulations of the venue you choose. They’ll help your planner and you create a floor plan and they’ll manage all the aspects of setup at your venue. Sometimes this will mean they set everything up, other times, based on your venue, they’ll give you guidelines.

When it comes to tastings and showings if your venue also includes catering, a venue coordinator will plan that with you and provide you with a list of vendors they partner with. A venue coordinator is there to start the day by making the venue accessible for your planner and vendors and to end the day at the contractually obligated time, including cleanup and lock up. Should there be any last-minute venue emergencies (sink not working, fuses blown), a venue coordinator will be the one to have those issues resolved immediately and onsite.

A venue coordinator and a wedding planner work together to ensure your day is just as you want it to be. Sometimes roles overlap, but good teams make sure everything is flawless on the big day. Some venues will say they have an onsite coordinator. Make sure to clarify what their role is on your wedding day and in the weeks leading up to your wedding.

At Fir Island Floral Smith, we work with local venues and venue coordinators to offer our brides and grooms the day of their dreams. You may not have a choice when it comes to your venue coordinator, but you do have a choice when it comes to hiring your planner.  That’s what we do best, so contact us today to start your wedding planning journey.

 

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