Let’s be real … it’s hard being a Bride. It’s fun but it’s hard! You have so many things to keep track of and organize you could use a little help every now and then. We love talking with our brides and lending a helping hand anytime we can. I mean we have practically been married like a hundred times! If we can help make your day even better by avoiding mistakes we have seen then you can count us in to assist! Therefore, we asked our great “friend-er” (wedding vendor turned friend) to come along and give some great insight on this common confusing role.
“I get this question so often that I thought it would be amazing to share this with all my wonderful brides! It’s a common confusion that a venue coordinator and a wedding planning are one in the same. A venue coordinator is going to be someone who either works for or owns the venue. Their job is to be sure the venue performs at top-notch abilities, everything is clean, and any miscellaneous items related to the venue runs without complications.
I have heard multiple times from previous brides and vendors say,”Well I have a venue coordinator, I don’t need a wedding planner”. To be clear–a great venue coordinator is so critical to my success as a wedding planner. They need to be just on top of their game as I am on mine. Venue coordinators are an integral part of our vendor team for the bride’s wedding day.
I have included a couple scenarios to keep in mind and help educate the biggest differences! I want to do this to help encourage you to think about all the things a wedding planner provides that your venue coordinator most likely does not do or isn’t able to do as they may be tending to other tasks during your wedding day. A Wedding Planner will always have their alliance with you! I will always be acting in your best interest & acting on your behalf to ensure the best day possible. This might include ensuring that the set up at the ceremony and reception is accurate or that vendors are loading in at the correct times and including the correct items; however, your vendor coordinator doesn’t know what you may have purchased from your vendors. What if there is a crisis during the wedding day that the venue coordinator needs to tend to? At this same time, you also have a crisis and you need them there for you as well. What would happen if you didn’t have a planner working in your best interest? Most likely, it will be up to you or family to solve. This can cause increased stress on your wedding day and be taking away from all the very special moments you, family and friends should be able to enjoy 100%.
Venue coordinators are not going to create a master timeline for ALL your vendors to follow for the day. Again, they are going to have their own duties to worry about when it comes to the wedding venue. They want to be sure it is in tip-top shape for your big day! They will not be able to coordinate all the events that will happen while you are not on their property. For example, if you are getting ready at one location, your fiance is somewhere else, you are having the ceremony at a Church and then will be heading to your reception; who will be there to make sure everything goes as planned from location to location. There is a lot of travel and attention to detail that goes into ensuring that is all timed perfectly. This is the perfect job of your wedding planner. Another great bonus? We will help link you to other great vendors that we KNOW will fit your wedding budget, style, personality, and taste. As planners, we are going to stay on top of the planning process while also making sure you are completing wedding tasks. We help oversee the entire process to be sure your day is as perfect as possible.
Let’s not forget! A great venue coordinator is critical to my job and I need them just as much! We should also always keep in mind a venue coordinator is not a replacement for a wedding planner for your big day!”
Thank you so much Ashley for your amazing insight and expertise! Enjoy!
