One of the most frequently asked questions we hear from our client's and perspective clients is, "Do I really need to have a Wedding Planner or is that just something you guys [Venue Coordinators] can do?" Our answer is two parts, "Yes, hire a Wedding Planner", and, "No, we are not able to perform all of the duty's of a Wedding Planner and perform our jobs to the best of our ability too." It is physically not possible to be in 2 places at once.
While we, as Venue Coordinator's, are just as invested in making sure your special day is a success this is not accomplished without the help of a Wedding Planner.
The Venue Coordinator
Venue Coordinators, simply put, are employees of the venue in which we work. We act as a liaison between the bride and groom and our venue’s operations team. Our responsibilities are those pertaining to your experience with us, directly: providing tours and walk throughs of the venue, consulting on your layout, customizing your lighting options, discussing logistics of building use, finalizing beverage choices, etc.
On your wedding day, our focus is delivering our contracted services with our clients which includes ensuring the venue set up is accurate [tables, chairs and bar setup only], the bars are fully stocked at all times and moved to the appropriate designated room at the agreed upon timeline, assist guests with transitioning upstairs and back downstairs again with our onsite lift, answering and tending to any vendor questions concerning the building and our policies and insure that any room flips and tear downs happen seamlessly.
Another main difference is that though you will be working with one or two individuals throughout the planning process, there is no guarantee that this will be the same individuals that will be on site on your big day. Our in-office staff do not also work all of our events. We have a very talented and highly trained team that performs these services specifically and are well informed of all expectations given by our clients to fulfill our agreed upon services.
The Wedding Planner
A professional Wedding Planner, simply put, is your personal consultant. They focus specifically on the little details that brings all of the vendors that you have hired and the overall vision together.
From the initial planning stages [providing venue options, reviewing contracts, creating floor plans, researching and recommending vendors, etc] to wedding day preparation, [creating an itinerary/timeline, confirming details with all contracted vendors, confirming and understanding all of the decor details, runs your Rehearsal for you, etc]. Your Wedding Planner is the one that has been present for every decision and/or has reviewed every detail with you before the big day.
Come wedding day, the Wedding Planner is also the one that gets you down the aisle, over-see time management [ceremony, processional, recessional, cocktail hour transition, grand entrance, speeches, dancing etc.], prompt the DJ/band for announcements while cuing in all other vendors for transitions and updates, troubleshoot and ensure quality control of set up, including personalized details and decor. Even if you only decide to hire a "Month of Planner" or "Day of Planner", as many of our clients do, they are still pivotal in taking on the responsibilities of coordinating these final details, providing you with the security that a professional knows every last detail about your special day and will be there to make sure the day is executed exactly how you envisioned. These individuals are personally hired by you and they work exclusively for you.
Though these 2 roles [Venue Coordinators & Wedding Planners] do cross over in some aspects throughout the event, each has very distinct differences and are both essential to the success of your event. If you have not yet hired a Wedding Planner for your special day please reach out to one of your Venue Coordinators for recommendations of trusted professionals. It will be worth every penny!