A Wedding Planner vs a Venue Coordinator: What's the Difference?

With the rise of venue based weddings (as opposed to churches & their reception halls), there is a lot of question as to if you need a wedding planner along with the venue coordinator provided in the booking. In short, the answer is YES. Actually many venues require an outside person to be in charge during the day rather than an on-site staff member. Why? Because their jobs are completely different and both are beneficial to have on your wedding day. There are some venues that provide all-inclusive services, but many do not.

Let's go over some key differences between a wedding planner and a venue coordinator.

Your Wedding Planner

Whether you hire a wedding planner for full or month-of (partial) planning, they are part of the wedding day as a whole. They will help you tie up loose ends with each vendor and help bring to life your vision for your wedding day. Your wedding planner should be in regular contact with you (we check in every month even with our month-of brides) to discuss the large and small details. They can even attend appointments with you and track all of the notes so you don't have to. Many times for full planning brides, your planner feels like part of the family by the time your leave for your honeymoon, which is how we like it here at KMWeds.

I'll speak personally now, but as a your planner I want no detail or desire to go unnoticed or unfilled. My focus throughout the wedding day is making sure all the pieces are coming together - setting up the programs and guest book, straightening all the chairs and table cloths, setting out the escort cards. All of these things are not necessarily part of a venue coordinator's job. I will also be your advocate throughout the wedding planning process.  As much as I want to feel apart of your family, I want you to feel part of the KMWeds family too. Once a Katharine Marie Bride, always a Katharine Marie Bride. Your happiness is my number one priority!

Your Venue Coordinator

First off, I love working with venue coordinators. They help make my life (and yours) so much easier! Venue coordinators should know all of the ins and outs of their venue like where and when deliveries should park, how many tables they can get in each room, best spot for the band or DJ to set up, etc. They will not typically help you  pick out your menu, linens, stationary, cake flavors, etc. Part of their job is also making sure the venue is running properly during the entire event (no one likes clogged toilets or broken AC/heating units) and as your planner, this allows me to be focused on making sure the wedding and reception are running properly in regards to people and timelines.

So unless your venue has maintenance staff along with their coordinator to take care of all the behind the scenes stuff, I highly recommend having an outside planner to help with all the other details. If you're looking for someone to help on your wedding day and finish up the last details with you, my month-of package is the perfect fit!