Nothing against venue coordinators-we love them and they’ve helped us out a lot before! If they tell you they can handle things on the day of your wedding, it’s true- they can, but it’s only within a certain scope. Many many times we have seen couples assume that the venue coordinators job is to help them plan and/or coordinate their wedding day - it's not! You are paying for use of the venue, not wedding planning/coordination services. And so, since we're the kind of the people who say things about planning weddings that not many others will, let’s chat a little more about this…

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Here is the simple fact...it is not your venues job to plan or coordinate your wedding!

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A venue coordinator works for the venue and is responsible for overseeing the venues role on your wedding day - they are not (and should not be expected to) responsible for planning or coordinating your wedding.

 

A wedding planner works for YOU and they are responsible for the planning and coordinating of your wedding day. What's more, their first priority is looking out for YOUR best interests - not the venues.

 

The venue coordinator deals with everything having to do with the venue - cleanliness, bathrooms, adherence to policies & rules etc.

 

A wedding planner will make sure everything with the venue is to your specifications and that the venue coordinator is meeting their obligations to ensure that happens.

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Whether your ceremony is at a venue or a location other than the venue, your wedding planner will be there with you. A venue coordinator is not responsible for coordinating your ceremony.

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A wedding planner stays by your side throughout the day and night. They are there to tell you when things will be occurring throughout the night, such as the cake cutting, bouquet toss, toasts, etc.

 

A venue coordinator might stay until the meal is served, and the majority of the time, leaves or simply disappears after. Some may stay until the cake is cut and served.

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He or she will not be by your side throughout the day or night. Although the venue coordinator will do their best to keep you happy, he or she will not be helping if your bustle breaks, making sure the DJ plays the right song at the right time or having the caterer fix a problem with the food.

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 A wedding planner contacts your vendors before your wedding to make sure everyone is confirmed and knows what time they will be arriving and handle any issues with menus, payments etc. A venue coordinator will want to know who your vendors are but will not deal with vendor issues!

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Lastly, venues are known to have a high turnover rate among the coordinator/sales positions unless the coordinator is also the venue owner. The person that you book your wedding with may or may not still be there when it comes time for your wedding 6 months, a year, or a year and a half later. As much as you may have connected with that venue coordinator, she (or he) will have no qualms moving on to greener pastures before your wedding day occurs.

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But your wedding coordinator is hired by YOU, hand selected by YOU, and won’t be going anywhere- unless, God forbid, something horrible happens!

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So, these notions are just a few things to think about when it comes to deciding whether or not you need a wedding planner.

And this is in no way meant to be ill spirited towards venue coordinators. As we said before, we LOVE venue coordinators- it’s always awesome to work with them! But as a couple planning a wedding, we want you to be aware of the differences between the two so you can make the best decision!