What is the difference between wedding planners vs venue wedding planners?

Do you need a wedding planner? 

We’ve heard it hundreds of times from brides, “the venue is giving me a wedding planner” and we want to clarify what that truly means. Yes, it is great that the venue provides what they call “a wedding planner,” but that person is NOT a wedding planner. They are the event coordinator for the hotel, which means they will make sure that your event is staffed and runs according to the schedule that you contracted months in advance. They are responsible for ensuring that the venue provides the services outlined in your contract such as food, servers and the setup of tables and chairs. They will leave shortly after the meal is served.

Long story short: 

An event coordinator/planner from the venue is looking out for the best interest of the venue. 

A wedding coordinator/planner looks out for the best interest of YOU.

View the tabs below to learn more about the differences of what a wedding planner can do for you.

Wedding Planner

A wedding planner can help you with some or all of these important wedding details:

  • Find ceremony and reception venues
  • Creating a wedding budget and make vendor recommendations based on the budget
  • Create a wedding planning timeline leading up to the wedding day
  • Review and negotiate vendor contracts which will help facilitate any issues that may arise and help you save $$$ in the long run
  • Create a wedding-day timeline for you and your bridal party, guests and vendors
  • Recommend wedding professionals,
  • Accompany you on wedding vendor appointments (this varies)
  • Help design a wedding look/theme for all your events
  • Oversee all vendors and wedding day activities
  • Problem solve any issues that may arise
  • Also provide all the services that the day of coordinator provides

Day of Coordinator

A day-of-coordinator is going to start working with you and your family 6-8 weeks before your wedding date.

  • You have secured your all your vendors and negotiated and finalized contracts
  • The coordinator will review all your contracts and begin to work with you to tie up loose ends
  • Create a minute to minute timeline for each event
  • Ensure that you haven’t forgotten anything
  • Discuss any potential for hiccups they forsee may occur on your wedding day
  • They will schedule a walk through with you and a few select vendors at the venue.
  • Setup items on the wedding day such as your place cards, wedding programs, wedding favors
  • Distribute final payments and tips to vendors
  • Collect items that you may want to keep as mementos at the end of the night
  • Collect cards and place them in a safe space

Venue Banquet Manager/ Venue Wedding Planner

A venue coordinator will provide the following services:

  • Ensure that the venue provides the setups as detailed in your contract
  • Setup the room & food stations according to the floor plan
  • Ensure that the contracted vendors are abiding by the rules of the venue

We believe everyone should have a day of coordinator for their wedding day to oversee their wedding events and ensure that everything runs smoothly. After all, you only have one wedding day and you want to remember a stress free day filled with loved ones and family, not dealing with issues that came up from vendors etc. Another little tip that your friends are not going to tell you (but we will), staying up until 1am to finalize details for you or putting together wedding favors is not why they came.

Still not sure which service is right for you?  Take a look at our questions below:

If you answer yes to majority of questions below, then a day of coordinator is the person for you:

  • You want to enjoy your wedding day without having to manage your vendors
  • You have found all your wedding vendors on your own
  • Negotiated and finalized all your contracts
  • You want your friends and family to enjoy and celebrate with you not run around organizing your event
  • Have details that you would like to have someone oversee (setup and breakdown of items, help vendors and events run on schedule)
  • Would like someone to help facilitate your wedding day schedule and keep everything moving smoothly
  • Need someone to create a detailed timeline for you and your vendors
  • Have someone to be the point person for your vendors and manage any issues should they arise

If you answer yes to a majority questions below, then a wedding planner is the person for you:

  • Are you planning a wedding far away from where you live?
  • Have a grueling work schedule?
  • Not the most organized person or are you known for being a procrastinator?
  • Don’t do well in stressful situations?
  • Don’t have the time to plan a wedding?
  • Need help creating a cohesive vision and look for your wedding day?
  • Need someone to do the legwork and give you options ready to go?

We’ve highlighted the services for you below based on the service provider:

 

Service Provided Venue Planner Day of Coordinator Wedding Planner
Help you create a realistic budget X
Suggest vendors: venue, DJ, Photo, video, X X
Negotiate contracts which will help save $$$ X
Come to select vendor meetings X
Suggest concepts, ideas, designs X
Create a timeline of event times and meal times X
Ensures that the venue has setup the room X X X
Ensures the food is served on time X X X
Create a timeline for you X X
Create a photo timeline X X
Create a timeline for all your vendors X X
Know and understand your vendor contracts X X
Setup small touches and details X X
Know where you will be at all times X X
Contacts all of your vendors to confirm timings and schedule X X
Distribute final payments to vendors X X
Pick up and pack up items you would like to take home X X

Thank you for visiting our South Asian Wedding Planning Resource, we hope you found this information useful! Leave a comment or questions below and let us know what you think!