What’s the Difference? Venue Coordinator vs. Wedding Planner

Hi Arkansas Bride readers! I’m so excited to begin writing a bit for all of you here on the blog (which, by the way, is a fantastic resource for all of us!) Lindsay asked me to tackle a common source of confusion for couples in the planning process today.

“My venue has a coordinator, does that mean he/she is my wedding planner?”

The simple answer is “No.” If your venue has an event coordinator (or wedding liaison or catering director) you are already one step ahead. You can rest assured you are working with a venue that values your event and is going to go the extra mile to make sure you receive exactly what you want on your day. 

What your venue contact is not going to do, however, is plan your wedding. In a perfect world, your wedding planner and your venue contact are going to work in perfect harmony to ensure your vision is brought to life. Both the venue contact and the wedding planner have a large part in that vision but their roles are most certainly different.

As a wedding planner, I am constantly accompanying brides to floral meetings and rental “shopping” trips. I pour over linen samples and debate the taste of fondant versus butter cream. I oversee invitation selection and vendor budgeting. All of this is in an effort to ensure your wedding has a cohesive look and feel. Wedding planners will spend many hours creating and embracing the look of your wedding and will know it like the back of their hand.

When I, as a planner, meet with a venue contact it is with everything we have done together in mind. Planners advocate for what the bride wants to happen on their day. The venue contact is only going to make sure what the bride (and planner) want is within the venue’s ability and is realistic for its staff and space. 

If there is a disconnect between what the couple has planned and what the venue is able to provide, it is up to the wedding planner and venue contact to come up with a compromise. It should be a team effort between all of a couple’s wedding professionals to pull off whatever the bride and groom deem to be a dream wedding.

Some of my favorite vendor friends are venue coordinators and I love having a contact who truly knows the limitations as well as the best features of a venue. Wedding planners and venue coordinators shouldn’t be competing, they should be working together to make your event perfect. Having both on your vendor team can only help you have the perfect day!

Have a question about wedding planning? Ask us. Send an email to Info@ArkansasBride.com.

 

Amy Hardin is one of the Senior Coordinators at Details Weddings & Events. She has been coordinating weddings and events since 2007. Her company serves the River Valley, Northwest Arkansas and Little Rock areas.

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