One of the most common misconceptions about wedding planning is the difference between hiring a planner and the contact that comes with your venue. When brides book their venue, they receive a venue coordinator and automatically assume they do the same job as hiring their own wedding planner. However, there are large differences between the two vendors.

1. Who They Work For

In our world today, it's sad but true. People cater to the ones who give them the check. In this case, the person paying them is obviously the venue which means their best interest is the venue's policies and procedures for "how they always do it" not yours. They are far less likely to try new things and personalize the event for the bride and groom. However, if you hire your own wedding planner...guess what, they work for you! This means when you really want that lounge furniture displayed on the outdoor patio instead of in the foyer for cocktail hour, your coordinator will make it happen. Remember, it's your day and you're gonna want it done your way to reflect your style as a married couple.

2. They're In It For The Long Haul

The venue coordinator deals with everything related to the venue. I know...duh right?! It sounds simple but when you think about how many things are not related to the venue you may need help with, it can become overwhelming. The venue includes (sometimes) the food, some basic rentals, setup, napkin folding, guest count, etc. The coordinator deals with this plus ALL your other vendors including photographer, "fun" rentals, hair & makeup, photo booth, DJ, etc. They also take care of the overall style and design of the setup instead of just placing chairs and tables. They're with you for the WHOLE day! From start to finish, you're entire day they will be by your side.

3. They're A One Stop Shop

Let's say you're getting ready at a hotel nearby then you're going to a church for the ceremony, and then you're going to your favorite restaurant on the way to the reception hall for cocktails, and then a different resort for the reception....yikes that's a lot of venue coordinators to juggle. With hiring a planner, they are your point of contact for everyone. You no longer have to worry about whether or not there's enough time for guests to travel to different spots or answer questions about if the gifts will be at the reception or the church or if they'll be moved from one place to another. When you have questions about ANYTHING you can go to your wedding planner instead of trying to figure out which vendor would know the answer or getting passed around from one vendor to the next.

4. Your Needs

Your wedding planner cares about you and your needs. This means the wedding couple being happy is their top priority. They should be willing to go above and beyond for you not only on your special day but from the time of booking. They negotiate the best deals for you so you can get that photo booth inside the budget. They will drive to the nail salon and pick up the passports you left there that morning. Your day should be all about you especially considering how expensive weddings can be these days. Everything on the big day should be magical and unforgettable (in a good way) and a wedding planner's job is to make that happen. The venue coordinator's job is to make sure the wedding starts and finishes on time but that's the end. They will not stay until the amazing sparkler exit happens and you drive off into happily ever after.

5. They Might Not Be at The Wedding

The venue coordinator job has one of the highest turnover rates which means the person you meet when you book your venue might not be the same person as at your wedding. This creates more stress because after you've explained all these amazing details, you get a new person to explain all the same details too. Generally, venues are booked at least a year in advance so that's a lot of time for someone to change jobs and a lot of details you have to repeat (if you remember all of them). The venue coordinator is a sales job and doesn't revolve around the events themselves. Nothing against the venue coordinator...they're amazing and you definitely need one!! However, to complete the event and design as a whole...hire a wedding planner.

If you want your wedding to be stress free and enjoyable for not only you but your families, then please hire a wedding planner. Your day will go so much smoother and it'll be a day you always remember because it was everything you dreamed.

Wedding Coordinator VS Venue Coordinator- Are they that different??