The world of weddings can sometimes be a little obscure… we get it! Most people will only plan one wedding in their life, so you can’t be expected to be an expert on everything. Not to mention, the wedding industry changes all the time. We here at Event Julep wanted to take the time today to discuss the major difference between three commonly misinterpreted wedding roles: the Wedding Planner, the Wedding Coordinator, and the Venue Coordinator.

The Wedding Planner

A wedding planner is your typical, Hollywood depiction. They work with their bridal clients from the very beginning of the planning process and develop the key design elements, secure vendors, and create all logistical documents (timeline, layout, vendor guide). If you are someone who has a busy life or you simply need a professional to keep you on track, then a wedding planner is the way to go!

Pricing: You can expect to pay at least $5,000 on a full-time wedding planner. This number can vary drastically based on your location and your wedding date!

The Wedding Coordinator

A wedding coordinator is the person running point on your wedding day. They typically manage your vendor arrivals, set up of your personal decor, ceremony logistics, and your guest’s experience. This is a great option for organized brides that knows she can’t be everywhere at once on her wedding day!

Wedding Coordination packages vary widely from coordinator to coordinator. Some begin a week prior to the wedding, some begin the month prior. True “Day-Of” Coordination doesn’t really exist (and you shouldn’t want it to)! Can you imagine hiring someone for the day of your wedding only? They don’t have any idea about your plans, your needs, and they haven’t had any time to prepare. AKA recipe for disaster! Be sure you aren’t sacrificing professionalism and preparedness for a couple hundred bucks. It’s not worth it on your best day ever!

Pricing: Since packages vary so widely, really take the time to view the package items and what you are getting out of your coordinator. At a minimum, you can expect somewhere within the $1200 range. Again, this number varies on your location and wedding date!

The Venue Coordinator

Remember how I was saying that the wedding industry changes all the time? Well, venue coordinators are one of those new things that we are having to adjust to! Venue coordinators are not the same as wedding coordinators. Sure, the venue coordinator will be on-site your wedding day, but their job is to ensure the venue is taken care of.

While a venue coordinator is certainly concerned with making you happy, they won’t be the ones pinning boutonnieres, cueing toasts, or extinguishing those pretty sparklers at the end of the evening!

Pricing: Any true wedding/event venue is going to have someone on-site the day of your wedding, regardless of whether it’s given to you as a “selling point”. Venue coordinators are typically built into your venue package. If a place is trying to upsell a venue coordinator, you can politely say, “thank you, next.”

Note: Some venues do offer in-house wedding coordination services! Be sure to really read into everything they offer so that you can rest easy and know that all your needs are taken care of!