One of the first decisions you will need to make is the selection of your wedding venue. You visit the location, its beautiful and they tell you that a venue coordinator is included. You think Wow this is great, I won’t need a wedding coordinator/planner.
While venue coordinators can handle many things on your wedding day its only within a certain capacity. Let me explain.
A venue coordinator focus is what’s in the venue’s best interest. They deal with everything to do with the venue, food, set up and facilities. A wedding coordinator/planner is focused on You the couple’s best interest which includes all aspects of the venue, such as personalized décor setup to your specifications, developing a custom run sheet to let you know when each element of wedding is taking place throughout the night or weekend and contacting and managing you wedding vendors before and during the wedding.
Both the wedding coordinator and the venue coordinator are very important, but they play very different roles. The roles may overlap slightly, depending on the venue and the wedding coordinator. Here is a break down.
A VENUE COORDINATOR WILL:
- Give you a tour of the space
- Book your date
- Answer questions/explain rules of the space such as “no candles”, or “music off by 11”
- Create a floor plan
- Set up table and chairs (this varies greatly depending on the venue and what is included)
- Organize a tasting, if there is an on-site catering company
- Provide you a list of vendor partners the venue prefers
- Unlock the doors
- Be present during set up, ceremony and/or reception to make sure that all venue regulations are followed
- Take care of any emergency issues with the venue such as overflowing toilets or blown fuses
- Ensure that the event ends at the time indicated on the contract
- Lock up the venue at the end of the evening
A WEDDING COORDINATOR WILL:
- Provide trusted vendor recommendations tailored to your style and budget
- Partner with you to make sure you stay within your budget
- Assist with your décor vision, tailoring it to your venue and your budget.
- Assemble a master timeline and make certain that it is understood and followed by all vendors
- Review contracts, identify any potential, and ensure all vendors follow through with contractual obligations
- Answer etiquette questions
- Keep you on track with your to-do list throughout the planning process
- Order your rentals
- Organize and run your dress rehearsal
- Decorate your ceremony and reception area to your specifications
- Line up and cue the bridal party and musicians/DJ for your processional
- Direct and assist guests through ceremony and reception
- Attend to the needs of the bride and bridal party
- Distribute final payments and tips to vendors
- Set out personal items (guestbook, escort cards etc)
- Coordinate your grand entrance and exit
- Ensure your photographer knows when all of your special moments will take place
- Adjust the timeline as necessary and communicate with all of the vendors
- Coordinate all the special announcements with the DJ
- Create a seamless wedding by being your liaison between your family, friends and vendor
- Clean up your décor and pack up your personal items
- Most importantly, a day of wedding coordinator will take care of any last minute changes and emergencies that come up on your wedding day.
We hope that this break down of responsibilities helps you understand the differences between a venue coordinator and a wedding coordinator and most importantly we hope it helps you prepare for Your Wedding Vision Your Way.
