Venue Coordinators and Independent Wedding Planners -
So, what is the difference between a Venue Coordinator and an Independent Wedding Planner?
Many people believe there is no point having an independent wedding planner if they already have a coordinator at their wedding venue. Do you really need both? Sometimes you do. The answer really depends on what type of bride you are. If you are the organised type and you have a great venue coordinator that you connect with then it's absolutely fine to go with them alone but you must first understand the difference between both types. If you choose to go down the route of just having the coordinator we advise that you must have plenty of help from family and friends. You will need to delegate some tasks to them and call on them for support.
Tasks of a Venue Coordinator:
•Will deal with everything that is linked to the venue only.
•Will show you around the venue so you can visualise how they usually set up and where you will be on the day.
•Will show you all the various menu and drinks options available.
•Will liaise with the in house teams for example the catering manager and reservations.
•Will meet with you up to four times throughout the planning process.
•Will ensure all the venue staff have the information they need to run your wedding day.
The Venue Coordinator is employed by the venue and therefore will not do anything beyond this. It is also quite possible that due to a high turnover of Venue Coordinators the person that you initially dealt with on your first visit may not be the person you end up with by the time your wedding day comes around. Venue Coordinators usually only work Monday - Friday and so may not be around on your actual wedding day. They tend to pass all the details over to a manager in banqueting, front of house or operations. Do make sure you ask them nearer the time of your wedding who will be there on the day so that you won't be so disappointed.
Tasks of an Independent Wedding Planner:
• Will deal with pretty much anything you ask of them as long as it's in the terms and conditions you have decided upon.
•Will recommend alternative venues and suppliers.
•Deal with any issues that may arise.
•Manage your entire day.
•Be in attendance for the whole day.
•Will review and confirm contracts and payment schedules.
•Will check your payment schedule and much more.
The Independent Wedding Planner is employed by you and will be your go to person for absolutely everything related to your wedding. They offer support and guidance throughout, assist with seating plans, speeches, transport logistics and so much more. As many Independent Wedding Planners work for themselves it means they aren't going to leave you to go to another job. They will dedicate all their effort into your wedding to ensure you have everything your own way. They also usually have a smaller amount of weddings to manage so this means they can concentrate on your wedding.
Can Independent Wedding Planners and Venue Coordinators work together?
Yes they can. In general they actually prefer it as it means less work for them! Independent Wedding Planners deal with them direct so instead of a couple sending them lots of e-mails asking many different questions, the couple can ask planners instead and 9 out of 10 times they are able to answer the question. This means a lot less e-mailing from the Venue Coordinator and the couple get their answers faster as Venue Coordinators work set hours so you may be waiting longer than you anticipated if you didn't hire a planner.
On the day they also work together to ensure their plans and schedules match up and they have their separate tasks to deal with. As well as that, planners will oversee the smaller details that sometimes get missed by the venue.
I hope this blog has made it a lot clearer. The roles are so different so if you can understand the difference you are able to make a better informed decision on what is right for you both as a couple.
Happy Wedding Planning!