What Does a Wedding Planner Do?
Wedding planners play an essential role in making sure the bride and groom enjoy their day and that the wedding goes off without a hitch. There are several types of services that wedding planners provide such as day of coordinating, partial coordinating, full coordinating, and wedding design. The right fit for you depends on your budget and the level of involvement you want in the planning process.
Avoid this Common Misconception
One of the biggest misconceptions that brides have is that a venue coordinator is the same thing as a wedding coordinator/planner. They are most definitely NOT the same thing! Most venues have a venue coordinator that conducts the tours, schedules the weddings, and makes sure the venue and the items the venue provides (i.e. tables, chairs) are in order on the wedding day. Venue coordinators generally do not help with decor, set up, timelines, coordinate other vendors, etc. That is the role of a wedding planner. Some venues have an in-house wedding planner, but most do not. When touring venues, make sure to specify the services that are included.
Day-of Wedding Planner
This service is for the bride that wants to take care of the majority of the wedding planning by herself or with the help of family and friends. A day-of planner is available during the planning process to suggest vendors or answer etiquette questions; however, their duties really begin about two weeks out from the wedding. At this time, the planner calls all vendors to confirm services and delivery/setup times. The wedding planner then creates a detailed wedding day timeline.
A day-of coordinator is the point person for your wedding day. They are available to help set up your personal decorations at the ceremony and reception, direct the ceremony processional, and oversee the timeline. A wedding coordinator is able to problem solve and manage challenges that arise to keep things moving smoothly for both the ceremony and reception.
A day-of planner allows the couple and their family and friends to be stress free on the wedding day, so they can enjoy the festivities and not be burdened with all the behind-the-scenes tasks. Even as a wedding planner myself, I hired a day-of planner to ensure that I was fully present on my special day!
Full-Service Wedding Planner
A full-service wedding planner includes all of the day-of planner duties and so much more. They start wedding planning with the couple on day one and help make all wedding decisions. A full-service planner is available to visit venues and vendors and confirm final selections. They create a detailed wedding checklist and assist in budget allocation and management. Full-service planners can help with creation, ordering, and tracking of all stationary (save-the-dates, invitations, thank you’s). They can also arrange guest accommodations and wedding day transportation. Wedding design includes color palette creation and design concept and can also be included in full-service planning. If it is wedding related, chances are a full-service planner can accommodate. co
