Planning your wedding is a magical time. You get to start choosing your maid of honor, finding the perfect dress, and purchasing your rings.
There are plenty of fun aspects of wedding coordination, but there are a few that can be confusing, too. And, one of those is understanding the difference between a wedding coordinator vs wedding planner.
Between the two of them, these two professionals assist with every aspect of your wedding day. They’ll handle everything from finding a wedding venue in Los Angeles brides swoon over to handing you tissues at the altar.
If you’re unsure of who these key players in your wedding are, you’re not alone. Let’s take a look at how both of these professionals can help you plan the perfect LA wedding.
What Does a Wedding Planner Do?
A wedding planner is one of the first people that many brides hire. That’s because a wedding planner serves as an event manager for your big day. They’re there to plan, organize, and execute everything that goes into making your wedding the stuff dreams are made of.
They’ll handle everything from finding and booking your vendors to creating timelines for the day of the ceremony. Their job is to make sure that your day runs smoothly from the moment you wake up to the minute you say “I do.”
There are many different tasks that wedding planners take on. They use incredible organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to multi-task to organize your day.
The services that your wedding planner will help with depend greatly on the package that you select. However, typically they’ll assist you with:
- Figuring out how to choose a wedding venue and booking the perfect one for the reception, ceremony, and rehearsal dinner
- Organize cake tastings, venue visits, and other appointments
- Sourcing and booking all professionals and vendors involved in your day
- Assisting you in creating (and sticking to!) your budget
- Corresponding with your vendors, managing your contracts and documenting all communication and agreements
- Creating a seating chart and floor plan and handling your RSVPs
- Making and handing out your day-of timeline to anyone involved in the day
- Coordinating and overseeing the set-up on the day of the event
Because wedding planners are so involved in the process of organizing your wedding, they’re perfect for couples who want to take a stress-free approach. This is good for busy couples or those who feel more comfortable leaving their wedding planning to a professional.
What Does a Wedding Coordinator Do?
As we stated earlier, a wedding coordinator is not the same thing as a wedding planner. Typically, you’ll need to hire someone different or pay for an additional package for day-of coordination.
Other times, the venue that you book will offer you a venue coordinator as part of your package. Whichever type of wedding coordinator you choose, it’s important to note a few key differences between them and your wedding planner.
Unlike a wedding planner, a wedding coordinator is only responsible for managing your wedding on the day it takes place. In contrast, a wedding planner handles the event up until that point.
Normally, a wedding coordinator will:
- Schedule a site meeting one month before the day of the wedding
- Prepare your wedding day timeline and distribute it to people participating in the ceremony
- Confirm with all your suppliers and vendors and establish arrival and exit times for each one
- Oversee the coordination and set up on the day of the wedding
Wedding Coordinator vs. Venue Coordinator
While these are all activities that an external wedding coordinator will handle, a venue coordinator that’s hired by the venue works a little bit differently. They are usually only in charge of handling logistics that directly relate to your wedding venue.
This means that they won’t be involved in any pre-wedding activities, off-site events, or post-wedding parties. They also won’t be responsible for communicating with vendors and suppliers that were not employed by the venue itself.
The specific duties of a vendor coordinator will depend on the venue that you are working with. However, the venue coordinator will typically:
- Coordinate and manage all on-site services such as the ceremony music and the decorations
- Create a schedule for in-house venue staff involved in the ceremony
- Allowing vendors to access the venue and overseeing any pickups or deliveries that occur throughout the day
- Organizing venue inclusions such as chairs or decorations
- Making sure that everyone is safe and healthy throughout the entire event
Part of making sure that your wedding day is a success means checking with each of your vendors to verify what they will and will not be doing. Speaking with both your wedding coordinator and venue coordinator can help set expectations and make duties clear.
Book the Best Wedding Venue in Los Angeles Has to Offer and Make Magic Happen
Now that you understand the difference between a wedding planner vs wedding coordinator, it’s time to prepare to walk down the aisle. These tips will help you know who is assisting with what on your big day.
If you’re ready to get a wedding venue in Los Angeles brides love and to marry the man or woman of your dreams, you’re in the right place. It’s time to stop searching for “Venues near me” and book your event at Electric Loft.
Electric Loft is one of the city’s hottest wedding venues. Give us a call to get your date on the books and reserve your wedding. Let’s make your wedding a night to remember!
