If you have ever wondered if a wedding coordinator and venue coordinator are the same, this one is for you.

Congratulations! You're engaged! You've probably signed up on a wedding website, put together a planning binder, and googled "where to start wedding planning".  That is a WHOLE lot of planning!  Well, we are here with some advice and tips for your wedding day, to help with this new, exciting, and at times, the overwhelming chapter of your life.

— 

You are planning your wedding, and you have likely felt overwhelmed once or twice with all these different vendors you want or need to book, and the endless “To Do” lists that pop up all over your notebooks, desk, and email. There are so many titles in the wedding industry, and many couples end up confused about who does what. Unless you work in the wedding industry, have planned a wedding before, or have exhausted your Google searches, you may think that some vendors are the same… like a venue coordinator and a wedding coordinator.

Venue Coordinator, Venue Manager, or Venue Host are not the same as Wedding Coordinator, Day-Of Planner, Wedding Planner, Month-Of Coordinator. There are probably many other names for those two positions but I want to explain them a little further.

When I chat with all of my couples, from the first email I ask if they are working with a wedding planner, and a lot of the time I get a response along the lines of “no, but we have a venue coordinator”. A venue coordinator is not the same as a wedding planner.

Simply put, a wedding coordinator’s client is you, the couple. A venue coordinator’s client is the venue, and then you. They are both very important, but have different roles when it comes to your wedding. The venue coordinator is there to coordinate anything that relates to the venue, and the wedding planner coordinates the wedding. A wedding planner should be an extension of you, the couple, on the wedding day, working to put your vision together and represent you.

If you are working with a great venue and a professional wedding coordinator, they will work together to make sure your day goes smoothly.

Ask your venue coordinator what their specific involvement is like on the wedding day, that way everyone is on the same page. If they are more involved, maybe you feel like you don’t need to hire a wedding coordinator. If their responsibilities are very specific to the venue and the staff, maybe you will want to look at hiring a wedding coordinator.

A venue coordinator’s responsibilities can include:

(These are all dependent on the venue and what is included, so venue coordinators roles will differ.)

• Give you a tour of the venue

• Book your date and sign the contract with you

• Be present during set up, ceremony and/or reception

• Manage on-site venue staff

• Ensure that the reception ends at the time on the contract

• Unlock and lock up the venue

• Set up table and chairs

• Ensure that all venue rules are being followed like noise restrictions, smoking away from doors and windows, no candles, etc.

• Take care of any “emergency” issues if they arise like clogged toilets, blown breakers, spills, etc.

A wedding coordinator’s responsibilities can include:

(The responsibilities can differ depending on what type of coordinating/planning you book)

• Provide vendor recommendations

• Work with you to stay within your budget

• Keep you on track with your to-do list throughout planning

• Help design the ceremony and/or reception and decor

• Create a timeline for you as well as all vendors. Typically the coordinator carries a very detailed timeline down to the minute, with specific timelines being distributed to each vendor so they know what to expect or what their involvement is

• Answer any planning questions, from how to word invitations, to signage, etiquette and more

• Coordinate and cue the rehearsal, ceremony, grand entrance, special announcements, and dances

• Having an emergency kit on hand for things the wedding party may need like needle and thread, stain remover, double sided tape, bandaids and more. (If you are working with a planner, ask to see their emergency kit… they are pretty amazing)

• Act as your liaison between family, friends and vendors

• Decorate and/or flip the ceremony and reception space, and take down decor at the end of the event

• Review vendor contracts -> your planner will likely ask for a copy of every contract for their records so they know what each vendor’s obligations are

• Set up and pack up personal items like your guest book, place cards, photos and more

To be clear, a venue coordinator is incredibly important. In a previous post I talked about having your wedding at home or at a venue, and having someone that is familiar with and taking care of anything related to the venue is so important!

I hope this helps you understand the difference of a venue and wedding coordinator and helps with your wedding planning.

—

If you have any questions or comments for future posts, send me a message here or at info@katlynjane.com 

Here is the link to the video for my IGTV.

And the link to YouTube.