Wedding Coordinator vs Venue Coordinator - What’s the Difference?
You’re engaged, you’re elated, and you just booked your dream venue - life is grand!! Now all you have to do is find the rest of your vendor team and choose your colors…or is it?
Photo by Jessica Pohl Photography
There’s nothing more exciting than finally finding (and securing!) the perfect wedding venue, especially after weeks or months of research + tours. And what seems like a real perk for newbie couples on their planning journey - a built-in venue coordinator - might actually be a bit different than what you’re imagining. We have nothing against venue coordinators, not a thing; this information is meant to be positive + educational, and they play a hugely critical role in helping to make sure your day goes seamlessly. Truth be told we lovvvve working with amazing venue coordinators, and do so very often!
It’s important to understand how venue coordinators differ from wedding coordinators, so that you can make an educated decision on whether to hire a professional coordinator for your big day. (Our advice is always going to be a resounding YES!).
Photo by Lauren Hawkins Photography
VENUE COORDINATORS ARE FOR THE VENUE. WEDDING COORDINATORS ARE FOR THE COUPLE.
A venue coordinator is working hard to ensure everything happening at the venue for your wedding, whether it's your ceremony, reception, or both, goes off without a hitch. From food + beverage to rentals + staffing, they are responsible for making sure the planned details are in place and executed accordingly. However, some venues won’t set up or break down your decor or rental items, making it essential to hire a wedding coordinator to fill that gap (unless you have a really ambitious group of friends or family). And further still, some venues require you to hire a wedding coordinator knowing that many of the demands of running a successful wedding falls well outside their scope of responsibility.
A wedding coordinator is there for YOU - to prioritize you, advocate for you, and work for you. A coordinator will likely join you on your wedding day as you finish getting ready, to be present when your photographer arrives and things start moving into place for the timeline of events to follow. Your coordinator has already been talking with your vendor team in the weeks leading up to the wedding, and has ensured everyone is on the same page with your vision, floor plan, timeline, and logistics!
THEY AREN’T PLAYING AN ACTIVE ROLE IN EVENTS OUTSIDE THE VENUE
Venue coordinators are there to coordinate the venue, plain + simple. From cocktail hour through dessert, they take pride in making sure their team knows where to be and when. Is the kitchen on time with preparations? Are the food stations in place? Did the servers confirm allergies? Did the linen get put on the cake table? Check and check. You are their priority when you step on site the day of your wedding.
Wedding coordinators are there for YOU, advocating for you, focused on you, and guiding you throughout the day to ensure you are fully present and able to enjoy the celebrations - as you should! Hair + makeup running behind? Snag in your veil? That offsite ceremony? We got you covered. Transportation to the venue breakdown? Photos run late at the park? We’re handling all of that so that you don’t have to!
IN FACT, THEY MIGHT NOT BE THERE FOR YOUR WEDDING ITSELF
Some venues have event managers or coordinators who meet with you, give you the tour, schedule your tasting, join your final meeting, but then don’t work with you directly on your wedding day. Other venue coordinators leave part way through your reception, often heading out as soon as dinner is served or stepping away to handle other responsibilities like managing staff, giving tours, or answering emails.
Venues can have 100+ couples coming through in any given wedding season, and venue coordinators are likely working triple weekends, trying to juggle various details for multiple couples, and of course can’t be onsite all hours of the day.
But guess who is going to be there for you?! Your wedding coordinator will be with you for the long haul, anywhere from 8-15 hours on your wedding day! The wedding coordinator you connected with, talked through the myriad of details with, and coordinated timelines in conjunction with is going to be by your side on your wedding day - without exception.
Photo by Move Mountains Co.
When in doubt, a wedding coordinator is always a great choice and essentially acts as insurance that your wedding day will be handled efficiently and professionally! However, we understand not everyone has the desire or ability to hire an outside wedding coordinator. Our best advice? Don’t be afraid to ask the venue coordinator up front about their responsibilities and the exact role they’ll play on your wedding day itself. The number one key to a successful wedding day is always communication!