We’ve heard it before: “I don’t need a wedding planner, my venue has a coordinator.” Let’s talk about why that’s completely untrue.
We love venue coordinators; we really do! They can be wonderful and they’re very knowledgeable about their venue. They can tell you all the best practices at their site and everything the venue and their staff can do for you. Venue coordinators may be responsible for everything at the venue, from renting out the venue, to food and beverage sales, and being present on the wedding day. On the other end of the spectrum, venue coordinators may sell dates at the venue and be responsible for turning on and off the lights on the wedding day….and that’s it! There’s a range of options in between and this will vary by venue.
So what does a venue coordinator do? First and foremost, they work for the venue, not YOU. Their job is to look out for the best interest of the venue. Of course they want a happy couple, but they don’t have the time to be with you throughout the entire day. They have many other tasks to take care of during the day that do not allow personal attention. They have to make sure the venue needs and responsibilities are taken care of. This could include tours to future couples, managing an entire catering staff, tending to the unique requirements of their building, and putting out figurative venue fires as they arise (think clogged toilets). Secondly, wedding and event venues have historically high turnover. Therefore, the person who sold you the space may not be there by the time your wedding day arrives. If they are, they are likely managing 50-100 events for the venue throughout the year. Most of the time they worked a wedding the day before yours and have one the day after. Once again, this just doesn’t give you that level of service and individual touch that you deserve!
We’ve established who the venue coordinator works for, but let’s talk about who an independent planner works for. It’s YOU, the engaged couple! We are not locked into one venue or even a group of venues. We work everywhere, and therefore we keep our clients’ needs and desires as priority. We work hand-in-hand with the venue coordinator and the rest of your vendors as the team lead. We are with you throughout the day to execute YOUR wishes and to make sure YOU are taken care of. We have no other priorities besides the plans you and I make together.
You may or may choose to hire a full-service wedding planner, but you get the benefits of a professional wedding planner with even AWPA member planners’ base level packages. You might hear these called “day of” coordination, “month of” coordination or “event management.” Even with our starting levels, you will get one on one personalized service, and someone present on wedding day whose sole responsibility is to make sure YOU are happy and YOUR plans happen.
The last thing to share is that some venues do offer more in-depth coordination options via an “in-house” planner. Our advice is to compare what they offer to that of an independent planner’s package. An in-house venue planner still works for the venue and serves two masters (the venue and the client), so we believe that is still not the ideal situation for a client. While their packages are often less money, sometimes that $500 savings is not worth it. AWPA has planners in all price points, so check them out and make an informed decision!
Tip from Jennifer Ashford of Altar Ego Weddings
