Wedding PLANNER Vs. Wedding COORDINATOR

There have been so many times when I've heard "My venue has a planner" and it makes me cringe every time. There have also been times when potential clients have called me back after a consultation (and not booking me because their "venue has a planner") because they have found out their venue does NOT in fact have a PLANNER. There is a very distinct difference between what I do at CR Socials and what the coordinators at many of the banquet facilities do.

Photo courtesy of Lipgloss Crisis

1. The event coordinator at your venue will not hound your vendors if they are not getting back to you. I worked for one of these banquet facilities briefly and brides would call the coordinator there all the time about little details of their wedding. One bride even asked if he could call her DJ for her because he wasn't returning her calls. This is NOT what the coordinator at the facility would do, however, this IS something that I would do as YOUR wedding planner. Basically, all the coordinator at this facility wanted to know was the bride's final headcount, meal choices, and linen colors. That was IT. He has hundreds of couples he deals with every year, he is NOT going to call your vendors and tell them to return your calls.

2. Is the event coordinator going to decorate the church or off-site ceremony for you? NO! As YOUR wedding planner, I will arrive early at the church or other off-site location to decorate and set up any items you want. The facility's coordinator is NOT going to leave the facility to do your ceremony decorating.

3. One of the services we offer as a full service wedding planning company is to accompany you to your vendor meetings. We apply our knowledge and expertise at these meetings and ask questions you may not even think to ask. Many times our relationships with the vendors we refer result in savings for YOU, the BRIDE! The banquet facility may refer certain vendors to you (because they are paid to, most of the time), but you are on your own to contact and interview them. Also, our referrals are based on the quality of work of the vendors, not because we receive anything in return.

4. The wedding coordinator at your facility will not call and confirm the details with all your vendors prior to your wedding day. I WILL! Make sure that nothing slips through the cracks on your big day. I have even had vendors call me to handle minor issues that the bride does not need to be made aware of the day before or the day of her wedding. For example, I had a florist call me the day before a wedding asking if instead of delivering the flowers to the bride's house, the church AND the reception hall if I can take the reception flowers from the church to the venue. Her assistant had to leave early unexpectedly and would not be able to make all 3 deliveries on time. Of course I was happy to help (after all, that IS my job) and the bride didn't have to know a thing about it!

Now don't get confused. I, as a wedding PLANNER, also serve as your DOC (day-of coordinator). And most importantly, we are ALWAYS here to cater to you as the bride! We "work" for YOU, not the facility or anyone else.

Photo courtesy of Zolla Photography

The truth is...my range of services is pretty much unlimited. I will even be picking up sandwiches and delivering them to the venue for the bridal party this weekend. So, in a nutshell, I do whatever it takes to make your wedding day special and stress-free. Can you say the same about your facility's "coordinator"?