Wedding PLANNER vs. Wedding COORDINATOR

A bride told me the other day that she enjoyed the planning of her wedding but now that its only a few months away she wants someone to deal with all of the logistics and take over. Luckily, that's one of the services I offer! Let me explain the difference between a Wedding Coordinator and a Wedding Planner.

Wedding Coordinator
This is just one of my titles. Don't think that just because you did all the planning for your wedding that you have to continue to run things the day of. This is YOUR day and you should be able to relax and enjoy it with your friends and family. Let someone else run the show. That's why I'm here! About 4-6 weeks before your wedding, I'll meet with you for a detail meeting. This is when you'll give me all of your vendor contracts so that I can confirm details and delivery/arrival times with them, we discuss an "inventory" list of anything that I have to set up for the ceremony and reception, the order and participants of your ceremony processional, a basic outline of timing for the day (I'll create a thorough timeline after this), and anything else that is on your mind. I basically take what YOU have planned and implement it.

Some popular wedding venues have an on-site coordinator. They are great because they know the venue best, but they don't do everything that we do. If your ceremony is not at the venue, who will run things there? Who will make sure that your belongings get returned to you after the ceremony (unity candle, extra programs, etc.)? That's right. Me. And don't forget the countless hours spent on walkthroughs, detail meetings and the rehearsal that we attend to make sure that everything goes perfectly on your wedding day.

Most of the time the on-site coordinator at the reception will handle the logistics of the facility like setting the tables, making sure the food comes out correctly and on time, etc. What I do is a bit different. I start at your ceremony to greet the groom and groomsmen and make sure they are where they are supposed to be and on time. I set up any decorations or special items here. When the bride arrives I greet her at the limo and instruct her and the bridesmaids to line up for the processional, then coordinate with any musicians for the processional as I guide everyone down the aisle. Immediately after the ceremony, I go to the reception site and greet the vendors to make sure everyone knows where they are supposed to be and set up any items that I need to there. Throughout the evening, I make sure that everyone is following the timeline I put together and distributed prior to the wedding day and work out any adjustments that need to be made along the way. It's also my job to make sure that the bride and groom are happy and to handle any mishaps that may occur throughout the day, preferable without the bride's knowledge of anything going wrong :)

Wedding Planner
I love being a coordinator, but being a planner is great too because it gives me more time to build a rapport with the couple and get to know family members and friends throughout the planning process. With this title, I work with the couple from "Yes!" to "I do!". We'll start by creating a budget and estimated guest list to narrow down venues to make it easier to set up tours. I'll go with the couple on those tours, vendor meetings, periodic meetings to firm up details and keep the couple on track, etc. We then take on the role of wedding coordinator the day of the wedding to implement everything that we planned together.

BONUS: When you use our planning services, we can SAVE YOU MONEY when you book the vendors that we refer. 

If you are interested in hearing more about our services, please email carisa@crsocials.com to set up a complimentary consultation!