(This is a continuation of an earlier post about wedding coordinators).

presents

Planners vs. Coordinators, What’s the Difference?

by Emilie

A wedding planner should know all of the great venues and vendors in your city or area. Your planner should be able let you know how to manage your budget, introduce you to fabulous vendors within your price point, and help you find your dream venue. This can be as involved as setting up and scheduling vendor appointments for you, attending meetings with lists of questions ready at hand, ordering rentals such as linens and tents, and reviewing vendor contracts. A planner is usually hired in the first stage of planning so you can get the most out of your investment.

A good planner will save you time and money because instead of researching on your own for hours to see if you can find a certain style of photographer in a particular price range, your planner might know one hidden gem off the bat, and show you their gorgeous photography blog in the time that it takes for you to Google “great photographers”. A planner will also help carry out your wedding day vision, with ideas and suggestions to play up your color theme, or personal style. Planners range in pricing, depending on location, experience, and even your budget, but you can look to spend anywhere between $2,500 and $10,000.

Source: Erica Lyn Photography

A wedding coordinator on the other hand is usually not as involved in the initial planning. If you have the time to plan a wedding mostly on your own, a wedding coordinator is perfect because all of your little personal details and touches need to be shown to your guests in the exact way that you envisioned it, right? A coordinator will not only set up your place cards, guestbook, and menu cards to your specifications, but will also make sure that everything else falls into place, including the vendors that you hired. A coordinator is there to fix your train as you walk down the aisle, and be the point-of-contact for absolutely everything. For coordinators, expect to see prices ranging from $500 to $3000. Prices vary based on location, number of assistants, and especially what is included in the package. Some coordinators will just expect you to tell them what to set up, while others will really be more involved to help you organize all of the details beforehand.

Why not just ask a friend or someone in your bridal party to be your DOC? Because your loved ones should be able to enjoy your wedding day and celebrate with you, instead of worrying about setting up your place cards, or making sure your cake is the right color. By hiring a wedding coordinator, you will be able to relax and be stress free for your special day.

When interviewing coordinators, definitely ask about the work that they have done, and the exact services that they provide. Not only should they have great reviews from past clients, but I would recommend meeting with the coordinator in-person because you will instantly know if it they are a good fit for you!

About our guest blogger:
Emilie is the owner and principal coordinator of Pink Orchid Weddings, a Boston based company that specializes in wedding day-of coordination. Pink Orchid Weddings guides the way for a couple and answers any questions throughout the planning process. The details are pulled together and the vision turns into reality by creating a minute-by-minute timeline, coordinating vendors, and perfectly executing the wedding day.