onsite venue coordinators vs wedding planners

On today’s Fox 7 TV Segment with anchor person Sarah Brownlee we talked about On-Site Venue coordinators vs a Wedding Planner.

First let’s just get it out there, many of you will think I’m biased. Actually I adore on-site venue coordinators. Between the two of us, nothing slips through the cracks. There is one person for me to talk to instead of dealing with the banquet manager, wait staff, bartenders, and chef. I can concentrate on our mutual clients and the site coordinator can concentrate on the venue’s service and setup.

With that said, I think it is important to know the reality vs your expectations. So let’s keep it simple and review three main differences:

1. On-Site Coordinators are responsible for their venue. Their alliance and most important concern is their venue. The venue pays their salary. A wedding planner is responsible to you. This is a third party that is an advocate and a director of all your vendors and wishes.

2. On-Site Coordinators may have limited vendor referrals. Most of them will have a source of vendors that they love to use at their facility. Because this DJ doesn’t scratch their floors and this florist cleans up after themselves, etc, etc. Instead, a wedding planner knows many vendors that can fit into many different budgets and match client’s personalities. It’s our job to know GREAT vendors that may not advertise!

3. On-Site Coordinators are there only for the reception (or time at their venue). They are not a wedding planner that will take your 10pm etiquette phone calls, or attend a photographers meeting, or negotiate with a band or have a lots of design ideas and magazines for you to look at. A wedding planner is there from the planning stages, rehearsal, ceremony and to the reception.

Now that you have the facts, you can determine what your needs are.

Plan on! -saundra

PS: For more information on this subject, check out this great podcast from The Wedding Planning Audiocast interview with Linda Kessler!

Wednesday, November 14th, 2007 trendy tips

3 Comments to onsite venue coordinators vs wedding planners

I get asked this question all the time…”do I really need a wedding planner if the reception site comes with an event planner?” Thank you for this blog…Well put!

Affairs With Elegance on November 19th, 2007

I love this post! Brides don’t understand the difference and they wind up regretting it after the wedding!! As a planner in Philadelphia, I get that story too many times! No one but a GOOD wedding planner is going to hold your hand from beginning to end and make everything perfect!! Brides to be- PLEASE listen to this advice!