You’re engaged! Congrats! It’s such a fun and special life moment to get to experience curating your own wedding. Fortunately, there’s also lots of resources to help to narrow down ideas and vendors to help make your wedding feel unique to you as a couple and to create intentional moments with your guests. But how do you ensure that you cover all your bases for your wedding and that everything goes accordingly? That can be achieved with the assistance of a wedding planner and wedding coordinator, two very different and separate roles.
A wedding planner would be hired by a couple that needs assistance in the process of planning their wedding. The degree that the planner is involved in depends on the couple’s needs, but they often start from the very beginning. They help the couple make decisions, develop the weddings aesthetic and help form the overall vision. A planner will recommend vendors, manage the budget, review contracts, offer advice and create a plan for the day of the wedding. You can think of them as the architect of your wedding.
A coordinator can be thought of as the project manager of your wedding day. It’s our job to make sure that your plans are executed as desired. Even if a couple has chosen to plan their own wedding a coordinator allows the couple and their guests to get to enjoy and not work the wedding. You will also have someone with professional expertise to foresee any potential issues, so they are handled quickly and discreetly, giving you peace of mind. Coordinators step in when most of the wedding planning is complete and we confirm details, make timelines and communicate with vendors before the big day. The day of coordination involves tasks like overseeing set up, assisting vendors and the wedding party, solving unexpected problems, directing the ceremony and flow of events all while keeping everyone on schedule to ensure you, your family and guests can be fully present. Micro weddings, lavish weddings, backyard weddings, barn or winery weddings. No matter your wedding size or type, a coordinator isn’t just helpful but necessary.
Okay you understand the difference between planning and coordination, but you’ll notice when touring venues that you will also be working with a venue coordinator. Another person to add to the vendor team? Yes! A venue coordinator is there to support you and your wedding from the perspective of the venue. They work for the venue where a wedding coordinator works for the bride & groom. Their focus is the venue not the wedding overall. They are there to make sure everything that is promised, planned, and agreed upon as per your contract is taken care of. The venue coordinator will be the main point of contact for the venue and will cover all venue logistics for your big day. They work closely with your wedding coordinator to make sure everything runs according to plan and that if anything is missing or there’s an issue it’s handled by the two of them so that you and your guests can simply enjoy the wedding.
So, there you have it! Three very different roles that help to make your wedding day truly a day to remember. If you’re looking for experienced wedding coordinators who will care for your wedding as if it were our own, we’d love to get to know you. At Hometown Wedding Co., our passion is bringing your carefully planned day to life so you and your family and guests can make memories together.
If you’re planning a wedding in Placerville, Apple Hill, Gold Country, El Dorado County, Sacramento, Lake Tahoe, or anywhere throughout Northern California, we’d be honored to be part of your wedding day. Reach out to schedule a consultation- we can’t wait to hear about your vision and help make it a reality.
