Wedding Planner vs. Wedding Coordinator vs. Wedding Designer: THE BREAKDOWN

Is a wedding planner different from a wedding coordinator? Do we need both a planner and a coordinator? And what is the role of the wedding designer in all of this? Also, can the wedding planner wear multiple hats as a wedding coordinator and wedding designer? Why, YES of course they can!

Whoa there, hold your horses! We’re here to help you differentiate between these terms.      

The thing is, the major confusion falls between the wedding planner and the wedding coordinator. So let’s start by breaking down your expectations between the two. Here are some action words to give you a basic idea:

To speak plainly, the wedding planner helps you with all the planning that goes into making your dream wedding come true, and the wedding coordinator ensures it all goes according to plan.      

The planner is the mastermind, and the coordinator is the one who makes it happen.

Can you be a wedding planner for your wedding? “Yes, of course!”

Can you be the wedding coordinator of your wedding? “No, of course not!”    

Your Wedding Planner Is Your Partner

So the engagement has been a success, and now you’re ready for the next page of your life. Your brain then goes into overdrive, and snapshots of a wedding fill your mind: gown, tux, church, flowers, guests, cake, confetti, bubbles, dancing, and a myriad of other things. And you need help! Who do you contact? The Wedding Planner.

The Planner Makes It Happen

You may already have a theme in mind. You and your S.O. already have an inkling whether you’re going for a grand opulent wedding or an intimate micro wedding – or somewhere in between. But, darn, how to make this come true?

With your hectic schedule as a videogame developer and your soon-to-be-spouse’s demanding job as a manager, you need help drafting the blueprint of your big day. You just don’t have the time! Your mind is going, “Here, take my money! S.O.S (Save Our Souls)!”

The Planner is the Detail & Logistics Expert

Where to buy oriental lilies? Which nearby venues overlook a lake full of swans? From where can I order pop-up invitations? Where to find an oboe player? Who was Justin Bieber’s wedding photographer, can you find out?

That’s when you hire a professional wedding planner. A talented and multiskilled individual who works with you to put all your plans into motion. Your wedding planner is like a magician. He or she will use all their skills to make your wishes and wants come true and will move heaven and earth to fulfill your requests no matter what challenges arise.

Many wedding planners are also wedding designers, so they are more than capable of designing the entire wedding. From the outfits of the bride and groom to the various elements of decor like the flowers, the linens, the table settings, the centerpieces, the dance floor and everything else that goes into making your wedding a fabulous occasion – they can take care of it all, and skillfully at that. 

The Wedding Planner Duties:

1. Interviews you to understand what you want
2. Manages your budget
3. Is your consultant for questions about your wedding
4. Brainstorms style and design details
5. Finds and identifies venues      
6. Creates a detailed checklist
7. Contracting vendors
8. Attends menu tastings
9. Arranges transportation
10. Manages the rehearsal
11. Expert in all kinds of wedding logistics
12. Expert in making backup plans

In short, the wedding planner makes sure that on the day you get hitched, everything you need is complete and paid for: from the officiating minister down to the dessert.

The Wedding Coordinator Is Your Soldier

It is the professional that wakes up in the early hours on your wedding day to ensure that everything is in order so your wedding celebrations can go off flawlessly, and as planned, without a hitch. The wedding coordinator is like an orchestra conductor – he or she is skilled in ensuring that nothing is off-key on your wedding day. She or he is trained for that.

The Coordinator Commands with Authority

Your wedding coordinator is akin to an orchestra conductor. They directs the show with military precision, right down to the minutest details. She or he works behind the scenes to ensure that the whole event is moving as planned, like a well-oiled machine.

From the caterers to the choir, the decorators, the florists, the photographers, and even the bridesmaids and the groomsmen, he or she ensures they’re all doing what they’re supposed to and at exactly the right time so you can make a grand entrance.

It wouldn’t be wrong to think of a wedding coordinator as a superhuman who effortlessly manages to be in ten places all at once, putting out fires, calming ruffled feathers, directing the decorators and caterers and calling out orders, all with a smile on their face and a word of reassurance to the frazzled bride or groom.

The Coordinator Is Your Fairy Godmother

Their  goal is to take care of the nitty gritty so that you don’t have to think about anything on your big day; save looking your best and putting your best foot forward as you  allow yourself to enjoy every minute of your special day, without worrying about the seating arrangements, or whether your farm-to-table course will arrive hot and fresh.

Your wedding is a once in a lifetime moment, and your wedding coordinator ensures you get to enjoy every minute of your very special day. A day that you dreamt of and worked hard to bring to pass.      

The Wedding Coordinator Duties:

1. Reviews the signed contracts with vendors
2. Confirms logistics
3. Finalizes ceremony and reception walk-throughs
4. Creates timelines, schedules, and floor plans
5. Takes care of the last-minute wedding needs
6. Contacts and confirms with all vendors
7. Solves problems and issues

Most couples hire a wedding coordinator when they do the planning themselves and simply want someone in charge of the last-minute details and take charge on the wedding day. This professional is analytical, anticipates all your needs, detail-oriented, and a super organizer.

The Wedding Designer

The wedding designer has only one task: design. He or she is the artist in charge of:

1. Design concept, if you don’t have one yet
2. Guides you on the color palette
3. Manages the budget related to design and decor, such as invitation, florists, and lighting
4. May acquire props
5. Sets the mood and atmosphere of the ceremony and the reception

The wedding designer, in short, is in charge of the “look” of your wedding. He or she is the master of aesthetics so that your wedding looks aesthetically beautiful. That’s it.

How Do I Know If I Need a Wedding Planner?            

If you’re still unsure whether you need a wedding planner, go through this list to help you decide.

1. You and your spouse-to-be work full-time, and you simply have no time to contact or meet with vendors.
2. You have no idea where to start, when it comes to finding the best vendors.
3. You have a wedding budget and have no idea how to use it.
4. You have a sense of what you want, but you can’t pinpoint the specifics.
5. Some of your important guests have personality conflicts with each other, and you need peace on your big day.
6. You have a short engagement.
7. You have a lot on your plate and can’t think clearly.
8. You are terrified of managing a big event, especially when it’s your big event.
9. You need advice on how to save money but still get a lovely wedding.
10. You have the budget to hire one.

How Do I Know If I Need a Wedding Coordinator?              

1. You cannot afford a full-service wedding planner and just need someone to take charge on the wedding day itself.
2. You don’t want to be stressed on your actual wedding date.
3. You want your family members, and close friends to just sit back and relax.
4. You want someone to finalize and double-check all the wedding plans.
5. You don’t want to think about logistics on your wedding date. You simply want to attend.

How Do I Know If I Need a Wedding Designer?

1. You don’t trust your artistic taste.
2. You want an exquisitely beautiful wedding.
3. You have the budget for a designer.

Wedding planners, coordinators, and designers have an innate talent for managing, organizing, commanding, and strategizing. And they love it. They are passionate about their job and about ensuring that your wedding is everything you dreamed it to be. They’re job after all is to make your special day unforgettable and memorable.