Wedding Planner vs. Wedding Coordinator

Knowing the difference between the role of a wedding planner and that of a wedding coordinator are often confusing for those who are not in the industry or haven't planned a wedding... Although the terms "wedding planner" and "wedding coordinator" are often used interchangeably, there are pretty big differences between the two.

​While All Things Planned offers both wedding planning and wedding coordination services, it's important to know the difference between the two roles as to ensure you are provided with the services you are looking for and that best fit your specific needs!  

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Wedding Planner///

What they do//
A wedding planner generally is the most involved professional you can hire to help you to plan your wedding. In fact, some will plan the entire wedding for you {full service planning} while others will handle some of the details letting you plan the others {partial planning}. I've heard the analogy that hiring a wedding planner is like hiring a new best friend to figure out and discuss every detail of your wedding — how amazing does that sound?
Services that wedding planners often help with are:

• Event budgeting
• Venue scouting
• Recommending and booking wedding vendors
• Negotiating vendor contracts
• Working out wedding day details with vendors
• Event design and styling
• Guest list preparation and tracking of RSVPs
• Event layout, floor plans, and seating charts
• Procurement of items for weddings such as favors and decor
• Booking and organizing accommodations for the wedding party and guests
• Planning of other wedding-related activities such as the rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, and post-wedding brunch
• Creating your day-of wedding and weekend timeline
• Overseeing everything on the day of the wedding

When to hire them//
It's ideal to hire a wedding planner at the start of your planning process so you can utilize their wealth of knowledge, vendor connections, and wedding planning wisdom throughout the entire process. They are a great fit for couples who are too busy to handle the 250-plus hours it takes to plan a wedding, for couples who don't count organization as one of their better skills, and for couples who would like someone to guide them through the entirety of the wedding planning process.

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Wedding Coordinator ///

What they do//
​A wedding coordinator generally helps when you're planning everything for your wedding, and then he or she ensures that everything goes smoothly on the day of the wedding.
Services that wedding coordinators often help with are:

• Ensuring all the important planning details have been addressed
• Creating your day-of timeline
• Confirming logistics that you've planned with vendors
• Making sure vendors have all the necessary information for the wedding day such as directions and parking info for the venue, venue rules, and the timeline
• Overseeing everything on the day of the wedding

When to hire them//
If you're planning your wedding and you want to ensure that vendors and guests aren't coming to you with questions on the day of your wedding, then a wedding coordinator is going to be your right-hand lady (or man!). Even though a wedding coordinator won't be involved in all the minute details of your wedding, it's still a great idea to hire a coordinator as soon as possible. Often they'll make vendor recommendations and can offer some helpful advice as you plan — plus, like wedding planners, their dates often book up fast.

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Photos of ATP couple, Ashton + Case, courtesy of Ryan Price Photography!