What’s the Difference Between a Planner, Coordinator and Designer?

Planning a wedding is a huge task that can sometimes get overwhelming. There are so many venues to look at, cakes to try and invitations to send! Having help to do all of these things is such a lifesaver! But..where do you begin to look for help? How do you know how much help you need or want? We’re here to help you figure that out!

What does a planner do?

A wedding planner is responsible for – you guessed it – planning the wedding and much more. Planning implies a full logistical process of careful preparation over a period of 8-14 months. Wedding planner’s duties include planning, styling, and coordinating for those who want someone to walk through the wedding planning process with them. From the invitations to your getaway car, they put together an elite team of professionals to make sure everything is exactly how YOU want it. With monthly face-to-face meetings and unlimited phone calls, they help you select all vendors, discuss and manage a budget, and assist with styling the wedding of your dreams.

What does a coordinator do?

An event or wedding coordinator is not held responsible for planning the wedding. Instead, they’re merely responsible for coordinating details. This person is someone you might hire to oversee the wedding day or provide “month-of coordination services” to help execute details that have already been previously planned.

What does a designer do?

A wedding designer’s role has very little to do with planning, coordination, or direction. There are some planners who are also designers. Our company actually does professional design as well.. A wedding designer is a person or company that is actively developing or creating the aesthetic design and vision for your wedding.

But my venue gives me a coordinator, what exactly does that mean?

That means that you won’t need to hire a day-of coordinator, because you will be provided with one, but you can still hire a planner or designer if you want or need help with actually planning your big day! Just be sure to do your research and check reviews not all venues have qualified coordinators and it can really put a damper on your wedding day.

How do I know if I need a planner or coordinator?

The best way to decide what you need is how much of the actual planning and work you want to do yourself. There are also different levels of planning, so if you want to handle some things, like the invitations and decorations, but don’t want to have to hire a photographer or DJ, or vice versa, a partial planning package might be best for you!

I hope this information has been helpful and is useful to some of the anxious or overwhelmed brides!