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Wedding Pros like Planners and Coordinators are a bride’s wedding planning bestie! We absolutely love the relationship we have with our couples here at The Monroe on 415th, and there’s no better way to really get to know a couple than to help bring their dream day to life! If you’re a bride or groom-to-be and you’re wondering what the purpose of a wedding planner or wedding coordinator is, let’s jump right into the wide world of weddings!

Planner vs. Coordinator – What’s the Difference?

At first glance, most couples think that planners and coordinators serve the same function, but that’s actually not the case! You can think of wedding planning like a race. A wedding planner is alongside you the entire time, running the race with you – scheduling tastings, reviewing contracts, hiring vendors, creating design mockups, learning your wishes, etc. They run the race with you and most likely for you, you’re handing off the baton very early on! They work with you from the start of your engagement through your wedding day. Wedding planners are great for the couple that wants guidance along the way!

A wedding coordinator typically finishes the race that you start. You’re running the majority of the race by yourself – coming up with your theme/design, hiring vendors, paying invoices, etc. Then, near the end of the race – usually around 3 or fewer months from the wedding, you will hand off the baton to your wedding coordinator! They do things like confirm information with your vendors closer to the wedding, conduct rehearsal practices, create timelines, and make sure things run smoothly on wedding day!

Typically, most full scale wedding planners will also include the duties of a wedding day coordinator. The same is not true for wedding coordinators; they usually stick to helping out at the end of the planning process through wedding day.

If you still need some clarification, maybe these pros and cons can help you decipher the key differences!

Pros and Cons

The pros of having a wedding planner are really never-ending and mean different things to most couples. Here are a few noteworthy ones:

Expertise: Wedding Planners usually come with years of experience under their belt and a list of other trusted wedding professionals they often work alongside.
The Vision: Wedding Planners are highly detailed when it comes to dreaming up beautiful wedding days. They take the wishes and visions of their couples and help bring them to life.
Money Management: Great wedding planners will take your wedding budget and put it to work to create the day of your dreams. This includes keeping things in check when the vision starts to wander!
Luxury: Hiring a full scale wedding planner is often a luxury purchase. They take the hassle out of planning so that you can relax and enjoy your engagement. There’s no denying that they make wedding planning look easy!

Let’s review a few cons of hiring a Wedding Planner:

The Bottom Line: As previously mentioned, full scale wedding planning is a luxury service. It is typically a large expense and will increase your bottom line of your overall wedding budget. For couples on a tight budget, a wedding planner may not be financially feasible
Not One Size Fits All: Sometimes finding the perfect wedding planner can be difficult. They offer a highly personalized service over the course of sometimes 2 years or more. You want to do your due diligence and find the planner who fits your unique needs and can support your vision, which can take a while before finding the perfect fit.

Now let’s take a look at a few pros for choosing a wedding coordinator:

Customization: Wedding coordinators can offer their services 6 months, 3 months, even 1 month out from your wedding! The customization allows for flexible pricing!
Follow the Leader: You have already done most of the big wedding planning tasks, now your coordinator will organize your work and make sure all the ‘i’s’ are dotted and ‘t’s’ are crossed! They follow your lead and curate their services to the work you’ve already done! Perfect for any type A brides who just need a little extra help at the end of planning!
Huge Portfolio: Most full-time wedding coordinators are used to working at various venues! Find coordinators who have worked at your venue before to ensure they know the lay of the land and meet venue requirements. This will give peace of mind knowing this isn’t the coordinator’s first time at your venue!
Venue Requirements: Most venues, like the Monroe on 415th, require that couples have a wedding coordinator to ensure the wedding day goes off without a hitch!

Time to take a look at the other side of the coin:

Be Informed: Anyone can say they’re a wedding coordinator, but not everyone can be the wedding coordinator that couples need to ensure a smooth and easy wedding day! Make sure to vet wedding coordinators to make sure they have prior experience, a legitimate business, and can provide insurance as most venues require this.

The Monroe has a team of in-house wedding coordinators that work exclusively at the venue to help our couples have stress free wedding days! Our coordination package also includes access to our wedding planning software that makes planning a breeze. Our previous bride, Emma, says, “I used Sarah as my coordinator because who else would know the venue better. Sarah and her team worked so efficiently always answering every question I had quickly and never left me hanging. The Monroe made the wedding planning process enjoyable. We felt so confident in our decision in choosing them for our big day and I promise you will too!” See more of Emma and Kelly’s wedding here!

Since we don’t require our couples to book our coordination package we meet a ton of great wedding pros each season! Our favorite planners and coordinators include Gathered Wedding Planning, Mooncrest Events, and EL Events. It is always a pleasure to welcome them and their teams into the venue!

Let the Planning Begin!

No matter which option you choose, Wedding Planner or Wedding Coordinator, you can rest assured knowing you will be well taken care of on your wedding day! Wedding pros are passionate about what they do and want the couples to look back fondly on their wedding day and the part they got to play in it! If you’re engaged and starting on your wedding planning journey, let the planning begin!!