What Your Venue Won’t Tell You
Venue Coordinators vs Off Site Coordinators
Happy Thursday!! I am always doing consultations and meetings with brides and more often than not, the question “Do you have a wedding planner?” comes up which is why I am really excited to share this post with you today.
The thing I hear the most often is “I don’t need a wedding planner because my venue offers one for free” and at that point I know that this bride has not been educated by their venue. I almost feel like venues don’t want you to know the truth… they want you to think that the price you pay for the venue is more of a deal because you get a Coordinator included. The sad truth is that this is not exactly the case. This is What Your Venue Won’t Tell You and most brides are left in the dark!
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I am going to break this down for you in a way you can hopefully understand. You may only need a venue coordinator but you also might find that their services are not what you thought. Just be aware so that you can make the right decision and not have a last minute wedding nightmare.
Venue Coordinators
What Your Venue Won’t Tell You… The Venue Coordinators work for the venue – not the bride and groom. To me this is the first giveaway to where their loyalty lies. They aren’t there to decorate for you and they wont call your different vendors when they don’t arrive on time. Their job is to be your liaison for the venue. They will make sure that the items the venue is offering you gets done.
For example if you are getting tables, chairs and catering included in your venue price, then your venue planner will make sure the tables & chairs are set up with linens (if they are included), china, silverware and glassware. They will also make sure that the food is on schedule and being correctly taken care of. It is not their job to place centerpieces & additional decoration or to manage your bridal timeline and other outside vendors. They are strictly a venue go to person. Also, please note that these types of coordinators usually take off ofter the dinner portion of the night.
I should say that this info pertains to most wedding venue coordinators. Obviously I can’t speak for them all so if you are unsure of what they will do for you, simply ask! Be aware though that we have arrived at many a wedding where the bride was told that the venue coordinator would place centerpieces and decor. But, when the day came, the bride and her girls had to do it. This not only creates more stress but then cuts into the photo timeline and puts everything behind.
Off Site Coordinators
An off site Wedding Planner or Wedding Coordinator is your personal consultant and they work directly for you! They manage your timeline and they make sure your decorations are setup they way you specified to them. Their focus is wide and their job is to curate the wedding you imagined. Again… THEY WORK FOR YOU!
It all starts with the planning process. Depending on if you got a full service planner or a day of planer, they will assist you with finding your wedding team : Photographers, florists, Cake, DJ, etc. They help with floor plans, detail work and much much more. Sadly this is What Your Venue Won’t Tell You. They want you to think that this is taken care. If you need these services, please hire an actual wedding planner/coordinator for your special day.
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Now to sum it all up… A venue coordinator works for the needs of the venue, fulfilling the requirements of your contract with the venue in a timely manner whereas a wedding planner works for the bride and groom, ensuring every detail is flawless and orchestrated exactly as you’ve planned it to be.
We are in no way saying that the venue coordinator is bad but we want you to go into your big day knowing what to expect from your vendors. Take this information into consideration and choose which one works the best for you!
Until next time – XOXO
Cheers,
Stephanie
Great information!
AMEN!!!!
As a Venue Sales Manager that recently just left her successful position to launch her own event planning company, I completely agree! When I say successful, I mean just that – Some months I was 200% over my goals – I was my own worst enemy, because I went above and beyond for every single client by doing not only the venue related responsibilities like floor plan/menu planning/BEO/Timeline, but also I ended up assisting banquet staff with set up, and took it upon myself for the clients by setting out their personal items (place cards, centerpieces, service tables, personal decor, etc). And you are correct when saying “most venue coordinators leaving after dinner service…” because I did!! My job was so exhausting, because not only are you on site Monday through Fridaytfrom 8am – 5pm, but you are also there the extra 6 to 7 days a week working your bigger events. You feel the pressure from corporate to achieve your goals and to SELL the venue and their menus. My stress continued, because alot of my clients that bought from me, didn’t have the budget for partial planning, much less full planning – so, as a result, I took it on to make the sale!! Needless to say, I finally got the nerve to leave that job and do what I truly LOVE and that is service the client directly and be their liason between the venue and all the other service vendors. At some point each and every client needs to be educated about the importance of hiring a wedding planner/coordinator for their wedding day, and making sure they are asking the right questions and getting it in writing of what their venue coordiantor will EXACTLY be responsible for, and how an “off site coordinator” can bring MUCH added INSURANCE and VALUE to one of the biggest celebrations you ever host in your entire life!