It’s a slightly touchy subject in the wedding industry. Just
what exactly is the difference between a wedding planner and a designer? And
where do coordinators fit into the puzzle? In truth, the names really do tell
the story: a coordinator coordinates, a designer designs and a planner plans.
What do planners plan? Well, basically everything!
A wedding planner
is a professional who plans the wedding alongside the bride, coordinates the vendor
team, helps select a floral designer and often partners with them in the
wedding design, maps out the budget and timeline and coordinates the entire
wedding day and very often the weekend events surrounding the wedding. Inherit
in our jobs is a huge design piece. We help the bride develop her vision for
her wedding day, including the aesthetics and design, which is comprised of –
but never limited to – color palettes, lighting, linens, table settings, paper
products (think escort cards, menus, programs and signage), floral choices,
motifs/themes (i.e. monograms or symbols) cake design and more!
And while planners do a lot of heavy lifting in the design
of their clients’ weddings, they do it as a partner with the vendors who will
execute the vision such as the florist, lighting expert, bakery, stationer and
rental company. The planner is the bride’s advocate, ensuring her vision is
brought to perfect fruition, but he/she also acts as the liaison between the
bride and her vendors and often even among the vendor team itself.
A wedding designer
usually focus on the décor of the event, with all other details being secondary
to them. Very often, these professionals have a floral or decorating
background. They may be adept at designing a spectacular event, but it’s not
really in their wheelhouse to help you with all of the complete logistics of
your wedding, such as budget, schedule and managing/coordinating the other
vendors as a cohesive team.
A wedding coordinator
is usually a professional who coordinates the logistics of the wedding day. Those
using this title are typically “day of” coordinators, with the extent of their
role limited to implementing what the bride has specified. They usually do not
help plan the wedding day, although they can be very valuable in problem
solving on the wedding day. A word of caution: please do not ever hire a
coordinator that just shows up on the “day of.” Any reputable wedding day
coordinator should meet with you around a month prior to your wedding to help
you finalize any outstanding details and familiarize themselves with your
wedding plan and vision. Do your research, and know that in the wedding
industry, you get what you pay for, so be wary of any coordinators charging far
below others.
It also should be noted that not all wedding planners are
capable of or even interested in guiding brides in the design of their wedding.
If you want to ensure your planner has the chops to help you plan and design a
jaw-dropping event, do your homework! Meet with them, review their portfolios
and check their references – both from clients and vendors they have worked
with!
At Weddings by StarDust, all of our lead planners are certified by the
American Association of Certified Wedding Planners and attend continuing
education courses throughout the year to stay at the leading edge of the
industry. We have helped hundreds of brides plan and design beautiful events
from intimate, casual backyard events and huge, lavish ballroom affairs to
elegant tented celebrations and whimsical beachside destination weddings. Call
us at 972.781.1619 to schedule your appointment so we can learn more about your
wedding vision and explore how we can help you make your wedding dreams come
true!
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