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An Independent Wedding Planner vs. an On-site Venue Coordinator

Many couples may feel they do not need a wedding planner if there is an on-site coordinator at their venue. So we've listed some differences of each role to help clear up this misperception. The bottom line is that you need both!!

1. When it comes to coordinating the big day, an on-site coordinator can do so much up to a certain point. The wedding planner will be the one with you throughout the entire day, as well as coordinating your the rehearsal.



2.  On-site coordinators sometimes give vendor referrals which is what an independent wedding planner will do too. But, the wedding planner will attend meetings with you and handle most of the communications with your other vendors.

3. An on-site coordinator is at your venue to represent the property but not represent the bride and groom themselves.




4. An on-site coordinator will make sure that you are getting what was promised in your contract, that the kitchen is fully staffed, that the food is coming out on time and warm, and that the sound system is properly working, It's the independent wedding planner who will be with you every step of the way. She will not only make sure you're getting what your venue's contract states, but what all of your vendors contracts state as well.



5. An independent wedding planner will represent the bride and groom and not just the venue.



6. Many on-site coordinators leave shortly after dinner is served and depend on their staff to finish out the evening. An independent wedding planner will stay with you through the end of the night, making sure that your personal belongings are packed up and loaded into a vehicle or hotel room and also assist with tear down. But most importantly, the wedding planner is typically the last one that you hug while expressing how wonderful your day was! :-)





There will be some overlaps between an on-site coordinator and an independent wedding planner at the venue. In these instances, the independent coordinator can focus on the couple's needs and the on-site coordinator can focus on the venue's performance.

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