Q+A: What Is the Difference Between a Wedding Coordinator and a Wedding Planner?
Welcome to our wedding Q+A series. From wedding etiquette and vendor needs to guest experience and design advice, we’re here to teach you more about the wedding planning process and inform you of best practices.
Q: “Are a wedding coordinator and a wedding planner the same thing?”
A: Almost, but not quite! A wedding planner is involved in the planning elements of your wedding. We partner with you throughout the process, advising you on your budget, sourcing and booking your vendor team, and providing task lists and check-ins to ensure the process stays on track. Whereas a wedding coordinator generally steps in around 2 months before your wedding day to finalize the timeline, organize vendor logistics, and remind you of any remaining to-dos.
Important to note: even though your wedding coordinator is not actively involved in planning your day until ~2 months out, we are often booked 8-12 months in advance!
When it comes to the day of your wedding, our roles are the same. Whether you hire us as your wedding planner or wedding coordinator, HappiLily Events will wrap up the details and expertly manage everything you’ve planned on the day of your wedding! From greeting your vendors and guests to placing decor and cueing you for every special moment, we’re there to handle it all.
So which should you choose?
It depends on the level of involvement you expect from this person. If you want hands-on support booking vendors, designing the day, and managing all those emails between vendors, you want a planner. If you want to self-plan your wedding and let someone else manage the details on the day of, you want a coordinator.
The decision between hiring a wedding planner or a wedding coordinator is usually determined by two things: how much free time you have to dedicate to wedding planning and your budget.
Couples with a busy work schedule, a love of travel, a full social calendar, or children and pets have to think about the amount of free time they have and are willing to put into wedding planning. When you haven’t planned a wedding before, there’s a bit of a learning curve and it takes time to first research what you should do, and more time to execute it. Wedding planning really is a full-time job!
Budget-wise, a wedding planner will of course be a greater investment. Hiring a wedding planner means you’re buying yourself time and saving yourself stress — time to enjoy your engagement, rather than getting caught up in wedding research and details — and with our expertise and awareness of the vendor market, you’ll be maximizing your budget while working with all the best vendors!
A private property wedding planning by HappiLily Events // HL Photo
Whether you hire a wedding coordinator or a wedding planner, you’re going to have a more relaxed wedding day when the details are in the hands of a professional.
HappiLily Events plans crazy-fun weddings for couples in Minnesota and Wisconsin. We specialize in making each wedding day as unique as it is memorable with thoughtful details and personal touches.
Working with HappiLily Events means you receive best-friend-level support whether we’re hired as your wedding planners or your wedding coordinators. We are your go-to for questions and reassurance, your voice of reason, your advocate, your day-of do-it-all, and so much more.
