The Difference Between Wedding and Venue Coordinators
Read on to learn the differences between venue coordinators + wedding coordinators… and why you need both!
As wedding planners, we hear a lot of assumptions about our job and the wedding industry as a whole. Want to know the most frequent assumption we hear from both clients AND even other wedding vendors? That you don’t need a wedding coordinator/planner if your venue provides a venue coordinator/manager. We totally understand why people assume they won’t need both, because they do sound similar. What you might not know is that a venue coordinator and a wedding coordinator offer VERY different services and play very different roles in your wedding planning and day-of processes!
When you book a wedding venue that provides a coordinator, it’s super important for you to understand the tasks your venue coordinator will own on your wedding day and, more importantly, the tasks that will be left to you. Every venue is different, but we’re going to give you a little insight into what the majority of venue coordinators will do on your wedding day - and why you should hire us to fill in the gaps!
What does a Venue Coordinator do?
Venue coordinators can have many other names: venue manager, venue day-of contact, sales manager or even sales director. If your venue is owned by a catering company, the title of this position can vary greatly. However, they play very similar roles in your wedding planning process.
When you’re in the initial phase of booking your venue, you’re most likely talking to a sales manager or sales director. They give you a tour of the venue, build your contract, answer questions you have throughout your planning process, help create your floorplans, build your catering plan (if the venue has in-house catering), and finalize the day-of logistics leading up to your wedding. It is common for this contact to work with you prior to your wedding, but not be there on the big day. That is where the venue coordinator, or manager, comes in.
On the day of your wedding, the venue coordinator will be responsible for management of the building - unlocking the doors, greeting vendors as they arrive, ensuring the lighting and sound system are operating as planned, and stocking the bathrooms. They will also manage your room flip, when the ceremony space is transitioned into a reception space.
PRO TIP: Make sure you clarify with your venue who is in charge of the room flip. This is a big task and some venues will charge an additional fee or require you to have a wedding coordinator assist.
Your venue coordinator is truly the venue expert! They know the space in and out and can help with any venue questions leading up to your day. Anything that needs to be solved on your actual wedding day regarding the venue space will be handled by them.
However, there are many things that your venue coordinator doesn’t do. They probably won’t build your full day-of timeline, finalize day-of logistics and details with your entire vendor group (and ensure they arrive on time) and lastly, won’t set up the personal items you bring into the space. This is why you need a wedding coordinator!
What does a Wedding Coordinator do?
Also known as a Day-of or Month-of Coordinator, we don’t work for the wedding venue. Your wedding coordinator is the point-person working solely for YOU because you hired us to make your big day go as smoothly as possible!
When you book Availed as your wedding coordinator, we start working with you two months prior to your wedding day so we have plenty of time to understand your day-of logistics and create your day-of timeline. We also reach out to all your vendors to understand their specific timing and day-of logistics needs so we can ensure they are set up for success on the big day.
Our hours vary by client, but we typically arrive at the venue before the first vendor arrives to assist with any setup needed. We then continue to oversee the vendor arrivals, ensuring they all show up and set up prior to guest arrival. Your wedding coordinator will then set up all personal items and the smaller décor items that you yourself bring into the space. This typically includes but is not limited to: card boxes, guestbooks, place cards, table numbers, tabletop signage, seating charts, memory tables, personalized champagne flutes, and favors.
PRO TIP: Request that your venue coordinator be available on the day of your final venue walkthrough with your Availed Month-of Coordinator. It’ll give the pros a chance to talk in-person and see the venue together!
We manage the schedule throughout the day, working with your vendors and catering team to ensure the timing is just right and all events flow according to your day-of timeline. The best part about having a wedding coordinator is when those moments arise where the timing isn’t quite right, and we are able to redirect your guests or create extra time in the schedule to keep things moving flawlessly!
We are your primary contact on your wedding day, so if you need a question answered or a need arises, we are there to help YOU. We are also the point person for your vendors, so they don’t have to find you to ask questions. This gives you the opportunity to relax and simply be present to enjoy your wedding day!
Do I need a Venue Coordinator AND a Wedding Coordinator?
The short answer: Yes! The reality is that in order to have a successful and relaxing wedding day, you’re going to need both of these roles filled.
At Availed, we absolutely LOVE working with venue coordinators because they are the experts we can turn to for anything venue-related before and during your wedding. They have worked hundreds of events in their venue whereas our team is lucky if we’ve worked there for one event. They know the logistics of the space, the best practices, the ideal floorplans, the secrets. We lean on them to serve you better, and they get to lean on us too!
The best venue coordinators are ones we get to partner with early, so we can understand the specifics of their space from the get-go. This gives us the opportunity to ensure that we are planning your day-of logistics and timeline to the highest level of luxury and ease for everyone involved. When you have both a venue coordinator AND a wedding coordinator on your wedding dream team, you can feel confident that your event will be executed successfully.
Have you booked your venue but been on the fence about booking a wedding coordinator? We hope this clarified some things and helped you make the best decision for you!
If you’re ready to book your Availed Month-of Coordinator (or Wedding Planner!), send us an inquiry today. All 2023 weddings booked by 12/31/2021 will get $100 off any of our services. We can’t wait to be your point-person on your wedding day!
Thanks for reading! - Lexie
COORDINATOR | Availed Wedding + Event Planning
PHOTOGRAPHER | Nicole Autumn Photography
VENUE | Interlachen Country Club
FLORAL | Sadie’s Couture Floral
DECOR | Festivities
DRESS | Annika Bridal Boutique
HAIR | Alibi the Salon
MAKEUP | Beauty by Lauren Coty