In our experience as wedding planners, couples often have a general idea of their wedding style but don’t usually know exactly how to translate it into a luxury wedding. We help guide couples toward creating an immersive experience that tells a story about them as a couple. Each wedding we plan is unique because each couple we meet is unique.
Wedding planning is full of decisions and logistics that can be overwhelming–all at a time when you want to enjoy the magic moments. That’s why many couples seek assistance from an expert.
Before choosing centerpieces and cake flavors, it’s time to select a wedding planner… or day-of coordinator. Wait, what’s the difference?
Wedding Planners
When you hire a wedding planner, you are choosing someone to shoulder the stress from start to finish. They’ll be there the moment the planning begins and help guide you through the wedding planning journey.
They’ll inspire your vision for a wedding that is uniquely you, whether it be an intimate micro-wedding or an over-the-top, opulent party for the masses. They’ll give you a curated list of the best vendors, so you don’t have to choose from impossibly long lists of vendors with varying levels of professionalism. They’ll tackle the tedious tasks like coordinating catering and organizing venue logistics while letting you focus on the fun tasks like choosing cake flavors and flowers.
While a wedding planner may cost more than a day-of coordinator, the investment is often worth it. They’ll take on the stress from your engagement to your wedding day and all the days in between, so you can enjoy the journey.
Day-Of Coordinators
While wedding planners jump right in the moment you hire them and help with every aspect of wedding planning, day-of wedding coordinators assist (as the name suggests) on the day of your wedding. (Though you should consider hiring your day-of coordinator several months in advance so they can prepare for their responsibilities on the big day.)
Day-of coordinators often come with venue wedding packages. On your wedding day, your coordinator will be your right-hand man or woman and ensure the timeline runs smoothly. They’ll often lead you to prime photo locations, interface with vendors so you can focus on the wedding festivities, and make sure the wedding venue is set up to plan. If there are any last-minute challenges, they’ll take care of them quickly and discreetly.
Wedding planners do the same on your wedding day plus they handle all the planning beforehand.
Which Is Right for You?
The right decision for you will depend on a myriad of factors, including:
- Your budget: Wedding planners put in far more hours, which makes them inevitably more expensive than a day-of coordinator. The average wedding planner dedicates more than 150 hours to planning your wedding. Day-of coordinators work about 25 hours per wedding.One thing to remember is that wedding planners are experienced at working within your budget. With a wedding planner’s expertise, you can often save money in the long run.
- The amount of time you have available to plan: One of the biggest reasons for hiring a wedding planner is that they’ll do the time-consuming tasks that may not fit into your busy schedule.Ask yourself how much time you can dedicate to wedding planning. If you’re already strapped for time, a wedding planner may be well worth the investment.
- The amount of guidance you want during the planning process: If you’ve planned four weddings before, know exactly how to make a wedding timeline, can organize logistics seamlessly, have connections with top vendors, and look forward to doing all the planning, then a day-of coordinator may be the right way to go.However, if you want guidance throughout the planning process, professional wedding planners can guarantee the logistics, timelines, and everything else runs smoothly. They are there to make YOUR vision come to life.
- Whether or not you want a luxury wedding. If you want a high-budget, sumptuous wedding (be it big or small) with every last detail tended to, a luxury wedding planner can serve as your private wedding assistant, taking care of every last detail and executing a grand affair suited to your desires and unique style.A luxury wedding planner knows the best-of-the-best vendors to elevate your wedding to luxury status. They can leverage their connections with these high-end vendors to make sure you get what you want when you need it–in grand style.
- Your desire for unbiased input. Sometimes, having close family and friends involved in wedding planning or coordination can create a complicated dynamic. They may try to insert their own opinions, styles, and ideas. It can feel suffocating when your mom, sister, and best friend are all pulling you in different directions, trying to persuade you to do things a certain way.A perk of having a wedding planner or coordinator is that they will listen to YOUR wants and needs and give you unbiased input. After your consultation and first few meet-ups, their vision will be the same as yours.If you feel the planning process veering toward drama as different loved ones try to get overly involved, you can simply defer to your planner. It can make complicated decisions simple and clean.
Whether you choose a wedding planner or a day-of coordinator, you’re still the ship’s captain. It’s your wedding. Your event planner is like your co-captain, steering the ship as much or as little as you want them to. Your day-of coordinator will let you do the planning but snap into action on the day of, handling all of the stresses in real-time and making sure you can be fully present on your wedding day.