How wonderful – you said yes and decided with your significant other to share your wedding day with those you love and cherish. You begin planning your special event only to find that the process is far more daunting than you ever realized. A great solution to make your planning easier is to hire a professional to help you create the day of your dreams. But which type of wedding professional is right for you?
Wedding Planners, Coordinators, and Consultants are terms that, many times, are used interchangeably. All will help you develop plans and ideas for your wedding day. However, there are some very key differences regarding what each professional does.

Wedding Planner

Wedding Planners are tasked with envisioning your wedding in its entirety. This is your “A to Z” professional and there is little to no DIY work expected from the couple. The wedding planner handles all aspects of the big day, and the engaged couple is expected to participate only to give some minor opinions and approvals. This includes all facilitation of your vendors, appointment scheduling, decision-making on the day of your event, managing your budget, creating your timeline, and planning out every detail. Wedding Planners usually do not do any setup or design element oversight on your wedding day, but they are onsite the day of the event to ensure all plans are met.

Wedding Consultant

Wedding Consultants differ from Planners in that they assist you with your own vision and provide you with options and tools to consider in creating your event. They provide the information to ensure you know all aspects and details, but ultimately you are the decision-maker. You manage your appointments, handle your contracts, and manage your budget. Wedding Consultants also can handle the tasks of wedding coordination leading up to and on the day of the event such as confirming final arrangements with vendors, setting up the church or venue, oversight and delegating tasks of the vendors on the day of, and ensuring the timeline is on track and being met. They also make certain that the design elements you chose are correctly in place.

Wedding Coordinator

A Wedding Coordinator focuses on managing the event itself rather than designing and planning it. While you may initially meet with your coordinator regarding your venue choices, most coordinators start their work closer to the wedding date – usually 4 to 8 weeks in advance. Their main goal is to verify everything is in place and running smoothly on your event day. There are also specific “Day Of” coordinators who aren’t involved in your wedding plans and activities until the week of or even the day of your wedding. Most coordinators do not do “day of” coordinating alone as it is challenging to come into the process late and be successful in ensuring everything works smoothly. Many coordinators do not handle any other vendors outside of those associated directly with the venue.

Wedding Designer

A Wedding Designer is more focused on the overall aesthetic of your wedding event. They do little regarding coordination, and planning is centered around the look and feel of your event. Their talent lies in their artistic ability to design and create an atmosphere unique to the couple and then transform a space into that vision. Designers focus on the design concept, provide the color palette, consider the sources needed from vendors to transform the space, and ensure all décor elements are onsite and in place on the wedding day.

Whether you are considering assistance from a planner, consultant, or coordinator, any of these professionals can greatly benefit your ability to navigate the complexities of your wedding plan. The right partner for your needs can make all the difference between your event being a stressful, complicated undertaking and one that is a fluid process where you are given the guidance and direction you need to ensure your big day is executed flawlessly. Hiring the right professional for your needs will allow you to fully celebrate the joy of your wedding day and create memories you will cherish forever.