Wedding Planners and Do You Need One
As a wedding floral studio we have worked with our fair share of wedding planners. Most of our clients choose to hire a planner due to busy schedules, living abroad or in another city, and to alleviate some of the stress that comes with planning a wedding.
We do recommend hiring an experienced wedding planner as we have personally seen the value of having a professional on hand to navigate tricky situations that sometimes arise. It is a personal choice to hire a planner, and we still work with couples who choose not to have one, but we have yet to hear any regrets from couples about hiring a wedding planner.
Our clients often ask us to recommend planners to them. We've noticed that many couples are unsure about the differences in services provided by wedding planners, such as full, partial, month-of, or day-of planning and coordination.
In this post, we hope to clarify the distinctions between the various types of wedding planning services available, so you can choose the one that best fits your needs!
When it comes to planning your wedding, it is important to consider the type of assistance you need for planning your day. Some couples want someone who will plan every last detail of their day, while others only want help on the actual wedding day. We asked a few of our wedding planner friends what the different types of planning entail and have outlined them in detail below.
Planner or a Coordinator?
First, it's important to understand the differences between a wedding planner and a wedding coordinator to make the right choice for your big day.
Do you want someone to design your entire wedding including aesthetic, choosing a colour palette, choosing rental items, choosing vendors and taking care of your budget for you? Do you just need someone to help coordinate with vendors and to help with the timeline? Or do you only want someone to help you figure out the day-of logistics?
A wedding planner can do all of that and more! Their services usually encompass the entire scope of design and day-of coordination.
A wedding coordinator typically helps with day-of or month-of coordination and will gladly help you coordinate your vendors, schedule, and more.
The 5 Types of Wedding Planners And Their Roles
Full Planning
Full planning means that your planner is there for the entire planning process, from start to finish: from save the dates to vendor selection and design, to set up and take down, to making sure you stay within your budget – they do it all.
This type of planning allows clients to make decisions knowing the work, recommendations, and details have all been curated for them. Clients typically do not communicate with their vendors, but instead, their planners take care of everything to ensure the process goes smoothly.
Timeline: If you're interested in booking a full-scale wedding planner, it's best to do it as soon as you can. Typically, it's best to hire your planner 1-2 years before your event. You will typically have monthly progress meetings with your planner (this will vary depending on how early you've booked them and from planner to planner) to ensure that things are on the right track. With this type of planning, you will typically have phone and email support available in case anything comes up between meetings.
Event Designers
Full planners are skilled in both event design and logistics, making them the ideal choice for couples seeking comprehensive assistance in planning their wedding. However, for couples who primarily need assistance in crafting the visual aspects of their special day, without the need for extensive logistical support or timelines, an event designer can be a fantastic option.
Event designers curate the aesthetic and ambiance of your wedding, leaving the logistical aspects in the capable hands of the couple. With their expert creative touch, event designers take charge of designing your floor plan and orchestrating the overall wedding design to create a breathtaking and memorable experience.
Partial Planning
Partial planning means that you come to your planner with a vision, and they help you make it a reality. With partial planning, your planner will help with vendor selection, assist you with design, deal with logistics, and ensure the day feels authentic to you.
Depending on the type of partial planning, you can still be in charge of booking your core vendors and can create your own design with the help of a planner at your side. With partial planning, your planner will still be there to help you with on-site execution and the overall design of your day.
Timeline: It is important to hire your partial planner 6-12 months before your wedding day. Monthly checklists will be given starting from the 6-month mark, and typically, you will have up to 4 meetings with your planner throughout the whole planning process.
Month-of Coordination
An event coordinator or wedding coordinator is logistically focused, ensuring everything you have done and planned ahead of time is in good shape and functions as the point person on the wedding day. They will confirm vendor contracts and create a day-of timeline but won't be involved in the earlier planning phases or keeping track of your budget.
Choosing month-of coordination is great for couples who want to plan their day but want support in the final stretch.
With month-of coordination, you are in charge of booking your core vendors and organizing your day until the month-out point where your planner will take over to make sure things go smoothly.
Timeline: Typically, 4-6 weeks before your wedding, your coordinator will take over all communications to your vendors and organize all the details you have in order to execute an amazing event. It's best to have a few meetings before the 4-6 week mark so that the planner knows your vision and where you need their help the most.
Day-of Coordination
Day-of coordination is definitely a great option if you want to be in charge of your wedding planning but want to be able to relax and enjoy your celebration.
Day-of coordinators function as the point person on the wedding day. Their aim is simple: to take the reins and handle those day-of details so you can truly feel like a guest at your own party.
Timeline: It is best to meet up with your coordinator at least 1 month before your wedding. This gives them the opportunity to guide you in your planning and highlight certain things you may not have thought about. The time you spend in communication in the preceding months and weeks allows your coordinator to gain a clear understanding of the scope of their day-of involvement.
Venue Coordinator
A venue coordinator oversees bookings and arrangements specific to the wedding venue, such as venue tours, ceremony and reception room layouts, and menu tastings. They also work on a general timeline for the day related to the venue and may help with music and audio visual details. However, they do not handle overall wedding planning, budgeting, or rental setup beyond what the venue provides as they work solely for the venue and not the couple. They generally don't organize or hire external vendors but can suggest preferred vendors that the venue enjoys working with.
On the day of the wedding, it's advisable to have a wedding planner, day-of coordinator, or a designated family member as the main contact for any wedding-related inquiries. A wedding planner, whether full or partial, guides you through the entire planning process and works directly for you, not the venue. If you are planning on having a lot of decor or need help creating a vision for the event and budgeting, a planner and/or day of coordinator may be beneficial.
It's recommended to consult your venue coordinator to understand their responsibilities and if hiring a wedding planner is recommended. While it's not mandatory to hire a wedding planner, their expertise can alleviate the stress and workload associated with planning. Ultimately, the decision depends on the couple's needs and comfort level in managing the planning process themselves.
As wedding florists, we know just how busy the wedding process can be, and we love working with planners because they ensure that all the vendors are taken care of, and most importantly, they make sure that our couples are extremely well looked after. No matter what type of planning you choose, you won't regret hiring a wedding planner or coordinator.
We are more than happy to recommend our favourite planners and coordinators to any couples who need help with their planning. We have created a list of our preferred planners in the Calgary, Canmore and Banff areas for your reference. You might also like to check out our blog post 10 Things Wedding Planners Want You to Know to help you further decide if you would like to secure a wedding planner for your big day!
We'd like to thank Julianne Young Weddings, Jacqueline Rae Weddings, Chemistry Events, Nicole Curtis of the Fairmont Palliser Hotel and Kirsten Davies of The Lake House Calgary, for all of their insights for this blog.
Lastly, when you are ready to book your wedding florist, we'd love for you to get in touch with us so that we can elevate your vision and your day with our one-of-a-kind statement designs!
Happy Wedding Planning!
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