You have found your perfect venue – congrats! You’re looking at what all is included and you see something about a Coordinator. Amazing! They will help you do everything for the wedding, right? Well, maybe not. Let’s explore the differences between a Venue Coordinator and a Wedding Coordinator.

Venue Coordinator

A Venue Coordinator is someone who works directly for the venue. Their overall focus on wedding days is the venue – opening and closing the venue spaces, managing the staff, helping people find places at the venue, and making sure that everything is following the venue’s policies and procedures.

Wedding Coordinator

A Wedding Coordinator is someone who is typically external from the venue, although the venue might include one as part of your package. Their overall focus on wedding days is the couple – executing your vision, making sure the day runs smoothly, coordinating with vendors, and helping you with your needs.

Difference Between a Venue Coordinator and Wedding Coordinator

Both a venue coordinator and wedding coordinator want to make sure you have the best day possible, they just have different focus areas. Not sure if “coordinator” means venue or wedding? Here are some questions to ask to find out what support you will get leading up to, and on the day of, your wedding:

Do you coordinate with vendors prior to the wedding day?
Do you help me with my timeline?
Do you set up and clean up my personal decor in addition to the rest of the venue (furniture, linens, lighting etc.)?
Do you run the rehearsal and will you help me plan it?
What do you do on the wedding day?
When will we meet and what happens in those meetings?

If a coordinator is truly a wedding coordinator, you should be looking for the answers to the first four questions to be “yes.” For the fifth question, their answers should be focused on helping you as the couple (and your guests) – if they don’t mention things like “manage your timeline” and “make sure you have everything you need”, they probably are going to be mostly focused on the venue pieces. The last question can have a variety of answers, but you need someone who will meet with you around one month before the wedding date (preferably also the week before) to discuss logistics and understand your vision.

It is so incredibly crucial to have a wedding coordinator for your wedding because they will take the stress off of you and your loved ones, before and on the day of. A lot of venues come with coordinators, just do your due diligence and make sure their focus on the day of is you and your partner.

Vendor Credits

Photos 1-3:

Photo - Gracie B Photography

Venue - The Morehead Inn

Photos 4-6:

Photo - Ricky Crystal Photo

Venue - Virginia State Parks

Florist – Little Cottage Collective