From the color scheme of the wedding to the music playlist for the DJ, planning a wedding can be a lot of work, and the little details can be forgotten until the last minute. Whether the wedding is large or small, having someone with experience to help guide you every step of the way can make planning your big day a lot easier.

What is the difference?

When thinking about a wedding planner vs coordinator, think long term vs short term. A wedding planner will be there from the beginning planning stages, helping put together the small details and reminding you of things you might forget. A coordinator will be there on the day of your wedding to make sure everything goes according to schedule and running smoothly. A lot of venues will offer coordinating services in their packages. If you hire a wedding planner they will typically be there the day of your wedding to coordinate as well.

Questions to ask.

Always do your research first. Have a handful of wedding planners you’re interested in hiring. Email or call them for a quick chat. Ask them how long have they been doing wedding planning, Do they have experience prior to their wedding planning, such as having worked with a caterer, or an event venue? Do they prefer the artistic side or organizational side? You can also ask “what if” situations to see what they would do if certain issues were to arise.

Creating a budget.

Once you decide on the perfect wedding planner to work with you, let them know what your budget is from the start. Tell them all your ideas as well and let them know what are the “must-haves” for you, and the things you could do without if a few things would need to be cut off due to the budget. They will do their best to maintain everything under the budget stated, while still making sure every detail is taken care of.

Let them be creative.

Yes, you’ve had the perfect vision of your dream wedding from the day you got engaged, and the wedding planner wants to make that happen for you.  Allow them to show you their artistic side too, their creative input can help put together certain aspects of the wedding. Trust their judgment! They will also have various vendors whom they’ve worked with before, whom they trust, that will help bring everything together.

The day of your wedding

Your big day is finally here! Whether you hired a wedding planner from the start, or a coordinator from the venue you booked will be helping; they will help organize your entire day! They’ll make sure transitions are smooth and timely. They’ll plan ahead and make sure there is enough time for the ceremony, family photos, bouquet toss, cake cutting, and other wedding activities! Most importantly, they’ll make sure that you and your significant other are enjoying yourselves and having fun on your special day.

Overall, a wedding planner or coordinator is a wonderful investment since it will help make your planning or day of the event much less stressful, and you’ll be able to enjoy the wonderful parts of organizing the wedding without the headache.

Also Read: Wedding Planning Checklist