Happy Monday!

We’re back with another post in our mini wedding series! If you missed the first few parts, I asked you if you were interested in wedding content here on GG, and you said YES! Also, if you haven’t read 5 tips to hiring your wedding photographer, click here!

Because I’m not engaged or married, it would be weird if I was dishing out wedding advice, yes? That being said, I have quite a few talented friends in the industry that were sweet enough to share their wisdom with you.

To give you a little background on today’s topic, one of my very best friends just got engaged, and I was stressing to her the need for a day-of coordinator AT MINIMUM.

Thankfully, she finally listened to me. (Because I didn’t want her, or her mother, clearing tables at the end of her reception, or worrying about who was going to haul home the wedding gifts at the end of the night after a few too many cocktails.)

I asked my friend and Wedding Planner, Danielle South, to give you ALL of the details on planners, coordinators, and the like–and how to figure out which option is right for you.




Ready? Let’s hand it over to Danielle!

Photo by Cassandra Eldridge 

Coordinator vs Planner–what’s the difference? 

That is the question! The title “wedding planner” gets thrown around a lot, sometimes incorrectly. Let’s go ahead and clear things up. Both coordinators and planners are fairy godmothers on a mission to make sure your wedding goes off the way you pictured without a hitch—their level of involvement in making that happen is the difference.

In most cases, planners are with you from the get go, usually before any major decisions have been made. They do major hand holding through every step of the process, from choosing your venue, to figuring out your style and/or theme, creating a budget, selecting vendors, managing said vendors, and most of the necessary nitty gritty. They do all that plus everything that coordinators do.

Coordinators come to your rescue one month before your wedding day. It’s a bit of a “Jesus, take the wheel” situation. You’ve already done all the heavy lifting, and they tie everything up in a pretty bow. They create your wedding day timeline, act as the middle man between you and your vendors, oversee setup, manage the flow of the day and keep an eye on the details. They line up your bridal party for the ceremony, bustle your gown, let you know when it’s time for the special stuff (grand entrance, first dance, cake cutting, etc.), and cue the DJ/band—that way you can focus on the fun and celebrate on auto-pilot!

Photo by Cassandra Eldridge 

What are the pro’s? 

Where to start! You’ll breath a big sigh of relief once you hire a wedding planner or coordinator. Besides taking the pressure off of you and your fiance, here are some of the perks that leave most couples happy with their choice to work with a professional:

• Do you have any idea what things like photography and a cake cost? Your wedding planner will educate you on what things cost and help you allocate your budget based on what’s most important to you.

• Your planner will score you discounts! Thanks to their relationships with vendors, they’re likely to receive industry discounts and pass the savings on to you. Cha ching! Vendor referrals! One of the most frustrating and time consuming parts of planning is finding professionals who are not only reputable and reliable, but also a match for your style and within budget. Your planner knows which florists you can afford and can recommend the ones who’d be best at creating the succulent bouquet on your pinterest board!

• You’re to-do list will be endless. Planners let you know what needs to get done and when you need to do it, like mailing invitations, scheduling a final fitting, and sending payments.

• Contracts are scary. Your planners comb through them with fine teeth and alert you to red flags.

• You know those DIY projects you’ve been working on? And all the cute things you bought off Etsy? You’re planner will set up small details for you on the wedding day like favors, escort cards, cake knife, and guestbook.

• They have cool ideas you haven’t thought of! Many couples don’t want their weddings to be like “everyone else’s.” Planners keep up to date on what’s new and unique so that they can help you think outside of the box.

• Around the clock problem solving. Planners and coordinators are problem solvers and will try to resolve mishaps without worrying you on your wedding day. When your Aunt Mary shows up to your reception unannounced, your planner/coordinator is behind the scenes hustling to get her a seat and meal.

• They prevent a potential fall out with friends and family. Before you ask your Aunt or maid of honor to manage things for you on your wedding day, think about how your relationship would be affected if something big went wrong on their watch.

• Finally, It’s nice having someone who cares just as much about your wedding as you do. Your bridesmaids love you, but they will space out fifteen minutes into your conversation about centerpieces.

Photo by Cassandra Eldridge 

What are the con’s? 

Let’s be real—it pays to have a professional planner who can pull off the wedding of your dreams, but, yes, you’ll have to pay for it. Other than cost, it’s easy for some couples to feel “removed” from the planning process (sometimes a pro for some!). I’ve worked with some couples who never interacted with their vendors at all prior to the wedding day! Others have asked me to copy them on every single email. Discuss this subject early on and let your planner know how involved you want to be with the planning. They’ll modify their process and communication to fit your needs.

Photo by Cassandra Eldridge 

 

Between my mom and my aunts, I think we can pull it off without a planner–right? 

Millions of weddings are thrown every year—most without a planner and I’m sure they pull things off without burning down any buildings. Wedding planning isn’t rocket science—but it is stressful, time consuming, and not what it used to be in your Mom’s day (pinterest and first looks are just a few modern marvels). If you’re prepared for tears (sorry, but it’s true) and a decrease in free time, remember to delegate tasks to anyone willing, and use every resource you can get your hands on to ease the process, then you’ll survive! There are tons of monthly planning checklists online that can guide you through each step. I still highly recommend that you hire a wedding coordinator to manage your wedding day, but if it’s not written in your stars, then be sure to buy that Aunt of yours a really nice thank you gift.

Photo by Cassandra Eldridge

 

How much will it cost me? 

It’s a common misconception that wedding planners are only for big budget brides. So. Not. True. Like everything else, there’s a high end and low end, so the price range is pretty vast.

The average wedding budget hangs out around $26k and has room to build in at least a coordinator for an average sized wedding. From my own observation, a full-planning package will run you about 5-10% of your overall budget.

That might seem like a lot but remember that your planner is the only vendor that works for you not only on your wedding day but in all the months leading up to it. Also keep in mind that many wedding planners actually earn their keep! Between the discounts they can score you and cost saving tricks they’ve picked up over the years, it’s possible for them to reap you savings equal to their full fee. For real.

Shop around to avoid spending more or less of that 5-10% range and remember that planners often set up a payment plan so that you’re not paying a huge sum up front.

Photo by Cassandra Eldridge

How do I decide what is best for me? 

Ultimately, your budget decides what’s possible, but here are some other things to consider when deciding what’s a good fit for you.

Hire a planner if:

• You’re planning a destination wedding. Find someone local to your chosen destination or who specializes in that area.

• You have zero time to dedicate to planning your wedding. I won’t scare you with the number of hours that go into making your #bestdayever happen.

• You’re planning a wedding weekend.

• You’re likely to have an above average guest count.

• You’re bad with money. Get help with that budget so you don’t overspend!

• You have a vision for your wedding day but don’t know how to bring it to life.

• You only want to deal with fun part of wedding planning.

• You’re clueless about weddings in general and have little support from friends and family.

Hire a coordinator if:

• You have experience with wedding or party planning. Maybe you’ve been a seasoned bridesmaid or helped your sister plan her wedding.

• You’re a type A. Nuff said.

• You want to plan your wedding yourself (and understand what you’re getting yourself into!).

• Your ceremony and reception are at separate locations (i.e. on opposite sides of town).

If your budget is tight, consider:

• Getting Started Packages for a point in the right direction.

• A la Carte services so you only pay for what you need.

• Hourly consultations—yes, this is totally a thing and can be a cost-effective lifesaver!

 

Now, what do you think? Will you hire a planner on your big day? If you’re already married, what was your experience? Would you do it differently? 

About Danielle: To get more of Danielle’s wisdom or learn more about the services she offers, visit her website here!