MENU

Unveiling the Differences Between Wedding Planners offering On The Day Coordination and Venue Coordinators

It is important to understand the various roles within our wonderful wedding industry and the roles that always seem to get confused is the role of a wedding planner when providing ‘On The Day Coordination’ and a venue coordinator. Some will say, it’s just the language we use which has meant the line has become blurred, but having worked as both a wedding planner offering On The Day Coordination, and a venue coordinator, I have written this blog in the hopes it highlights the stark differences between the roles.

The Role of a Wedding Planner: they plan your wedding from start to finish. This includes working on tasks such as managing your budget, recommending and then liaising with your chosen suppliers and bringing your vision to life through mood boards.

This seems pretty obvious but what tends to cause confusion is that wedding planners also offer a service called ‘On The Day Coordination’. This service often has a much shorter lead time which means they will work with you in the last 6 weeks of your wedding planning journey where you will handover everything you’ve arranged so far, and they will take the reigns to ensure all runs smoothly so you can enjoy your special event.

This ‘On The Day Coordination’ service is partly why venue coordinators and wedding planners get mixed up BUT, their roles are very different. See below the ways in which these two roles both differ and hold significance on their own:

Wedding Planners role when offering ‘On The Day Coordination’:

  • Ensuring they have a birds eye view of the event throughout the duration. This includes knowing the schedule of both guest and supplier arrival times and managing them accordingly.
  • Point of contact for all suppliers involved (having previously introduced themselves to the individual suppliers in the lead up to the wedding) to make sure everyone has what they need in line with their contract e.g. correct power, food and drink etc.
  • Finding resolutions when unpredictable situations crop up e.g. amending the order of the day due to traffic/logistical challenges and making everyone involved aware of the changes.
  • Having been hired by the couple, their loyalties lie with their Client which means they are therefore able to provide an unbiased opinion.

Venue Coordinators role:

  • Dedicated to ensuring the success of events hosted at their venue.
  • Sharing their expertise which is specific to the venue they represent such as noise limitations, corkage rules, and curfews.
  • Having a venue-centric approach to the tasks they are responsible for e.g. turning the heating on and restocking toilet roll.
  • Being employed by the venue, their loyalty lies with the establishment they represent.

To draw on what I have experienced having been in both roles, when I was a venue coordinator, I had a checklist to run through with a Client which highlighted the importance of them not stapling things to the walls of our listed venue; discussions about where the photobooth could logistically go; whose responsibility it was to dispose of all rubbish collected from the event and where the evacuation point was in the event of a fire.

Comparatively, when I have worked in a wedding planner capacity; offering On The Day Coordination, I have had to source suppliers last-minute due to unforeseen circumstances; I gathered the VIPs at an event ready for group shots; I’ve been present onsite until the very end of an event to ensure the safe clear down of suppliers and I’ve also been known to cut wedding cakes – usually a caterers job by the way!

There is a clear difference between the level of involvement you can expect from a wedding planner who offers On The Day Coordination in comparison to a venue coordinator and rightly so. You can expect to be provided with a venue coordinator upon booking your venue, but wedding planners are an addition to this so be sure to consider them in your budget.

There is a common misconception that wedding planners who offer On The Day Coordination and venue coordinators are interchangeable roles but this is not the case. Wedding planners will only take on a number of events each year whereas venues have a team of coordinators who can share a bigger workload to host more events each year.

Understanding the unique roles of wedding planners and venue coordinators means that everyone’s expectations are met. Both roles are vital to achieve a seamless running event and both positions have a part to play in the huge job that comes with planning a wedding. Wedding planners offering On The Day Coordination aim to oversee the running of the event and work both proactively and reactively to ensure everything goes to plan based on their broad knowledge and experience of events in various settings. Venue coordinators facilitate the decisions made by the couple, in-line with venue rules and regulations.

What we do

01

Weddings

Would you like the guidance of an expert planner and wedding coordinator providing support on the day that matters most?

02

Venues & Suppliers

Do you need an extra professional pair of hands during peak season?

03

Events & Occasions

Are you planning a birthday party or this year's annual corporate event?

04

Advice & Resources

Looking for some expert guidance or planning resources for your next event?
What couples say...
"Lorna was incredible on our wedding day. She managed everything impeccably and would recommend her to anyone planning a wedding. She was the single best thing we spent money on in the whole wedding process."
LYDIA & LEWIS
What couples say...
"Lorna was absolutely brilliant and very professional throughout our wedding process. We had initially tried to do a lot of things ourselves but couldn't seem to picture the whole day coming together. We luckily found Lorna through google and she took over and pulled everything together for us, communicating with all of our suppliers and really helped the day run smoothly. No ask we had was too big/small or too much and every detail was thought of. We would both like to thank Lorna for all her time and effort throughout along with her enthusiasm, which shone through! We would definitely recommend Lorna to anyone in the future!!!"
DANI & CHRIS
What couples say...
"Lorna was incredible and our wedding would not have been anywhere near as good without her helping us along the way! From the moment she came onboard, 6 weeks before the event, she made us feel in control and confident about everything we had planned. We had many moving parts on the day and Lorna tirelessly worked in the background seamlessly plugging gaps that we had not thought about and directing a multitude of suppliers allowing Jess and I to thoroughly enjoy our day knowing it was in good hands. We originally thought we could save some money by not having a planner/coordinator but I would highly, highly recommend using Lorna to give you the peace of mind that your day will be awesome with her on your side!"
JESS & STEVE
What couples say...
"Put simply, this wedding wouldn't have been possible without Lorna. Like a pro, she mastered the art of managing our emotions, 10+ suppliers, 60+ guests across 4+ locations, a pandemic and a hugely unrealistic list of hopes and dreams for our big day to execute across boundaries. The outcome was a magical day, and the pictures/videos/messages from everyone attending confirmed it. We remain forever grateful to her for taking us on as clients and recommend that you look no further in your search for the right 'planner'. You need a 'manager/visionary' even if others tell you it's possible to do it without, and Lorna is the best of the best."
What suppliers say...
"It was a pleasure to work with Lorna at a recent wedding. She was completely organised, friendly and made sure that everything ran smoothly all day. It makes all the difference having a professional wedding coordinator, something that many couples overlook. Speaking as a wedding supplier myself, I would highly recommend getting in touch with Lorna to ensure your big day goes to plan! She was on it!"
Chris Saich
What couples say...
"Lorna was the wedding co-ordinator at our wedding a couple of weeks ago and we can't praise her enough. She was worth her weight in gold to us on the day and helping us set up. Our day would have been completely different without Lorna's help. Every time I looked for her to sort something she was either already on it or knew what was required before I had to say anything. We can't praise Lorna enough, she is great!"
SAM CLARKE
What couples say...
"Lorna was our on the day coordinator and we couldn’t be more grateful!! She was so friendly and was as excited for the day as we were. She clearly loves what she does and is incredibly professional, she really knows her field. Lorna helped us with the things we did know, the things we weren’t sure about and the things we didn’t know at all. She was there in the weeks before hand and spoke with all suppliers and then took full control on the day in the best way and we didn’t have to think of a thing! Honestly couldn’t speak of her highly enough. Thank you Lorna!!"
ALI & JORDAN
What couples say...
"Lorna was recommended to us 6 months prior to our wedding. At our initial meeting, Lorna immediately understood our vision for the day. At each meeting, Lorna provided inspirational ideas and took action to ensure that we kept on schedule. Lorna was also conscious of cost and mindful of our budget. Many of her ideas and suggestions made some of the special touches look more expensive than they were. On our wedding day, Lorna’s effort and attention to detail made a special difference to many aspects of the occasion. Lorna has the most incredible and admirable “can do....not a problem!!” attitude which gave us the confidence that our plans would be realised on the day. Lorna is a highly motivated, creative and professional individual whom we would not hesitate to recommend to anyone planning an event."
TREVOR RAWANA
What couples say...
"Lorna was an invaluable addition to our wedding day! From the moment we first spoke, I knew Lorna was exactly what we were looking for in an on the day coordinator. She has heaps of enthusiasm and is clearly very passionate about her job. She took a genuine interest in our vision for the wedding and shared our excitement about making our dreams a reality. Six weeks before the big day, Lorna contacted all of our suppliers and took a huge amount of pressure off our plates. She is incredibly organised and helped so much with the final logistics of of the day. On the day itself, Lorna ensured the whole day ran smoothly. From spreading my veil before walking down the aisle to assisting the catering team, no job was too big or small for her. I am so pleased we found Lorna and we would recommend her to anyone! Thank you Lorna!"
Steph & Max
What suppliers say...
"Lorna is passionate & professional. A pleasure to work with & would highly recommend 💞"
HAYLEY SAGE
What couples say...
I cannot explain how amazing Lorna is. She made my day a dream; I felt like she knew everything I wanted and nothing was too much for her. Incredible!
HANNAH & JAMES
What couples say...
"We knew from our first conversation Lorna was the only wedding planner we wanted. Little did we know how incredible she would actually be. In the lead up she was organised, efficient and extremely friendly, making us feel at ease and calmly handling all our suppliers. She dealt with all our last minute asks and changes, and suggested helpful ideas to make the day run smoother showing her expertise and depth of knowledge. On the day, she was the first person at the venue and took all the stress away from the wedding party. She expertly handled a few last minute emergencies so that we barely noticed. Throughout the day she kept all the suppliers to time, and helped countless guests with questions and asks, helping us to relax and enjoy. Lorna, you are a true superhuman and dose of joy that all couples need both in build up to and on the day itself. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts xx"
LYDIA & LEWIS
What couples say...
"Lorna was wonderful from start to finish; she listened carefully to our vision for the day and guided us gently throughout the process on how to best to execute the wedding we dreamed of. She was helpful in her willingness to locate and place bookings, articulate in her ideas and willing to offer alternatives where she saw fit, and perhaps most importantly for us, Lorna upheld a contagious optimism throughout the whole experience. Not even unforeseen circumstances in the week leading up to the wedding deterred Lorna, and she somehow managed to keep our spirits up in what was otherwise a particularly testing time. Indeed, in what can be a stressful period in the lead up to any wedding, having someone like Lorna who we could rely on and with whom we could sound out our ideas and plans as they evolved over the course of the year, was the best decision we made for our wedding and we will be forever grateful."
What families say...
Hannah and myself could not have coped without your help and dedication. You helped make the day so smoothly and stress free for us. I will have no hesitation in recommending you to anyone who needs a planner! Wishing you every success in your job.
Mother of the bride
What suppliers say...
"Lorna assisted us recently with event management as an on the day event manager. She ran the front of house side of a large wedding with ease and was great to have her on board. The bride and groom were thoroughly happy. She covered setting up the day before, full day management and clearing at end of night. Can’t wait to work together again!"
STOUR VALLEY CATERING
What suppliers say...
"Lorna came on board as an assistant to support us with a clients wedding last weekend. Her hard work, quick thinking and initiative was invaluable on the two days she was with us. She is a great assistant and an asset to any wedding or event planner."
VC Event Curation
What suppliers say...
"As a wedding planner myself, I sometimes require the support of other wedding planners in the area. I like to call on Lorna as I know her service is great and she is able to take direction easily and confidently without me having to worry about what is going on when I'm not able to be there with her. I will definitely use Lorna again! Thank you Lorna!"
Amae Events
What suppliers say...
"Lorna is experienced, thoughtful and helpful. Nothing is too much trouble. She is knowledgeable in her field and this supports her unflappable demeanor (which is always useful on a wedding day)! She is fantastic with people, always receiving glowing feedback from couples and the suppliers that she has to work with. She is great at adapting to varying requirements and has worked with me in many different types of venues. Lorna has managed weddings in my absence as well as assisted me many times. I'm always disappointed on the occasions that she is not available to work on one of my weddings! If you need extra support then your brand, your couple and the wedding itself is in safe hands with Lorna!"
Lucy Meehan Events
What suppliers say...
"Lorna is superb and an asset to anyone in the wedding industry. I have worked with Lorna over the last few months where she has supported me with various admin tasks and content creation for socials, and really helped getting me through a busy few months. Most recently Lorna joined my onsite team for a client's wedding and was brilliant. I do not know where I would be without Lorna - she has handled some last minute issues for me, she dealt with various challenges at our recent wedding with ease and with a cool head. I am almost reluctant to write this review as i'd love to have Lorna work full time for me! She is a true right hand woman and I would not have got through the last few months without her help and support."
Senel Besim Event Design

Inspiration

menu