Do You Need a Planner if the Venue has a Coordinator?
Yes. And Here’s Why…
If you’re getting married in Nashville, chances are that your venue is fully booked for 12-18 months. That means your venue is literally planning hundreds of events at one time. They may have a team of 2..3…4 but that’s still an extraordinary amount of weddings (and details) to plan. So, what do they do? They streamline. To ensure a smooth wedding day, they tend to have processes and plans that they implement for every single event. Each ceremony processional, each first dance, each meal and even each place setting has to look the same. Any variance from the norm can get forgotten or overlooked. The human brain literally cannot hold that much information (that’s why all the best planners cut down to just 5 - 10 events / year. That’s how you get the best service). Do not get me wrong, I love venue in-house coordinators. They are my best friends on the event day. They are masters of their venue, the best trouble shooters and they know what works best in their space. However, they haven’t put in the time with you. They don’t know that your first dance with your daddy is the song he used to sing to you every night. They cant remember how you want your napkin folded or that you are only cutting the cake as a formality and have no intentions of eating a slice. But, you dont have to take our word for it. Here’s a TRUE STORY from a client…
When I got married, I hired a planner at the last minute after I realized that my event coordinator was TERRIBLE! She lost my wedding file the night of my rehearsal and hours of conversation and her meticulous notes were gone. She stressed me out more than any vendor or aspect of my wedding. So as your been-there-done-that girl, I cannot stress enough how important it is for you to understand the difference between YOUR planner and the VENUE'S coordinator.
Lindsy & Katie are planners in the Nashville wedding community and offer month-of, partial and full service wedding planning for engaged couples. We are always willing to answer your questions and help brides and grooms make better decisions. Contact us to chat about whether or not you need a coordinator!
Happy Planning!
Photo by Erin Fox, rentals by Music City Tents & Events, Flowers by Curry & Co.