WEDDING PLANNER? VENUE COORDINATOR? DO I REALLY NEED BOTH?

Many brides say, “I have a venue coordinator, do I really need a wedding planner, too?!” While it may seem self-serving to say you need both, we truly know the value both provide to your wedding day.

There are several names for people, so it’s important to know what both wedding planners and venue coordinators do. First off, a wedding planner and wedding coordinator are the same. A venue coordinator and catering manager also function similarly. It is important to realize while they both want to insure that your wedding day runs smoothly, they have two different things in mind. Wedding planners or coordinators focus on YOU. Their number one job is to insure your wedding is going effortlessly. From helping you select vendors, crafting a design motif that is your exact vision and creating a timeline for everyone to follow to bustling your train and carrying extra lipstick for touchups, planners will make sure to have every detail covered. Catering managers and venue coordinators focus on food and beverage and assisting with hotel needs, not specific personal needs, day of.

We have asked some of our favorite Orange County venues for their advice to brides for their special day.

Lauren Bergmann | Catering Sales Manager‚Ä®| Surf & Sand Resort

“Catering Sales Managers and Wedding Planners both play an integral role in your wedding day; however, they are not one-in-the-same or interchangeable. Your Catering Sales Manager is your point of contact at the hotel for your vendors and guests who may have any questions. A Catering Sales Manager will hold a tasting with you and work on outlining the menus and timing of your event as well as create a customized diagram of how the spaces will be set. We will also contact all of your vendors the week prior to your wedding to confirm arrival times, coordinate your wedding rehearsal, and be at the wedding to assist through dinner service where we will turn over the night to your DJ and Photographer.

Because the Catering Sales Manager works for the hotel, there are limitations on what we can do during your wedding day; hiring a wedding coordinator will help with fine tuning the details and ensuring everything is as perfect as you imagined! As a Catering Manager, I cannot run a timeline for your photographer or makeup artist; I cannot know that when your flowers get delivered that you ordered lavender centerpieces and you got orchid; or if you specifically requested no strobe lights for the dancing portion of your event and your DJ turns the venue into a disco!

The vision of what you want your guests to feel and experience lives in your Wedding Planner’s mind, the vision of delicious cocktails and menus, accurate setup, and timely service live in a Catering Sales Manager’s mind!”

Kelly Odell|Account Director, Catering| The St. Regis Monarch Beach

“To me the most important thing couples should understand about the difference between the catering manager versus a wedding coordinator is that our primary function is food and beverage. We are really their resource for creating a spectacular menu for their special day. Additionally we will assist them with any hotel needs – guestroom blocks, gift bag deliveries, onsite activities, restaurant reservations, transportation, ect. It is also important for clients to know that one of the main reasons that we require a wedding planner is because we (as catering managers) can often have multiple events happening on the same day so it is crucial that they have a planner who is dedicated solely to their function. As a venue we are so appreciative of the wedding planners who support us in creating a magical day for our brides. We would not be able to do it without them. One of the things I always love to hear from a couple on the wedding day is “thank you so much for telling us that we had to have a wedding planner!”

Jennifer Wolf |Event Sales Director | Marbella Country Club

“The biggest piece of advice that I can give a “bride to be” is that it is so important to be able to sit back, relax, and enjoy your special day. Without a full-service wedding planner, it is very hard to make this happen! The day truly goes by so fast and without a full-service planner, there is so much to worry about! The on-site venue coordinator will be sure to take care of all that is required from the venue specifically. The benefit of a full service planner is that they will be able to guide you through the entire wedding planning process (with your vision in mind of course) all the way through! They typically create a much more detailed timeline to follow on the wedding day and make sure that every little detail that you imagined comes to life. They are there to make sure all of your contracted wedding vendors (including the venue) come together to make your wedding day the best ever!”

We hope we were able to help you know the difference between wedding planners and venue coordinators and know what both can offer!

Photo Credit: APictureLife Photography, Braedon Photography, BrittRene Photography, Christopher Todd Studios, Matthew Morgan, and Studio EMP

As of 2017, this location is now the Monarch Beach Resort

xoxo,

The Ladies of Intertwined Events

P: 949.748.8786 E: info@interwinedevents.com

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We are proud to announce that Intertwined has won “The Knot Best of Weddings” and Wedding Wire’s “Bride’s Choice Award” for 2011, 2012, 2013 & 2014!