Difference Between an Onsite Coordinator and a Wedding Coordinator

Why would I need someone else on the wedding day?

This question come up frequently when speaking with Brides and Grooms who are starting their planning process. Having an on site coordinator at your venue is a huge asset. They have a ton of knowledge of the facility and what works best there. They have seen tons of weddings done many different ways in the same space, some probably more successful then others. They may know tricks and have ideas of how to make the space work, that someone new coming in may not have. There is some overlap to what a wedding coordinator and on site coordinator do. This is wonderful, and how it should be! You want as many professionals working with you on your wedding day as possible.

Wedding Coordinators generally love working with on site coordinators. They have the knowledge of what works best for their space, staff, and with their restrictions. Great on site coordinators are a pleasure to work with.

An onsite coordinator sounds wonderful, and you are still wondering what does a Wedding Coordinator do above and beyond this? Well, the on site coordinator is just one small piece of the wedding. What a wedding coordinator does is work with ALL your vendors to execute your wedding day flawlessly and exactly as you would like. They are there from the start of the planning process or several months prior until the sweet end of your wedding day! They work with every aspect of your wedding day not just the location. They set the timeline for all the day’s events as well as work out logistics for what you want on your wedding day. They ask key questions to figure out how it is all going to come together to make your wedding day a success. They know what time hair and make up is happening, and what room you are staying in and share this with the photographer and makeup artist. They help determine how you and the bridal party and family are getting to the ceremony and then to reception. They help establish the time your photographs start and who is supposed to be where at what time. They know how many tables are supposed to be for cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing. They know your first dance, father/daughter dance, and any other important dance song. They help facilitate who is taking your present home for you, and so much more!

Wedding coordinators also make sure ALL your vendors are on the same page. They ALL understand how the day’s events are to go and what your vision for the day is. Coordinators help each vendor be successful in their role, because they have been shown the big picture, and are only required to do their specific job and not coordinate other aspects. Meaning, your caterer can perfect the food without having to leave the kitchen to check in to see if the event is still on time. Your photographer can capture all the intimate moments going on with you, your groom and guests, instead of searching for the a missing family member who is supposed to be in the next shot. This list could go on and on.

A coordinator makes sure that ALL your vendors are going by the same timeline and have any updates they may need about the flow of the day. Often with out a coordinator as the point of contact all your vendors have separate timelines that may not match up; your DJ has his, your on site has theirs, and the photographer has their own, the cake baker doesn’t know when to set up, the florist doesn’t know what time to deliver the flowers, etc. With a coordinator they all go by the same one that includes any details they could need. The making of this timeline can be somewhat of collaboration of all your vendors. The coordinator can ask for the vendors input ahead of time to make sure they’re successful with the timeline provided. If the wedding gets behind, which can happen, the coordinator makes changes and updates all you vendors and get everyone back on track!

The coordinator is the ONLY go to person for ALL your vendors on and leading your wedding day. They have answered all the emails and fielded all the questions from vendors and family for the last several weeks. They know every detail maybe more than you, the bride. They generally have had the most contact with you and all the vendors leading up to the wedding. They know the role each vendor is playing on wedding day; the on site coordinator at both the ceremony and reception site, your photographer, videographer, officiant, band leader, DJ, ceremony musicians, florist, cake baker, shuttle and limo driver, hotel where your guest are staying, rental companies, and any other vendor you are working with.

Lastly, if something was to go wrong, a coordinator is there with a solution. They have probably seen it before throughout their experience. It’s their job to make sure that all your vendors stay on target with what you want to create the day of your dreams. A coordinator plays a huge role in the success of a wedding. They always protect your best interests and make sure that family, friends and of course the bride and groom truly enjoy themselves. With the right coordinator you can relax, be the bride, and cherish the best day of your life!

Happy planning