The Difference Between a Wedding Planner & Coordinator – And Why You Need One! | Jackson MS Wedding Photographer

Hey brides! Recently I sat down with Andrea from Perfection Wedding Coordination to learn more about her business. They are a wedding coordination group serving Jackson MS that any wedding photographer would absolutely LOVE to work with. If you missed her vendor feature, be sure to check that our HERE to learn more about her services!

On today’s blog, I want to talk about the difference between a wedding planner and a wedding coordinator. Don’t have time to read the blog? Head over to YouTube to see our video! 

What is a wedding planner?

Brides planning a wedding for the first time often don’t realize that a wedding planner and a wedding coordinator are different. 

A wedding planner is someone who helps you plan the wedding from the very beginning. They give you monthly tasks and countdowns, they go to vendor meetings with you, they go to tasting and they plan everything for you! Wedding planners are also there the day of the wedding day to see everything to completion and usually stick around to make sure all the “after-wedding” details are taken care of as well.

It’s up to you on how involved you want your wedding planner to be. Some brides like to still be involved but have the wedding planner guide them. While other brides want the planner to take over completely. 

What is a wedding coordinator? 

There are actually two types of coordinators: Day of and Month of. A coordinator will come in at the very end, after the bride has done all the planning herself, and just see it to the finish line. They’re there to make sure everything goes according to plan. 

An important aspect about a coordinator to note is that they don’t PLAN the wedding – the bride does. All of the set-up still relies on the bride booking vendors and making all decisions, but the coordinator is only there to make sure that on the actually wedding day, the bride doesn’t have to work to make the event happen. 

Do you need a planner or a coordinator?

If you’re a very busy person, you don’t have a lot of free time, you don’t like making final decisions, you aren’t super creative or don’t want to be – you need a planner!

If you have the time and WANT to plan your own wedding and have a creative eye then you need a coordinator! Because even if you plan everything, you still need someone to there the day of to carry it through so you can enjoy your day!

Do I really NEED a planner or coordinator? 

As you’re reading this, you might be thinking that you don’t actually NEED a planner or coordinator. But, I promise, YOU DO! Even if you think you have the time and the creative eye (or you’re just having a “small” wedding) it’s important to have a coordinator at the very least. 

I was one of those brides who swore I could do it all myself and I regret it. There are parts of the wedding day that I don’t remember. Or worse yet, I remember being stressed and unfocused because I was having to “work” to make everything come together. That’s not how you should remember your wedding day! And I’m a Jackson MS wedding photographer! You think I’d have known better! Well, now I know.

But what about budget? 

Most the times brides think that having a planner or coordinator means spending thousands of extra dollars on your wedding. But that’s not true! In reality, if you hire a wedding planner, you actually SAVE money because they know how to work WITHIN your budget and how to keep you on track. 

When should I hire a planner? 

NOW! It’s sad that most of the time a planner is the last thing on a brides mind. They usually come searching for a planner when they’re already stressed out and overwhelmed. It’s best to think ahead. Just remember, if you hire a planner, you can seriously save SO much time, stress and money! 

Another great reason to hire a planner before any other vendor is because they have CONNECTIONS to every other vendor in the industry! If you’re a bride, you’re probably planning a wedding for the first time and don’t know all of your options. But planners can connect you with venues and vendors that fit your style and will make for the perfect wedding day!

Don’t delay. Many times, the wedding coordination details fall on your Wedding Photographer. Investing in one of the best Jackson Mississippi wedding coordinators (Perfection Wedding Coordination) will make you wedding photographer ‘s job so much easier, and allow her to focus on all the things that she should be focusing on – like taking your amazing pictures!

If you liked this blog post, check out:
Castle Hill of Oxford – Wedding Editorial
Wedding Day First Look Explained
6 Ways to Avoid Wedding Day Stress
The AMP Wedding Experience