Venue Coordinator and Wedding Planner Difference

What is the Difference Between a Venue Coordinator and a Wedding Coordinator or Planner?

It's no secret that weddings and the planning that goes along with them has become very complex over the past 10-20 years including an infinite number of options for room layout, timeline of the day, specialty furniture, centerpiece ideas, catchy and quirky signage and so on.  Gone are the days that one family member plans the entire affair with little to no input from the bride and everything flows the same as every other wedding day. 

We've been planning and coordinating weddings in Cleveland since 2005 and work with a ton of other talented vendors to make these masterpieces and memories happen.  Those other vendors include florists, rental companies, bands and DJs, stationery designers, lighting designers, transportation companies, cake and dessert bakers and venue and catering managers!  If you follow us on Instagram and Facebook, you will see that we do weddings at the same venues over and over again and one of the reasons behind that is because we are being recommended by the venue!  It's a common misconception that we hear time and time again that a bride and groom have a planner because the venue comes with one, or they will just work with the venue/catering manager on all of their plans.  While we absolutely work in harmony alongside these pros, our jobs leading up to the wedding day are really quite different.

We've heard from so many people who were mistaken at the beginning and thinking their venue actually came with a planner.  They realize halfway through (or later) that they actually need this detailed help and call us, or actually tell us later they regret not hiring us!  Make no mistake, venue and catering managers are extremely valuable and necessary members of the wedding team!  We have excellent relationships with these people and have included some insight below from managers at two of our most frequent venues, Cleveland Museum of Art and the Union Club. 

"Wedding/event planners are an integral aspect to event planning and execution. While venue coordinators often support some of the efforts of the planning, wedding planners are the key piece that bring it all together at the end of the day for all vendors involved. The Kirkbrides’ team members are always professional, kind, and attentive to detail. Hosting events in a venue that is a museum first and comes with a unique set of nuances, policies and procedures, it is crucial and very much appreciated to partner with vendors, like Kirkbrides who not only understand, but genuinely respect our team and facility."
Elizabeth Coughlin, Director of Catering Sales
Bon Appetit Management Company
The Cleveland Museum of Art 


“Working with Kirkbrides wedding planners is always such a joy.  The team is very professional and will offer amazing assistance in planning evert aspect of a wedding.  As a Catering Manager, it’s always a pleasure to have the Kirkbrides team to assist in a bride’s special day.  Kirkbrides will handle all the details within the wedding and guide you through every step of the wedding process. I work very closely with many wedding planners, and Kirkbrides is definitely one of our favorites!”        
Nancy Zaroogian, Catering Sales Manager
The Union Club

We are always happy to answer any questions about clarification and how exactly all of this relates to your wedding day!  Weddings can be complicated to navigate and we love helping our clients and potential clients find their way to a magical wedding day.