Planner Vs Consultant Vs Coordinator: What’s The Difference
Youre either looking for someone who plans and executes your entire wedding, or someone who manages specific tasks. If you want a destination wedding or a large wedding with multiple events and many moving parts, hire a full-service wedding planner. If you’re a DIY couple who only needs guidance and assistance with wedding day logistics, hire a partial planner or coordinator.
Full-service wedding planners are involved in the entire wedding process, which includes concept, planning, managing, coordination and a myriad of details until you wave goodbye to your guests.
In todays vernacular the term wedding consultant has largely been absorbed into the term wedding planner. “I think the word ‘planner’ is easier to comprehend for couples who are looking for assistance, says Micki Novak, Executive Director of the American Association of Certified Wedding Planners . If someone advertises themselves as a consultant, there is always a question about what they can or will do.” If you find a “wedding consultant” that you like, ask them what their services cover.
“A wedding coordinator is very different from a wedding planner,” says Ashley Paul, Co-owner of C & A Event Planning. “Most think of a ‘day-of’ coordinator who manages the vendors and venue the couple has hired. Actually, the coordinator has to come onboard a month or more before the wedding to know who is who, what needs to go where and what your expectations are.”
Does This Sound Like You Get In Touch
Our Process is as Easy as 1-2-3
01. Get in Touch: Simply fill out our form and well be in touch so that we can connect. We cant wait to meet you and hear all about your wedding vision!
02. Design Your Experience: Whether you need full wedding planning perfection or simply day-of coordination, whether you want to be hands-on or simply select from options presented to you, were here to help.
03. Celebrate: Relax, say I do, and dance the night away being surrounded by those you love, knowing that someone you trust is in charge of all the wedding day details.
Nationwide wedding planning service, The Simply Elegant Group® , creates joyful celebrations of love for engaged couples, while saving them money through a simple + stress-free experience.
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How Much Do Wedding Planners Make
Monster data shows the median salary for event planners is $20.72 per hour, and their pay can range from $14.35 to more than $30 an hour. An independent wedding planner salary can be even higher, depending on your location, your clients, and how many weddings you plan a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics . Independent wedding planners are either paid a flat fee per wedding or charge for individual services.
You can look up the average salary for a wedding planner in your location by using the Monster Salary Guide.
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Gaining Experience And Training
What Students Have To Say
I went into the program knowing little to nothing about the wedding planning and food and beverage industry, but I knew I had an interest in wedding planning. I gained a tremendous amount of knowledge from the program. It has truly helped me get jobs in that industry and helped me to succeed at those jobs.
Madison Yoshida
Having taken the online program, I didn’t expect Joyce to be so hands on and involved in the program! Anytime I had any questions, Joyce was readily available to give answers, assistance, and feedback. Even after the program has ended, Joyce continues to engage with us and sends us correspondence in regards to opportunities in the field!
Christina Yabut
I was in the industry for over 8 years before I decided to enroll in this program. The program has made me understand many aspects of the industry which builds my self confidence which in return provides me with happy clientele. I would recommend this program to anyone starting out or anyone who has been in the industry. You will be shocked at how much there is to know!
Saneta Husainzada
Find out what you’ll learn in the program. »
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What’s Typically Included In A Wedding Planners Fee
“Every planning company is different,” explains Kimiko Hosaki, Founder and Executive Director of Elements by K.H & co, specializing in destination weddings. “K. H & co. is a full-service design, planning and production company, so we take care of every detail. On average, we put 300 hours into planning, designing and producing a wedding for 100 people.”
Hire a wedding planner to take care of all of the planning and details so you’ll be able to enjoy this joyous time with your family and guests. Hire a coordinator if you want help with the timeline, vendor management and specific tasks for your wedding day.
Interview several wedding planners. You’ll spend a lot of time communicating, so find someone that you like. Ask what their services cover and what they don’t. For comparison, here are a few of the items the full-service planning company K.H & co. includes as they guide you through and manage the entire process:
- Assist with stationery design and printing
- Assist in venue scouting and negotiations
- Assist in vendor sourcing, interviewing and negotiations
- RSVP and guest list management
- Floral design, florist interviews, and proposal reviews
- Rental recommendation and sourcing
- Catering negotiation, communication and menu development
- Timeline management
What We Do Here At
Were planners, designers, and boss babes. We combine our organizational skills with exuberant personalities to make wedding couples feel at ease with their planning process. Whether it be a day-of client or our full planning and design we make all of our clients feel as though theyre on the top of our priority list.
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Wedding Planner Duties & Responsibilities
Successful wedding planning requires you to be a jack of all trades. According to Pittsburgh-based A Piece of Cake Wedding Design, the job entails: “…the role of the wedding consultant is that of a facilitator, mediator, money manager, artisan, and constructor of dreams.”
If you’ve ever been a bride or groom, or even a bridesmaid, you also know the kind of stress that planning a wedding can bring about. A wedding planner often also ends up also being a therapist, sounding board, and even punching bag, figuratively of course, when frazzled nerves come into play.
Although the job can involve a wide variety of tasks, certain typical duties and responsibilities are involved in the day-to-day life of a wedding planner, such as the following:
What Traits Do Wedding Planners Need
First things first: Do you have the skills and personality to become a wedding planner?
According to industry pros, here are some key traits every wedding planner should have:
- Organization: Juggling dozens of weddings and multiple vendors for each one requires you to be on the ball, all the time.
- Communication: You wont just need to communicate with vendors and clients before and during the event youll also need to deal with guests in a chaotic environment.
- Patience: Clients want their weddings to be perfect, which means they can often be demanding.
- Stamina: On wedding days, youll be on-site, on your feet for up to 15 hours straight.
Many of us choose this career because we thrive on the excitement, the challenge and the madness that happens on the wedding day, explains Debbie Orwat, founder and Chief Inspiration Officer at Planners Lounge, a community for event planners.
We live to solve problems, keep everything on time and manage 20-plus vendors without breaking a sweat. If you can handle stress and keep your cool, then this could be a good career choice.
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My Top 7 Destination Wedding Venues In France
During my trip to France last summer, I got a chance to visit my favourite venues and monuments but also to taste my favourite desserts!I started my trip in the South of France, visiting Monaco & Monte-Carlo, a jewel city filled with refinement and luxury, surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea and the mountains, with its royal palace located at the top of a rock, called Le Rocher in Monaco. I grew up visiting many locations in the South of France every summer and as I became an adult, I started to understand all of its beauty even better. Colourful buildings, the Monaco Grand Prix, the food, and my favourite drink while in Monaco is called the Monaco. If youve never had one, this is made up of beer mixed with lemonade and grenadine syrup.After visiting wedding venues in the South of France and in Paris, I have listed my favourite ones below. I think all of them would make your wedding so special for you and your guests!
Upcoming Courses
Become a Certified Wedding Planner
How To Find Wedding Planner Jobs
Now that you know how to become a wedding planner, its time to start applying for jobs or building your client base. First things first, you need to create a resume that will catch a potential employers eye. Your wedding planner resume is almost like a proposalit shows potential employers how youll partner with them to create a happy future. You can get ideas from a sample event coordinator resume and an event coordinator cover letter to help create your wedding planner resume.
Then, once your application materials are prepared, you can get ready for your big day by searching through event planner and event coordinator listings that include wedding planning jobs on Monster.
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How Much Experience Do You Have
Just like most careers, a wedding planners salary is likely to increase as time goes on and experience is gained. Not only will the opportunities increase more reviews and more contacts equal more business but so will the amount you can charge. Think about it: A wedding planner who got started in the industry six months ago isnt going to be able to charge as much as a planner who has run their own agency for the past 20 years.
Tips How To Become A Wedding Planner
Todays trends have how to become a wedding planner popping out of every corner they create your dream wedding come true and make sure that all you ever wanted is given for your requirements. However, everybody knows that hiring a event planner is not the cheapest thing around.
In fact, many times yourself paying a wedding planner a good deal an amount that you might use for your wedding itself. If youre on a tight budget then a wedding planner is certainly not the most practical thing at this time.
To turned into a successful and reputable wedding coordinator, you have to acquire a great deal of benchmarks. You must be capable of prove a degree of training or experience. Also, so that you can obtain a referral base, you ought to be able to prove your value being a wedding coordinator.
You should show your clients your training level along with your acquired experienced as part of your chosen profession as well as your power to make a wonderful wedding really happen.
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What Does A Wedding Planner’s Average Day Look Like
A wedding planner’s day will vary depending on the client and where they are in the planning process. Some days, they may be meeting a client for the first time. They might find themselves scoping out venues, whereas other days, they may be attending a wedding they’ve been planning.
You can also expect to spend time answering calls and emails on a regular basis. The main thing to expect from the day-to-day of a wedding planner is that no two days will be the same.
Should Wedding Planners Work For A Company Or Go Freelance
The answer to this question totally depends on you, your preferences and your experience level.
If youve worked in event planning or project management, or have prior experience running your own business, you might be good to go freelance.
On the other hand, if youre a fresh college grad or dont have experience managing events, it might be smart to join a company first.
If you do choose to go freelance, here are a few tips:
Invest in a professional website.
As Orwat explains, Your website is your storefront and is the first impression potential clients see.
Educate yourself.
Orwat recommends taking online courses, attending conferences and even hiring a business coach.
Prepare for upfront costs.
When Colhouer started, she needed to pay for an LLC, styled photo shoots and a promotional video.
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Will You Offer Services As Premade Packages A La Carte Or Both
One of the final major factors to help determine how much a wedding planner makes is the types of services offered. Premade packages with tiered pricing and customization options offer you more control over your planning system. Plus it helps systemize administrative work for each client, and makes it easier to scale your team later on.
A la carte services can be offered as upsells for your packages or you can let clients pick and choose exactly what they need without having to commit to something bigger. You may find that its easier to get hired when clients dont feel they have to be locked into a package that doesnt quite fit their needs. When just starting out, decide what makes the most sense for you and your team. Then rely on trial and error to adjust your services to the most lucrative offerings over time.
How Much Money Do Wedding Planners Get Paid
Sites like Comparably, ZipRecruiter, and Salary report data on the pay of Americans. On careersandcareers.com, the average wedding planner salary is between $14 per hour and $420,000 per year however, these figures dont really answer the question on everyones mind: How much do wedding planners earn, really?
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