What You Really Need to Know Before Hiring a Venue’s On-Site Wedding Planner

Selecting a venue is often the first step toward planning your dream wedding… with so many gorgeous venues in the Dallas area, it can be tough to select the perfect one! We are lucky to partner with fantastic venues that set the tone for unforgettable occasions—and we love to see which location steals our bride’s heart.

Today we want to address a venue-related question that we often hear from our brides:

What’s the difference between a venue’s On-Site Wedding Planner and your own hired Wedding Planner? 

We’re here to break it down for you! Many venues do have an on-site Venue Coordinator—who has a highly valuable role on the day of the wedding! A Venue Coordinator is typically responsible for all the details associated with the venue space itself (i.e., tables, chairs, linens, serving staff, kitchen staff, etc.). They have plenty of their own responsibilities on the day of the wedding, and we are lucky to work with fantastic venue coordinators who are excellent at what they do!

However, things get sticky when a venue tries to promote their on-site Venue Coordinator as a “Wedding Planner.” As you can see, Venue Coordinators already have plenty of important responsibilities on the wedding day… asking them to double as a “Wedding Planner” is likely to overextend their capabilities (after all, they are just one person!). As convenient as it may seem to hire the venue’s on-site “Wedding Planner,” we have to caution brides to think carefully before signing the dotted line on this one.

While On-Site Wedding Planners have the best intentions, they will not able to offer a full planning experience. It’s important to keep in mind: the on-site planner has been hired by the venue. Their primary responsibility is always to the venue—not to the bride.

Because of this, brides should be aware of some common concerns:

• Your on-site planner will focus on the reception, not the whole wedding weekend. The planning process will focus on items that concern the reception venue (catering details, bar service, and seating layout)—not on offering you a complete planning experience. We believe every aspect of your special celebration should be planned with care from start to finish… including the ceremony, guest hotels, transportation, etc.—all important elements that do not concern the reception venue.
• Your on-site planner will focus on the venue’s needs over the brides. On the day of the wedding, an on-site planner must give priority to the venue and its staff. If an issue arises in the kitchen or with the serving staff, your on-site planner will be managing those problems—not focusing on your needs. Their attention will always be split between you and the venue.
• Your on-site planner cannot leave the premises. Trust us, you don’t want your planner to be tied down to the reception site! We’ve run plenty of last-minute errands for our brides (to obtain forgotten cake cutters, chauffeur inebriated groomsmen, or even pick up the bride’s dog!)… you don’t want a planner who cannot leave the property to handle the unexpected.
• Your on-site planner’s timeline will be based on the venue, not the bride. We create a full timeline in conjunction with other key vendors, like your photographer and entertainment. Every detail of the wedding weekend is carefully scheduled to give you the best experience possible. The on-site planner will build your timeline based on food preparation, food serving, and convenience for the venue.
• Your on-site planner is juggling a lot of brides at the same time. Most wedding venues are booked almost every weekend of the year—and sometimes even booked multiple times on the same weekend. We think the bride is more likely to receive individualized attention and prompt responses with a dedicated Wedding Planner (we only schedule a limited number of weddings, so that every bride will receive proper attention!).
• Your on-site planner might not be a good fit for you. When you book with a venue that supplies their own wedding planner, you’re missing out on the opportunity to collaborate with a planner who really connects with you and understands your vision. As a bride, you will spend months corresponding with your wedding planner… it’s important to book someone you enjoy communicating with!

As much as we appreciate Venue Coordinators and all that they do, we don’t believe that selling a Venue Coordinator as a “Wedding Planner” is in the bride’s best interest. If your desired venue requires you to hire an on-site wedding planner, you might want to think carefully before you book. While it seems like an added bonus, there are some definite cons to working with an on-site wedding planner instead of a dedicated Wedding Planner you’ve hired yourself. At best, the on-site planner has divided interests: serving the venue, and then serving the bride.

We hope this helps our sweet brides answer a common question! The bottom line? Venue Coordinators are so valuable for doing what they already do… combining their job with that of a wedding planner is simply too much—their commitments will always be split between the venue and the bride, at best.

Whether you choose to work with us, or one of our talented Wedding Planner colleagues, we believe hiring a dedicated Wedding Planner is the wiser investment. You deserve a Wedding Planner who is dedicated to your client experience, and who will always advocate on your behalf!