If you are thinking about hiring wedding planning help (and we always recommend that you do), do you know what type of wedding planner you need? We can help you figure that out! We are going to explain the differences between full wedding planning, “day-of” coordination, and the venue coordinator. By the time you are done reading this, you should know exactly what you’ll be looking for next.

We know that’s super exciting and you want to dive right in but first…

Allow us to introduce ourselves quickly to anyone new here! Welcome to the Preston Blog, brought to you by the Preston Barn at Old Drovers Inn in Dover Plains, NY. We are a full-service wedding venue where modern comfort meets rustic charm. We have on and off-site accommodations and the ability to host pre and post-wedding events, perfect for a weekend wedding getaway. For more information about our weddings, look HERE. To get pricing or book a tour, go HERE.

Ok, you’re engaged, excited, and ready to get started….so let’s go!

Full Wedding Planning

Wedding Planners usually offer a full planning service that helps you with everything, start to finish. This is for the couple who really only wants to do the fun stuff like picking colors, tasting food, picking your favorite songs to dance to, etc. but wants help with (or to completely delegate) the grueling, time-consuming details, such as:

• Planning your budget (and sticking to it!)

• Finding the right venue/vendors 

• Reviewing contracts

• Managing Guest List, Invites, & RSVPs

• Booking Hotel Blocks and Transportation Arrangements

These are just some of many things Full Wedding Planners may offer, and all of them are different. They also include coordination on the day (or weekend) of your wedding (you’ll learn more about that in the wedding day coordinator section coming up). 

It is easy to get overwhelmed by tons of talented vendors and venues to choose from, design options, and many other decisions, big and small. You may anticipate stressful situations or you might just not enjoy these types of things (not everybody enjoys planning and executing the trip….some just want to enjoy the ride!). If this is you, then you may want to consider hiring a full wedding planner. When you find one you like and trust, you’ll feel a lot better. 

Wedding Day Coordinator 

Some other terms used for this type of planner: 

• Wedding Day Management/Wedding Management

• Month-of Coordinator

• Day-of Coordinator (FYI, this NEVER actually means just the day of. This is IMPOSSIBLE so beware of any coordinator who says it is! Nobody can walk into a wedding the day of, knowing nothing, and execute your day the way you want it.) 

All of these generally mean the same thing. The specific services may differ, but they will usually start 2-3 months before the wedding day to help you:

• Tie together all the details

• Create a plan and timeline of the day

• Coordinate with all your vendors

• Attend final venue walk-through
  

And on the day/weekend of:

• Personally assist you while getting ready

• Conduct Rehearsal 

• Setup and breakdown of personal items and decor

• Direct all ceremony and reception activities through the entire wedding day

• Distribute final payments and/or gratuity to vendors and venue staff
  

This is the best option if you don’t have the budget or need a full planner, but want to make sure the day goes super smooth. Those final months/weeks/days can be LOADED with things to take care of and we always think it’s a good idea to get some of that stuff off your plate so you (and your wedding party, parents, etc.) can feel more relaxed. 

Note: Want more than a coordinator but less than full planning? Most planners offer a la carte services to add on or partial planning packages too. There’s something for everyone! 

Venue Coordinator

Now, you might be thinking: Do I really need any of these if the venue has a coordinator? We do get asked this a lot. Truthfully, there have been more weddings here at the Preston Barn without planners than with planners. They have worked out fine, but you need to understand the price of that...

A venue coordinator will generally:

• Create your floor plan

• Assist officiant or coordinator with rehearsal 

• Create a general timeline (but only for things they need to know. It would not include anything with specific getting ready details or anything the venue would not be involved with). 

• Greet and assist your vendors as they arrive 

• Coordinate with vendors on timeline execution, as needed

A Venue Coordinator usually will not:

• Set up and breakdown personal items and decor

• Personally assist you while getting ready

• Distribute payments 
  
  

We have a great coordinator and staff that do their best to make your day exactly how you want it. Our coordinator is there to ASSIST with setup, as in helping with providing the space to do it, but she is also busy managing the setup of the tables, place settings, greeting and guiding vendors, and other tasks that the venue provides. While she goes above and beyond as much as possible and offers to do SOME tasks that an outside coordinator would do, a venue coordinator ultimately works for the venue while an outside planner or coordinator works only FOR YOU. (Learn more about our coordinator, Helene!)

So now you might be thinking…

“Do I need any of these when I have my parents, my wedding party, and my eager Aunt Margaret to help?”

Both full planning and coordinator services usually include having the planner or someone on their team to be there for you as you’re getting ready. This makes things easier on your wedding party, parents, or anyone else you choose to have at your side. After all, it is important that they get to enjoy the day with you, right? You’d probably rather have them sipping mimosas with you, laughing, and supporting you in other ways than running around, setting things up, and other day-of duties. 

If you want to have that extra support so that your wedding party and the venue coordinator aren’t spread too thin, definitely hire a full planner or coordinator to help make your wedding day the most successful and worry-free it can be. There are some tasks that eager friends and family can help with still, and we have a blog for that! Check it out.

If you need recommendations for a planner or coordinator, we give a list of some wonderful Hudson Valley wedding planners when you come for a tour!

We have seen it all here at the Preston Barn. We’ve seen minimalist weddings that took less than an hour to set up decor and couples who were so care-free and simplistic that they really didn’t need outside help. We’ve seen couples who had so much to do that everyone was spread too thin and they didn’t get to freely enjoy the weekend as much as they wanted to. We also have seen weddings with planners that just overall made the day easier for everyone, which is why we recommend this for most weddings.

It is all up to you to decide

what is right for your day. 

Thank you for reading, we hope it helps you! If you are searching for a wedding venue that has it all, such as a ton of indoor and outdoor event space, accommodations, and a drool-worthy menu, we’d love to show you around! Contact us now for all the information you’ll need and we’ll set up a private tour! 

Like this post? Check out some of our other helpful blogs!

• Wedding Venues: 5 Important Things You Need to Know Before You Tour

• Helping Hands For A More Relaxed Wedding Day

• The Best Months To Get Married In The Hudson Valley

• 3 Wedding Dinner Styles and How To Decide Which Is Best For You

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