Wedding planner vs coordinator
The two roles get used interchangeably and they are not the same job. A planner builds the wedding with you. A coordinator runs the wedding you already built. Picking the wrong one is how couples end up paying for help they don't need — or arriving at the rehearsal with no one holding the timeline.
The short answer
Hire a planner when the wedding still needs to be designed and decided. Hire a coordinator when the decisions are made and the day needs to be run. If you're between the two, partial planning exists precisely for that gap.
Side by side
| Wedding planner | Coordinator | |
|---|---|---|
| What they do | Designs and manages the whole wedding: budget, vendor sourcing and contracts, design direction, timeline, and the day itself. | Takes over a plan you built. Confirms vendors, writes the final run of show, and runs the wedding day. |
| When they start | 9–15 months out, usually right after you set the date and budget. | 4–8 weeks out. Often called a 'month-of' or 'day-of' coordinator. |
| Hours involved | Typically 150–300+ hours across the engagement. | Typically 20–40 hours, most of it in the final month and on the day. |
| Who picks the vendors | They shortlist, negotiate, and often get you preferred pricing from their network. | You do. They confirm the vendors you already booked. |
| Design and styling | Included — palette, florals, rentals, stationery direction, and layout. | Not included. They execute the design you specified. |
| Budget management | They build and track the budget and flag overruns before they happen. | Out of scope. You own the budget. |
| Typical cost (US) | $4,000–$12,000+, or 10–20% of total wedding spend. | $1,200–$3,500 flat, depending on market and guest count. |
| Best for | Large or logistically complex weddings, destination weddings, couples short on time. | Organized couples who enjoy planning but don't want to run the day. |
Cost ranges are typical US market rates and vary widely by city, season, and guest count. Always price against quotes in your own market.
The options in between
Partial planning
Starts around 6–9 months out. You've booked the venue; they take over vendor sourcing, design, and the timeline. Usually $2,500–$6,000. The most common choice for couples who started strong and stalled.
Month-of coordination
A longer runway than day-of: 4–6 weeks of vendor confirmations, a walkthrough, a full run of show, and rehearsal plus wedding-day management.
Day-of coordination
The narrowest scope — one or two calls, then the wedding day. Only works if your timeline, layout, and vendor list are genuinely finished. In practice, few are.
What a venue coordinator is not
If your venue includes a coordinator, read the contract carefully. That person works for the venue: they manage the room, the venue's staff, and the venue's rules. They generally do not build your timeline, manage vendors you hired, direct your processional, or advocate for you when a vendor is late. Assuming otherwise is the single most common planning mistake we see.
Hire a planner if
- Your guest count is over ~150, or you have multiple ceremony and reception locations.
- You're planning from another city, state, or country.
- You have a raw venue: a field, a private estate, a warehouse. Everything is a rental decision.
- Your total budget is over ~$60,000, where a planner's vendor pricing often offsets a chunk of their fee.
- Both of you work long hours and cannot take vendor calls during the business day.
- There is family complexity — multiple hosts, cultural traditions, or competing expectations — you'd rather route through a professional.
A coordinator is likely enough if
- Your venue is full-service and includes catering, tables, chairs, and an on-site event manager.
- You've already booked your core vendors and like doing it.
- Your guest count is under ~120 and everything happens in one place.
- You have a clear design direction and don't need someone to develop one.
- Your budget is tighter and you'd rather put the difference into food, photography, or music.
Questions to ask either one before you sign
- Which package is this, exactly — full, partial, or coordination — and what is explicitly excluded?
- How many weddings do you take per weekend, and will you personally be on site?
- Who is your second, and what happens if you're ill on the day?
- When do you take over vendor communication, and are you copied on contracts?
- Do you produce the run of show, or do I? Who distributes it to vendors?
- Are you there for the rehearsal? Until what time on the wedding day?
- Do you handle load-out, rental returns, and final vendor payments or gratuities?
- Is travel, parking, or a meal billed separately?
Where Lumière fits
Whichever you hire — or if you hire no one — the wedding still needs one plan everybody works from. Lumière is the planner-grade command center that holds it: a day-of timeline with computed prep, travel, and sunset timing, budget and payment deadlines, vendors, and guests, all anchored to your wedding date.
- With a planner: invite them in as a collaborator so you can see the same plan they're working from, instead of waiting on emailed spreadsheets.
- With a coordinator: arrive at handoff with a finished run of show and a vendor list they can confirm against — which is exactly what a short scope requires.
- With neither: share a revocable, category-scoped day-of timeline link with each vendor so everyone knows their own call time.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a wedding planner and a wedding coordinator?
A planner builds the wedding with you from the start — budget, vendors, design, and timeline — over 9–15 months. A coordinator steps into a plan you already built, usually 4–8 weeks out, to confirm vendors and run the wedding day. Planning is creation; coordination is execution.
Do I need a wedding planner if my venue has a coordinator?
A venue coordinator works for the venue, not for you. They manage the building, the venue's staff, and the venue's rules. They will not chase your florist, hold your timeline for your photographer, or advocate for you in a vendor dispute. Many couples with a venue coordinator still hire a month-of coordinator.
How much does a wedding coordinator cost?
In most US markets, day-of or month-of coordination runs $1,200–$3,500 flat. Full-service planning is typically $4,000–$12,000 or more, often quoted as 10–20% of total wedding spend.
When should I hire a wedding planner?
For full-service planning, right after you set the date and budget — 9–15 months out, before you sign your venue if possible, since a planner can help you evaluate it. For coordination, book 6–9 months out even though the work starts later; good coordinators fill peak Saturdays early.
Is a day-of coordinator enough?
Only if your timeline, floor plan, vendor contacts, and load-in details are genuinely finished before they arrive. If any of that is still open, month-of coordination is the safer scope — a day-of coordinator has no time to fix a plan on the day.
Can I plan a wedding without either one?
Yes, and many couples do — most often at full-service venues with under ~120 guests. What you cannot skip is the day-of role: someone other than you or your parents has to hold the timeline, field vendor questions, and make calls. If that isn't a hired coordinator, name a specific person and give them the written run of show.