Wedding Designers & Wedding Planners Explained

Finally! You’re engaged and ready to start planning your wedding day. But, where the heck do you start? What do you need to do first? This is no doubt an exciting time in your life and with hundreds (maybe thousands) of decisions to make it can all be quickly overwhelming.

In 2020 many couples are choosing to hire someone to help plan their wedding, and with so many different types of services (wedding planner, wedding stylist, wedding designer) it’s hard to know which is right for you. Luckily we’re breaking it all down today in our wedding designers & wedding planners explained feature.

Before you break out the debit card (or checkbook if that still exists in modern times) it’s good to know what each title does so you know which one is right for you.

What is a wedding designer?

A wedding designer is someone that focuses solely on bringing your vision to life. For them, it is all about using their artistic eye to create a cohesive, aesthetically pleasing and sophisticated or fun, boho, or traditional theme you are going for.

Masterminds in floor plan design, accessorizing linens/flowers, etc and even skilled in lighting design a wedding designer is like an architect of ideas.

Think of it like this, you have a million ideas in your head about what you want at your wedding. From millions of little details to signage, table arrangements, and more. You could throw all your ideas on the wall or put them in a fishbowl and your wedding designer will turn them into a beautiful cohesive wedding event.

What does a wedding designer do?

• Creates the wedding design concept (based on your ideas)
• Provides guidance on the color palette
• Sources special equipment or props (such as power lift for hanging drapery or art deco lounge-style furniture)
• Puts together a floorplan that works with your venue space
• Makes sure all your decor elements arrive on time for set up on your wedding day

What A Wedding Designer Does Not Do – they will not help with contract negotiations or attending appointments along the way. Generally, they are the ones that are creative and pulls everything together to make it “pretty”

What is a wedding planner?

Wedding planners are like God’s of organizing a wedding. They are all about logistics, from contract negotiations, vendor referrals, keeping track of your budget,  to helping you find the perfect wedding dress and food.

What does a wedding planner do?

• Create, negotiate and review vendor contracts
• Organize wedding day timeline
• Attend meetings and tastings with you
• Arrange vendor arrivals and deliveries
• Assist with decor and design (aesthetics of your event)
• Recommend vendors
• Help you find the perfect wedding dress & bridesmaids
• Run the rehearsal
• Solve last-minute emergencies
• Peacekeepers
• Set up the ceremony and reception sites
• Manage room blocks
• Oversees everything on your wedding day

A wedding planner will be with you from engagement to reception. These are just some examples of what a wedding planner can do for you. Some wedding planners will do anything you ask. We have even heard of wedding planners mailing invitations, picking up and dropping of rented or borrowed items and keep track of your R.S.V.P.s

They are priceless and if you struggle with organizing and planning you should definitely consider hiring a wedding planner.

Are you ready to find an event planner? Find a local wedding planner here.

Other Wedding Services & Professions

Wedding Coordinator

If you are great at event planning and organization then a wedding planner may not be necessary. A wedding coordinator may be what you need as they are generally used to assist with the final preparations in the last month.

Having a wedding coordinator in that final month will provide you with some much-needed help wrapping up loose ends and tweaking any final details.

What does a wedding coordinator do?

• Checks in with all wedding vendors to ensure full understanding of event details
• Manages the rehearsal
• Creates a floor plan and detailed timelines to follow on the wedding day
• Handles any overlooked items
• Performs a final walkthrough of the ceremony site and reception area
• Damage control
• Oversees vendor set up and breakdown

Wedding Creative Director

A wedding creative director is like an artist, they make everything pretty. Their role is to oversee the creative presentation and style of your wedding. They may need to source props, wardrobe, or decor items to help pull your vision together.

Your wedding creative director will also manage your team of vendors is implementing all of the appropriate details so that your ceremony and reception are beautiful and exactly as you envisioned.

Event Designer

An event designer is very similar to a wedding designer, but may also be involved in organizing and planning other events as well. Not specializing in any one event such as a wedding, an event designer also plans birthdays, corporate events, anniversaries, engagement parties, and more.

There you have it! There are many types of services that people offer to help you plan and execute an unforgettable wedding. Choose the one that works best for your level of planning experience and budget.

Happy Wedding Planning!