Wedding Coordinator Vs. Venue Manager, What is the difference?

The use of the term Venue Coordinator, at newer wedding barn venues, where the owners and managers do not have a background in the event industry, has created a massive amount of confusion on what a venue coordinator is, and how they differ from a Wedding Coordinator, and this causes massive confusion on expectations from Brides who expect way too much from a venue, when it was not specifically laid out as an included service.

When someone says Venue Coordinator, they typically mean venue attendant, or venue manager, and not a Vendor Coordinator or Wedding Coordinator. 

A Venue Manager/Attendant is the person that makes sure that the Wedding Coordinator/Planner/Bride & Groom & their parents have what they need as far as the facility goes. They point out electrical outlets, light switches, give directions on things that pertain to venue specifics (like if a light bulb goes out, or the toilet paper is empty in the girls room. 

Venue Managers DO NOT manage your vendors. They DO NOT schedule them, they are not responsible for greeting them and getting them to follow through on your timelines. Those are all things done by a vendor coordinator, wedding planner or wedding consultant. 

Wedding Coordinators/Planners/Consultants are the ones who organize vendors and make sure everyone sticks to the timelines and your day proceeds without problems. 

Venue Managers/Attendants are the ones who make sure Toilet paper is in the bathroom, that light bulbs get changed, that everyone knows where light switches and outlets are, and other venue specific operational items.

These same things can also be said when caterers use the term “Event Manager” or “Event Coordinator”. They are there to manage the aspects that pertain directly to their catering staff, and unless specifically stated otherwise  

So make sure you are very clear with both your Venue, and your Caterer what type of coordinator/manager/attendant they are including.

At Forever Farms we do not require that you hire a professional coordinator or wedding planner, but we do require you to have a non-bride vendor coordinator that will be here to meet vendors as they arrive, help them get set up according to the brides floor plan layout.