Planning a wedding can be so exciting, but it can also be one of the most stressful time periods of your life. However, with the right people by your side it doesn’t have to be!
If you’re planning a tipi wedding you can always count on the Gold Coast Tipis’ team to be there to help you along the way, but you might also want to enlist the help of other wedding professionals to ensure your wedding day is everything you wished for. Wedding planners, stylists and on-the-day coordinators will ease the stress of organising a wedding, but what’s the difference between a planner, a stylist and an on-the-day coordinator?
Wedding planners
Wedding planners are professional event organisers that specialise in planning weddings. Think of your wedding planner as the middle man/woman, the go between you and all of your vendors and suppliers. They’ll liaise with everyone from your florist to your caterers, and take care of all the practical aspects of planning your wedding so the aesthetics can be realised. While you’re planning your wedding they’ll be your best friend and confidant, and you’ll want to have their number saved in your phone’s favourite list!
A wedding planner will:
- Help you stay within your wedding budget
- Suggest venues and attend with you when you inspect each venue
- Negotiate prices with all of your vendors
- Take care of wedding and reception styling
- Help with guest lists, save the dates, invites and organise your favours
- Coordinate the wedding day events and plan a rehearsal
- Help organise other ad hoc wedding activities – ie. Dinners, lunches etc
- Book guest accommodation, travel from ceremony to reception if necessary
- Organise seating plans, floor plans
- Attend on the day to coordinate your ceremony and reception
- Help oversee pack down.
Stylists
If you’re a bride-to-be and are struggling to turn the vision of your dream wedding into a reality, that’s where a wedding stylist steps in. Unlike a wedding planner, who takes care of all the nitty gritty of booking suppliers and vendors, stylists will design your ceremony and reception, taking care of everything from décor to colour, to theming and styling. It’s their job to ensure everything looks amazing! Think of your stylist as an interior decorator, someone who will ensure the finished look matches your expectations.
A stylist will:
- Work with you to come up with a theme or vibe for your wedding that is individual to you
- Create a consistent look and feel for your wedding ceremony and reception
- Take care of all the finishing touches including décor, lighting, furnishings, flowers and other wedding decorations.
On-the-day coordinator
Not everyone’s budget allows for a wedding planner, and if you’re an uber creative DIY bride you may not want a planner or stylist, and prefer to put a personal touch on every aspect of your ceremony and reception.
However, an on-the-day wedding coordinator will take the stress out of your wedding day, they will be your eyes and ears, and help organise all of the suppliers to ensure everything goes to plan. As soon as they arrive they’ll be the point of contact and take care of the entire guest experience, including any issues or problems that may arise.
We love the idea of an on-the-day coordinator for all DIY brides, it’s affordable and really allows you and your partner to let your hair down and enjoy your big day without any added pressure or stress.
An on-the-day coordinator will:
- Organise the run sheet and ensure all things happen on schedule
- Confirm everything is booked and ready to go on the day
- Act as the main point of contact for your vendors/suppliers/family/friends
- Oversee the setup of the ceremony/reception/flowers/styling
- Greet and direct guests
- Coordinate the schedule for the ceremony including music
- Liiase with the photographer
- Oversee catering and work with your MC to coordinate speeches etc
- Manage any problems and ensure everything goes to plan.
When you choose your wedding planning team it’s important to ensure they’re on the same page as you. Be clear with your vision and communicate what you expect from them. It’s important that you develop a great relationship with open communication so you can work together to organise the wedding of your dreams.
We’re lucky to work with some of the Gold Coast’s best wedding planners, stylists and coordinators, so if you’re looking for a planner or coordinator feel free to contact us.
