Planning a wedding in Ottawa? One of the biggest misconceptions couples have is thinking that a venue coordinator can replace a wedding planner. While both professionals play essential roles in making your big day run smoothly, their responsibilities are very different—and relying on just a venue coordinator could leave you handling more than you expected on your wedding day.

What Does a Venue Coordinator Do?

A venue coordinator is an expert in managing the venue itself. They work for the venue not directly for you. Their primary responsibility is ensuring the venue operates smoothly and efficiently. Their role typically includes:

• • Ensuring the venue is set up and ready (lights on, doors unlocked, tables and chairs placed according to the agreed floor plan).
  • Coordinating venue staff for food and beverage service.
  • Managing meal choices and dietary restrictions.
  • Overseeing security and handling wedding crashers.
  • Addressing venue-related issues like heating, air conditioning, or unexpected maintenance concerns.

While a venue coordinator is a valuable resource, their role is focused on the venue—not on you or the intricate details of your wedding day or vision.

What Does a Wedding Planner Do?

A wedding planner, on the other hand, is your personal advocate, working with you from the early stages of planning to the final moments of your wedding day. Their role is far more comprehensive and includes:

• • Helping you find and book vendors (photographers, florists, DJs, makeup artists, etc.).
  • Designing your wedding and helping you decide on florals, rentals and other décor
  • Creating your floorplans and helping you place guests at tables, assign their meals and their allergies to ensure your guests are well cared for.
  • Reviewing vendor contracts to ensure you’re getting the best services and terms.
  • Creating a wedding day timeline that coordinates all moving parts, including the wedding party, vendors, and key moments like the first dance and speeches. As well as distributing it to all vendors, your wedding party, parents etc.
  • Managing the setup and décor, ensuring your vision comes to life exactly as planned.
  • Orchestrating the ceremony by organizing the wedding party and cueing the music.
  • Staying with you and your family all day, helping with anything from bustling your dress to managing last-minute changes.
  • Handling unexpected situations, whether it’s a vendor delay, family drama, or an emergency change of plans.

Unlike a venue coordinator, a wedding planner is 100% dedicated to you and your wedding, ensuring every detail is executed flawlessly.

Why You Need Both

A venue coordinator is crucial for ensuring the venue’s operations run smoothly, but their job doesn’t extend to planning your overall wedding experience or executing it on your big day. They may need to step away to handle staffing issues, check on other events, or even give tours to other engaged couples—meaning they are not exclusively dedicated to you all day.

A wedding planner, however, is there for you every step of the way. They don’t just make sure your wedding day runs smoothly—they make sure you feel supported throughout your entire planning process. If something goes wrong, your planner steps in to try and handle the problem without you two even knowing whenever possible.

When it comes down to it, a venue coordinator ensures the venue is ready, while a wedding planner ensures you two get to be the VIP guests at your own wedding instead of the hosts.

Planning a Wedding in Ottawa? Let’s Chat!

If you’re newly engaged and looking for an experienced Ottawa wedding planner to guide you through the process, let’s connect! We specialize in extraordinary wedding experiences for you and your guests. We want you to be fully present with the people you love the most in the world, while we handle the details. Reach out today to start planning your dream wedding!

Your exceptional wedding and planning experience starts here

Up Next!

I will be sharing Ottawa’s best venue if you are looking for indoor and outdoor spaces with a view to kill! You won’t want to miss this gorgeous venue option!

POST INFO AND CREDITS

• • Published on March 27th 2025
  • Photography by Scott H Wilson Photography, Agatha Rowland
  • Decor by Wedecor, Moe Signature

If you liked this post …

You probably want to see my viral Instagram post: Venue Coordinator vs Wedding Planner? I did a comparison of roles for 25 wedding day tasks to show you the difference between what a Venue handles vs Wedding Planner.

You might also like these other posts about general wedding advice and specifically about budget and cost!