What Is the Difference Between a Wedding Planner vs a Wedding Decorator?

Bride Holding a Colorful Bouquet Surrounded By Flowers: Green Wedding Shoes, Wedding Decorator Finalizing Table Decorations: Today’s Bride, Assorted Cakes Cut Into Thin Slices on White Plates: Linda Lomelino

There are a lot of terms thrown around when it comes to wedding industry professionals. With titles like wedding coordinator, wedding planner, wedding decorator, and event designer, it’s easy to get confused by who is supposed to do what for your wedding!

We’re here to help.

Here’s what you need to know about a wedding planner vs a wedding decorator, along with whether or not you need to hire both for your big day.

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What Does a Wedding Planner Do?

The job of a wedding planner is to make the process of planning your wedding as easy as possible. They negotiate vendor contracts, create timelines for your big day, schedule tours and tastings, and oversee your wedding day to ensure everything goes smoothly. They can help you with anything that goes into the planning process.

You might be wondering what a wedding coordinator does if a wedding planner does all that!

A wedding coordinator is someone you can hire in lieu of a full planner, if you’re on a budget or you prefer to do most of the planning yourself. They help you on a shorter timeline by checking in with vendors, managing the rehearsal dinner, and overseeing everything on your wedding day so you don't have to worry about doing it yourself.

Wedding Tent Decorated With a Flower Arch and Lanterns: Elegant Wedding Invites

What Does a Wedding Decorator Do?

Wedding planners and coordinators are great at logistics. They can make your wedding day come together and ensure it unfolds in a pre-planned, stress-free way, but that doesn’t mean they are good at planning décor.

That’s where a wedding decorator comes in.

Wedding decorators, also sometimes referred to as event or wedding designers, plan the aesthetics of your wedding. From floor plans to lighting, furniture, linens, and centerpieces, it's their job to make sure your wedding day has a cohesive look that evokes the mood you have envisioned for your big day.

Your wedding decorator and florist will work together to create bouquets, centerpieces, and other focal points, like your ceremony arch. They may also work with you on choosing attire for your bridal party, parents, and even the style of dress or suit you should wear according to your wedding day theme.

A wedding decorator can also potentially save you money. They have access to decorations and materials that they can get at a discount. They also take care of all the materials for you so you aren’t stuck with 50 glass vases or 150 placemats after your wedding is over.

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Do You Need to Hire Both?

All wedding planners and coordinators make sure your décor is executed according to your preferences, but not all planners actually help you plan the décor. It’s important to ask your wedding planner if planning décor is a service they offer.

If they don’t, you may choose to plan the décor yourself. This is a good option if you have a very specific vision and you want the control of doing it yourself. However, if you want some help making sure all of your wedding day details look cohesive, you may want to hire a wedding decorator in addition to a wedding planner. They can work together to make sure everything looks perfect and your day unfolds exactly the way you envision.

It’s also possible to hire a wedding decorator without hiring a planner or a coordinator. They can help you meet with vendors and make sure no detail of your day is overlooked. They can help you decorate the day-of as well, but it means you’ll have to entrust a friend or family member with coordinator duties on your wedding day.

Whether you choose to hire a wedding planner, a wedding decorator, or both depends on your personal preferences and your budget. But, now you know what they do so you can make the choice that’s right for you!