At The Farm at Willowbrook and JPC Event Group, we know that wedding planning can be daunting at times with the mountain of decisions and selections there are to make, as well as creating a cohesive reflection of your wedding dreamscape.  And also that the “behind the scenes” world of wedding planning is not a universe most brides exist within and therefore appreciate as much education as possible to ensure a great experience on their wedding day.  Because of this, we try to be an advocate for our clients by providing information and knowledge to help you in your decision making process to ensure a smooth wedding day.  That said, one of the concerns that seems to arise frequently among wedding couples is the question “Do we need a wedding day coordinator?”  Many couples write to us for our opinion on the matter due to the fact that JPC provides a Venue Coordinator for each wedding at the farm and they then feel that means they should not need any additional coordination services.

Dave DiCello

By definition, a Venue Coordinator is not a wedding planner.  The job of the venue coordinator is to plan your space diagram and table layout with you for the ceremony and reception locations, design a delicious catering menu with you for all in attendance to enjoy, oversee set up of the space from an equipment stand point, coordinate vendor delivery times into the space and assist if they need anything during their delivery, order linens and apply them to your tables, oversee the food service aspect of the day, assist with any venue related needs {electricity, bathroom, elderly or disabled guest transport from the parking area}, adherence to the venue policies and guidelines, and that the space is properly closed at the end of the night. 

In contrast, a Wedding Coordinator works solely for you, not the venue.  It is their job to anticipate your needs, assist with décor or DIY projects as covered in the scope of their contract with you, ensure your day flows seamlessly, liason between you and your third party professionals providing services at your event, and attend to the personal needs of you and your family.  Additionally, they often assist with seating charts, ceremony coordination to ensure everyone is in the right place at the right time, photography assistance in gathering the proper family and friends at the right spot for your photographer to be able to do their job in a timely and creative manner without having to focus on finding people, and a host of other things from attending to your personal belongings at the end of the event, to sending off the last guest in the hotel shuttle. 

At The Farm at Willowbrook, our preferred Event Planning and Coordination professional is the team at Garnish Event Design.  They offer a range of services from Full Event Planning to Month of Coordination.  They also offer smaller a-la-carte targeted options like Ceremony Coordination.  We do recommend to our farm clients that they invest in the peace of mind and personal service that an event planner or coordinator can provide.

Rachel Rowland

For more on this often discussed topic, we suggest the following informative reads with a few side notes where our services or experiences differ…..

• Loverly

• Hey Gorgeous Events

• Confetti DayDreams  {*Our venue coordinators DO remain on site throughout the entire event, and also do assist with issues pertaining to drunken guests and situations that might be a liability issue to you as the host, and us as the venue.}
• Bridal Musings  {*The Farm at Willowbrook and JPC Event Group do NOT accept money for placement on our preferred vendor listing. It is solely based upon happy client experiences, and quality of product and services!}