Orlando Wedding Planners & Day-of Coordinators

Frequently Asked Questions about Wedding Planners in Orlando

What’s the difference between a wedding planner and a wedding coordinator? 

The only difference between a wedding planner and wedding coordinator is the wording. They often provide the exact same services and packages. It’s more important to distinguish between what wedding services are included in their packages rather than what they call themselves. 

My venue provides a coordinator. Do I still need to hire a wedding planner? 

This is a challenging question and it depends. There are venues that call their staff members your “wedding planner”. It’s important to remember that this person is an employee of the venue which means their recommendations and suggestions are often in the best interest of the venue. Remember that hiring your own wedding planner or coordinator means having someone in YOUR corner to make sure your wants and needs are what happens that day. Some wedding venues offer all-inclusive packages that provide a separate wedding planning company in the package. This would be similar to hiring your own planner. 

How far in advance should we book a wedding planner in Central Florida?

While there may be many wedding planning companies here in Central Florida, the best of the best listed on this page are often booked well over a year in advance, even just for wedding day management packages. 

How many wedding planners should we interview before booking?

We recommend starting the wedding planner interview process by asking your venue if they have any preferred wedding coordinators that they have worked with and had great experiences with. This list should be a starting point but then do your online research – reading reviews, checking their social media, and reading the about pages on their websites. Learn about each company and their planning team so you can narrow down the list to your top three wedding planners to interview before choosing one to book.  

What are a few questions we should ask the wedding planners we’re interviewing?

• What is the scope of the services included in the package that I’m looking at? Really understand what they do 
• What are the ways that you are available to answer my questions – email, text or phone calls? 
• How long do you usually take to respond to questions? 
• If my wedding or any portion of it is outside, how do we handle making a plan B? 
• How long do you stay on the wedding day? Some packages may not include a planner until the very end of the night
• Can you help guide my wedding budget? 
• How do you choose the wedding vendors that you refer us to? 
• What is your favorite moment on your wedding day? 
• Is wedding planning your full-time job? 
• How many weddings have you planned? 

What are some factors we should consider in choosing a wedding planner?

There are a few important factors to consider when choosing a wedding planner. First, what kind of energy do they bring to the planning process? Some planners have a calming spirit while others are high energy. Find the match that you need to stay motivated and can help guide your process. Second, their experience. It’s important to learn about how they handle the challenges and adversaries that happen with planning a wedding. A wedding planner with little experience may not know the best way to execute through wedding day challenges. Another factor to consider would be if they really understand your vision, how well do they listen and can they help guide your planning process to execute what you as the couple wants, not how they see it. It’s your day – and the right planner for you will make sure that you feel that. 

How do we know the wedding planner listed here are reputable businesses?

All wedding planners listed on Wedding Venue Map have gone through a vetting process including venue referrals, a requirement of high-quality recent reviews, a business license, and liability insurance. We require at least one-year of experience and successfully planned weddings before sharing their business with Central Florida engaged couples. 

How much does a wedding planner cost? 

The cost of a wedding planner in Central Florida can be a huge range depending upon the package and amount of time. 

• Month-of wedding planning – average pricing ranges between $1,250 and $1,750 
• Partial wedding planning – average pricing ranges between $3,000 – $5,000
• Full service wedding planning – pricing usually begins around $5,000 and you can expect this service also to be percentage based on your total wedding budget

What does a wedding planner do? 

Engaged couples need to decide what level of service they are looking for from their wedding planner. Full planning packages include help with creating the budget, venue selection, guest list management and more. Partial planning usually begins after the selection of the venue but helps with vendor selection and guidance to keep you on track with your panning. Month-of wedding planning (also known as day-of or wedding day management) includes helping you wrap up all the planning and execute on the wedding day itself. 

Does it matter if my wedding planner is certified?

Not really. There is no one standard of certification for wedding planners. Many planners started their career in weddings working at a venue or built their experience working as a planning assistant. Many of the certifications are a simple online course that takes a few hours. It’s more important to find out your planner’s level of experience and how many weddings they have successfully executed than worry about their certification.