8 Jobs Wedding Planners Don't Do

Sometimes planners seem to be elusive to those getting married. We do a lot to help you get through your process and day but we have also been asked to do a few positions we don’t always have time to complete. If you are in need of these positions at your big day let us know and we will set you up with the right peeps!

1. Your Bouncer or Security Guard

I know I’m scary looking, however, our job requires us to remain mobile and attentive to you and your hired vendors. If people are acting rowdy, my five-foot self is only so intimidating to intoxicated groomsmen. However, we will happily find a security company to assist you if you are worried about unruly guests!

Photo by: Ashley Benham Photography — Photo by: Whit Photography

2. Your Errand Gal

I have been known to be a gal Friday and get whatever you need done, however we are needed at the venue location(s) to be able to manage all of the goings on and aren’t able to run all of the errands. We wish we could be in a million places and doing a million things at once but it isn’t always possible and needs to be thought through before your big day. We ask in our detail tracker about who is bringing what, and who is doing what service to help you think through everything and make sure it is covered!

3. Your Last Minute DIYer

If you need help with your DIY projects please let us know, we can possibly offer assistance or guidance to get it done. However, there really isn’t a ton of time on the day of to finish any forgotten projects. We want you to have everything you dreamed of but if it isn’t complete before the day of we can’t promise that we will have time to get it done.

Photos by: Jackie McGinnis Photo

4. Your 24 Hour Call Center

We have office hours like any other profession. We love our couples to no extent but we also have to sleep and have some family time. Unless it is an emergency (which I don’t know of too many wedding emergencies) email us and we will respond first thing in the morning!

5. Your Psychiatrist

We end up doing a lot of mediation during the planning process, and love that you come to us for help! However, weddings have the potential to bring out a lot of family and friend conflicts. Sometimes it’s beyond our guidance and you may want/need a real therapist.

6. Your Clean Up Crew

I have some good cleaning skills when it comes to getting up dog hair - dog owners understand the struggle - but we walk about 20-30k steps during a wedding and by the end, our energy is wiped. We make sure your personal items are packed away and safely in the possession of a dedicated friend or family member. But sweeping and mopping are generally the responsibility of the venue, a hired company, or your family and friends.

7. Your Magicians

I’ve been able to pull off some crazy ideas and make the impossible possible. But unfortunately our letter never came from Hogwarts. We can make some awesome suggestions for making the most of your budget, but your pinterest wedding may not be attainable. As long as you have realistic expectations, we can do a lot with most budgets!

8. Other Vendors

I always advise my clients to hire full-on, professional service vendors and not a “friendor”. Hiring a friend can go wrong, because they usually don’t understand what their role means at a wedding - making wedding planners have to deal with the aftermath of a job not completed.

Wedding planners are not:

Catering staff

The catering staff at a wedding does more than just drop off the food. Dealing with food by maintaining the proper temperature, serving, cleaning up, bussing tables, and displaying it is an art in itself and is happening while pictures are being taken, the ceremony space is being set up, and guests are arriving. It takes a licensed and qualified team to complete these tasks and we want to make sure you have the best on your side.

Photographers

Us artsy gals probably really enjoy taking pictures on our phones, but photographers are highly skilled in their craft - working their camera equipment in different lighting, editing, and being able to select the perfect poses for your wedding party, family, and so much more. I’ve been asked a few times if we can let a photographer leave and have someone else take pictures, but honestly, that is not a good idea and the answer is no. Most photographers have in their contracts that they are the sole photographers for the event. If you change photographers midstream, you won’t have consistency and you want to have a cohesive gallery of your big day. Also, we don’t take the place of a second shooter, although you may need one. As a planner, we can’t miraculously make a photographer be in two places at once, fill in to help find the right pose, hold items, or equipment in the midst of a busy timeline. Heed our advice if we suggest extra hours or an extra photographer to make the most of your wedding photographs.

Venue manager

The venue manager knows the ins and outs of the wedding venue and unless I’ve been there before, I will be in the dark (literally, if we can’t find the light switches)! They assist with: unlocking the venue, lighting, temperature, sometimes set up and tear down, locating items, etc. We can’t fulfill the role of the venue manager and most venue managers can’t fill the role of a coordinator.

Florist

Some of us are florists as well as planners, but not every wedding planner is a floral designer. If you do not hire us for florals, we aren’t liable for the florals or floral design. Expecting us to fill the role of a florist, or assisting another, on the day of the wedding without hiring us for that position is something I’ll have to nip in the ~bud~ real quick. I love flowers and am always willing to lend a hand if I have a moment, but we charge based on the scope of work and don’t generally have the time or manpower to jump in at a moment’s notice to put together bouquets or make major floral adjustments.

DJ/Emcee

Your DJ not only provides the equipment, lighting, and music, but they are usually the emcee of the evening (unless otherwise discussed). DJ’s set the tone for the party! Be sure, whoever you hire, knows what is expected of them. A planner is not always fabulous at making announcements or changing the music - my skills lie in organizing and executing an amazing event, not mixing a beat!

I do my best to make sure each vendor shows up day-of and at the time they are scheduled to be there. You best bet, if they are a no-show, that I’ll make a bunch of phone calls to ensure their arrival, so I don’t have to take on a vendor’s role. We were hired for one thing and one thing only - to be the wedding planner.

Wedding planners are also not:

Jennifer Lopez in The Wedding Planner

Come on, the movie is a bit unrealistic about what wedding days are actually like for the wedding planner! Jennifer Lopez seemed to handle every job imaginable and do it with so much perfection, grace, and elegance (while in heels, nonetheless)! However, wedding planning is not as glamorous as she made it seem - but how nice would it be if it truly were?!

A wedding planner is there to make your big day go as smoothly and as flawlessly as possible. This list should give you a better understanding of what a wedding planner is not and where our actual responsibilities lie. Let’s be real though, wedding planners often go above and beyond their contracted duties anyway - out of love for our client and our job! However, these guidelines are important to keep in mind so your expectations of what a wedding planner does match the reality of what we can provide.

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