Wedding Planner vs. Wedding Stylist: What’s the Difference and Who Do You Need

And just like that, questions start rolling in. “Have you picked a venue?” “What’s the theme?” “Do you have a dress yet?”

Meanwhile, you’re deep in your phone, scrolling through Pinterest and its sea of endless boards, saving instagram inspo, and trying to make sense of the unsolicited advice from your mom’s cousin’s hairdresser (who somehow knows alot about florals now) 

Then you start questioning the luxury wedding inspiration you’ve been looking at for hours on social media and wondering “how did they pull that off?” Do you need a wedding planner? A wedding stylist? Perhaps both? 

While their roles sound very similar, maybe you mistook them for the same thing, wedding planners and wedding stylists both take on very different roles. And when combined together, they can take your vision from a wedding fantasy to a fairytale reality, straight out of pinterest. Understanding the difference between the two can save you a lot of time and heartbreak and reduce any misunderstanding. 

Maybe you’ll want both, maybe you only need one, it’s all up to you to decide. At Wedded Wonderland, we’ve made it easier for you by breaking down the difference between a wedding planner and a wedding stylist, who to hire based on your vision and how our complimentary concierge service can connect you with the perfect planner, stylist or both to bring your pinterest inspired wedding to life! 

What Does a Wedding Planner Do?

Consider a wedding planner as an expert event coordinator who manages every aspect of your special days behind-the-scenes operations. A wedding planner keeps everything on track from the moment you secure a wedding date, to the last dance at your reception, a wedding planner keeps everything on track.

Key responsibilities of a wedding planner include:

• Vendor and Logistics Coordination: Planners schedule and communicate with vendors including caterers, photographers and florists you have selected. They help secure permits and rentals and create wedding day timelines to ensure everything goes according to plan. 
• Budget Management: They will develop and oversee your budgets, keeping track of expenses and negotiating with vendors to keep costs on target. 
• Venue Coordination: Planners will work with the venue and discuss layout details such as seating, tables and decor set up. They also ensure the venue staff understand the schedule of your special requests.
• Wedding Day Coordination:  Planners will oversee the setup and execution on the wedding day, making sure everything is running on schedule, handling last minute issues and making sure the event flows seamlessly from start to finish.