What's The Difference Between a Wedding Planner and a Wedding Stylist?

Couples are embracing the guidance of a wedding stylist or a wedding planner more so than ever, with many couples now relying on these experts to help them create the wedding celebration of their dreams.

But, the big question is, "what is the difference between a wedding planner and a wedding stylist?" as we see many couples confused with the two different roles and what each vendor brings to the table.

Do I employ the help of one or the other? Do I need to have both? But isn't a wedding planner and a wedding stylist the same thing?

Wedding details designed by Wedding Stylist *Eliska Lam* of **Ruffles & Bells**.
**Photo By**: Tess Follet

With the guidance of 3 THEODORE experts in this field, we decipher the difference between a wedding planner and a wedding stylist and just which one you need for your big celebration... perhaps you need both.

Kath Chau – Wedding Stylist of Bow Creative | @_bowcreative

In my personal opinion, a planner is someone who is a convenience, as a way to assist you on your wedding planning journey, particularly for time-poor couples, because really, planning a wedding is a full-time job.

A wedding planner is there to help you with all the logistics and all the planning in terms of what you need to get done – the foundation, so to speak. A wedding planner will help you with all you need to do – finding a dress, a suit, a venue, catering and everything in between. Your wedding planner is also there to plan out the flow of your day, from the moment you wake up to the moment the day ends, ensuring the run sheet is perfectly timed so your day runs smoothly and you don't need to worry about a thing.

On the other hand, a stylist isn't a convenience; a stylist is there to make your wedding beautiful. It is very much a role and the primary role of a stylist is to make your wedding beautiful.

Both are confused because they originate from the idea that couples have no idea what is about to happen, and they have no idea how to execute their wedding vision. Both roles as planner and stylist help you to where you want to go.

The planner comes from the view of planning a logistically sound wedding and helps you by creating the whole day for you, but a stylist comes from a different point of view, where they create a very beautiful day for you, they look at your wedding from an aesthetic point of view and create that for you, they don't look at say your music, outfits etc.

Kate Hart – Wedding Planner of Hey Lovers | @heyloversxo

A great way to think about the difference between a stylist and a planner is that a stylist dreams up the vision for your wedding day, pulling together the overall look and feel - whilst a planner manages the execution of that vision and ensures your day unfolds perfectly. Amongst other things, your planner manages and coordinates timelines, logistics, run sheets, contract negotiation and wedding vendor relationships to ensure that the creative vision and the flow of the day itself come together perfectly. A wedding planner focuses on the logistics and practicalities across your wedding planning journey. Full planning even involves helping you choose the perfect vendors based on your personalities, love story, aesthetic goals and budget.

A wedding planner is your chief problem solver on the day, playing a pivotal role as a wedding party, vendor, venue and guest relations concierge of sorts. They're the main point of contact for everyone on the day of your wedding and will do everything they can to ensure the two of you can focus exclusively on blissing out in your love bubble with family and friends.

Eliska Lam – Wedding Stylist of Ruffles & Bells | @rufflesandbells

Think of a wedding stylist as your designer who brings the wow factor to your wedding day. Your wedding designer creates a concept that is reflective of who you are as a couple and visualises the vibe of how everything will look and feel. Styling elements like florals, lighting, table setting and signage are some of the details that are part of your wedding design. These elements are all planned to detail and brought to life - creating a visual and sensual experience to your wedding day.

A wedding planner is your go-to person for all the fundamental things to do with your wedding. Your wedding planner takes care of logistics, budget and your run sheets (and sometimes even helps you coordinate your key vendors) to make sure that your wedding day runs as smoothly as possible so you can be in the moment and focus on what really matters.

Has that helped you differentiate a wedding planner from a wedding stylist?

When it comes to planning your wedding day, we strongly suggest you reach out to both a wedding planner and a wedding stylist to see what each party can bring to the table. Remember, a wedding planner is almost like a personal assistant, helping you find your perfect wedding vendors, making sure everything is confirmed, and ensuring your wedding planning journey runs smoothly and effortlessly. Your wedding stylist will create a celebration for you that makes you walk in and go WOW; all those visually impressive weddings you see on Instagram where the table decor, signage, stationery, ceremony set up are just PHENOMENAL... yes, well, that's the work of a wedding stylist. They are the creative geniuses with mood boards, flowers, and colour palettes in hand... whereas in the hand of a wedding planner, you'll find a clipboard with spreadsheets, calculators and, of course, a phone with a to-the-minute timer running.

Browse THEODORE’S collection of Wedding Planners and Wedding Stylists on our Directory.