Different roles
A coordinator typically executes within package rules. An independent planner may source outside vendors, manage broader timelines and represent the couple across multiple events.
- Package inclusions
- Outside vendor rules
- Design ownership
- Guest logistics beyond the resort
Worked example: Punta Cana package (US couple)
Roughly 46% of DR air visitors come from the US and about 59% enter via Punta Cana—resort coordinators are built for American group packages, but job still varies by property.
- Coordinator may cover: ceremony setup tier, resort catering, basic florals/music tiers inside the package.
- Often outside job: outside photographer/band, welcome beach party at another property, complex family seating politics.
- Ask: Who owns the wedding-day timeline when a US guest group arrives on staggered Saturday flights?
Worked example: Montego Bay resort (US or UK couple)
Montego Bay-adjacent resorts simplify transfers for US East Coast and UK guests, but package boundaries mirror other Caribbean resort markets.
- Coordinator may cover: resort lawn ceremony, in-house catering, room-block mechanics.
- Independent planner often adds: outside décor teams, Hip Strip guest events, villa after-party coordination.
- Ask: Where does the onsite coordinator stop if you want a live band beyond package tiers?
Questions to clarify job
Ask before assuming the package coordinator is your full planning solution—especially for US multi-event weekends or UK long-haul guest clusters.
- What is included in the coordinator fee?
- Which vendors must be resort-approved?
- Who owns weather decisions?
- How are updates shared while we plan from the US or UK?
Who each person works for
A resort wedding coordinator is employed to run that hotel’s weekly ceremony product. They are excellent at gazebo timing, house florists and not upsetting the banquet chef. They are not hired to argue for your outside photographer. An independent planner is hired by you. That is the whole distinction. Sandals-style complimentary ceremonies make the coordinator path look free; the constraint is what's included, not the quality of the staff.
- Coordinator: hotel contract, hotel vendors, hotel timeline
- Independent planner: your brief, mixed vendors, gaps the hotel will not own
- Travel agents paid by resorts are a third model—useful for rooms, not for production disputes
A simple decision rule
If every event is on one resort, every vendor is on the hotel list, and you will accept the package dinner, start with the coordinator and a very careful read of the contract. If any of those is false, budget independent planning. Matching exists for the second case, not to upsell the first. You pay us to say when the hotel desk is enough—not to invent a second planner.
- One resort, hotel vendors, package dinner: coordinator-led
- Villa, boat, outside band, second venue, or 100+ guests with custom design: independent-led
- Write the split so the day-of does not become a turf war
Package language that hides the coordinator limit
Phrases such as ‘wedding specialist included’, ‘complimentary ceremony’ and ‘preferred vendor list’ describe a hotel product. They do not describe an independent planner. Read who employs the specialist, whose vendors they are allowed to book, and whether an outside band even has a loading dock. Sandals-style and other all-inclusive resorts can be an excellent fit when you want that product. They fail when the couple treats the coordinator as a private planner who will also run a villa rehearsal dinner ten minutes down the road. Write the boundary before the deposit, not after the first no.
- Included specialist = hotel employee unless the contract says otherwise
- Preferred list = hotel’s risk management, not your design brief
- Outside vendor = surcharge, access rules, and often a no
Common questions
Questions couples ask
Is a Punta Cana coordinator enough for a US destination wedding?
Sometimes—for straightforward package weddings with modest customisation. Independent support often matters when you need outside vendors, welcome events or large East Coast guest logistics.
Is a complimentary Sandals or all-inclusive ceremony a bad idea?
No. It is a defined product. It becomes a bad idea when you expect unlimited customisation that what's included never promised.
Can we use both a coordinator and a planner?
Yes, if job is written. The planner should not duplicate the gazebo rehearsal the coordinator already runs. The coordinator should not be asked to source a villa generator.
Who should hold vendor deposits?
Whoever the contract names, with a paper trail. Ambiguity here is how money disappears between a hotel account and a ‘preferred’ DJ.