19/05/2025
You’re Not an Event Planner Just Because You Have a Phone
The Difference Between Professional Event Planners and Vendor Middlemen
By: Deborah Colleen Rose
Let’s get one thing straight: having a few vendor phone numbers in your contact list doesn’t make you an event planner. It makes you a liaison, maybe even a helpful one. But it does not make you a professional event planner. And while that distinction might sound like semantics to some, to those of us who live and breathe events, the difference is as wide as a paper plate and a porcelain charger.
There’s a growing trend—especially in the DIY and social media-fueled side of the event industry—where individuals take a client inquiry, realize they don’t offer what’s requested, and start calling around to subcontract others to fill in the gaps. Then, they slap the title of “event planner” on their social media bio and roll out hashtags like or .
Let’s call it what it is: outsourcing, not planning.
An event planner is a project architect, a logistics artist, and a client whisperer all rolled into one. They're not just connecting dots—they’re drawing the map, paving the road, and making sure no one falls in a pothole.
Here’s what separates a true event planner from someone just dialing up vendors:
- Comprehensive Visioning: Planners help clients clarify their goals, theme, atmosphere, and intent before a single vendor is even contacted.
- Logistical Expertise: They craft timelines down to the minute, foresee bottlenecks, calculate transition times, and anticipate the thousand ways things can go wrong.
- Budget Management: A planner knows how to allocate funds wisely, negotiate with vendors, and ensure every dollar spent has a purpose.
- Vendor Curation (Not Just Contacting): They don’t just Google “photo booth guy near me.” They vet talent, review portfolios, compare pricing structures, confirm insurance and licenses, and negotiate contracts on behalf of the client.
- Crisis Management: When the cake melts, the DJ flakes, or the power goes out—they don’t just shrug and say, “Well, that vendor wasn’t mine.” They solve it. Fast.
- Design Integration: They make sure the lighting, layout, florals, and mood flow together like a well-composed symphony, not a patchwork quilt of Pinterest ideas.
Calling a florist, caterer, and DJ after your client says, “Can you help me with my wedding?” doesn’t make you a planner. That’s reactionary work. A planner works proactively, with a structured framework, established systems, and a deep well of knowledge to back every choice.
Here’s a metaphor: imagine a bride walks into a bridal salon and asks for a custom-designed wedding dress. The sales associate calls a tailor, a fabric supplier, and a seamstress, then says, “I’m a designer!” No. You’re a middleman. You’re a connector—not a creator.
Clients deserve to know the difference. Hiring someone who doesn’t have a clue how to orchestrate a timeline, handle vendor contracts, or manage day-of chaos can be the difference between a dream wedding and a total train wreck.
When someone misrepresents themselves as an event planner, it doesn’t just hurt the client. It disrespects the craft, the professionalism, and the years of experience that true planners bring to the table.
And for those who are genuine planners? It’s time to hold the line.
If you’re someone who enjoys connecting people, has a good eye for talent, and likes bringing folks together for projects—fantastic. There’s space in the event world for vendor brokers, creative consultants, and project managers. But be clear about what you are—and what you’re not.
And if you want to become a true event planner? Start studying the trade. Learn contracts. Shadow experienced planners. Build timelines. Attend conferences. Get educated in the art and the grind.
Because planning an event isn’t just calling people who do things. It’s doing the thing—all the things—with a level of professionalism that leaves no detail behind.
In Summary:
You’re not an event planner just because you have a vendor list and a can-do attitude. Planning is a discipline. It’s a profession. It’s earned, not declared.
If you’re passionate about the event world, there’s nothing wrong with being a connector or vendor coordinator—those are needed roles. But let’s give each title the respect it deserves, and let clients know exactly what kind of expertise they’re hiring.
Because the best events don’t happen by accident. They’re orchestrated by professionals who’ve studied the rhythm of chaos and turned it into harmony.
