Now that you’ve gotten that ring on your finger and the bridal magazines aren’t offering you the advice you need in terms of planning, we suggest you hire a wedding planner. That daunting to-do list will disappear within seconds of selecting someone else to do your dirty work. After all, your job is to say “I do” and look pretty. You don’t have time to pick the perfect shade of peonies to complement the napkins that are supposed to contrast the table linens. Check out our Essential Questions for Every Bride-WeddingPlannerEdition to hire the perfect life-saver for your wedding day.
Phone Interview (Get a feel for whether this person will work well with your visions/ideas):
1. Do you charge for an initial in-person consultation?
2. Can you explain your role as a wedding planner? What are your primary responsibilities?
3. Will you be able to share professional photos from the weddings of your past clients?
4. What is your price range for a typical wedding? Do you offer different packages/services?
Availability and Booking:
1. Are you available on [insert date(s)] at [insert time(s)], i.e. the wedding date?
2. Do you have any other commitments to cover that weekend or day?
3. How far in advance do we need to book you for the wedding festivities?
4. What is required to book you?
Background and Experience:
1. Can you tell us about your background in wedding planning? Did you receive any training or certification in the field? How long have you been a wedding planner?
2. Do you work on events by yourself or with a team? How many assistants do you have (if applicable)?
3. How many weddings do you handle in a typical month/year?
4. What is the price range/scale of weddings you have worked on? Have you planned an event of our size in a similar time-frame before?
5. Can you e-mail me a link and/or show me a professional portfolio (photos and video) of your work?
6. Has your work been featured or mentioned in any wedding publications or blogs?
7. May I have a list of references and/or see some of your customer and vendor testimonials?
8. What in your opinion is a successful wedding? In your experience, what was the most successful and beautiful wedding you helped plan?
9. What has been your most challenging or difficult wedding planning experience? How did you handle the issues that arose in that wedding?
10. What is required of me as a bride (and/or groom) on your end? What do you see as my responsibilities?
11. To plan the wedding, how frequently will we meet? How many hours do you expect to allot to plan the event(s)?
12. Have you done any weddings at our venue or used any of the vendors/caterers we’ve already selected?
13. Who do you recommend as your preferred vendors for floral arrangements, décor, photography, videography, etc.? Will you refer me to these vendors directly or do you arrange meetings with them?
Packages and Payment:
1. Do you only work with your list of vendors or can I select some I prefer? Do you offer any discounts or incentives in picking from your list of vendors?
2. What do you charge for your planning packages and what services are included (day-of coordination, full service event designing, etc)? Are there any additional charges I should expect aside from the package costs (tack on styling costs)?
3. Is there any way to customize a package to meet my budget?
4. What are some of your ideas in terms of the vision we have described for our wedding?
5. Can I see your written contract?
6. What is the payment format? Is there a reservation fee/deposit? Can we pay in installments?
7. Do we pay other vendors separately or through you?
8. What is your cancellation/refund policy?
Logistics:
{Photo Courtesy Casey Durgin Photography via Natalie and Rahul’s Fusion Wedding}
1. Are you personally at your clients’ weddings from start to finish?
2. What do you typically wear to a client’s wedding event?
3. What happens if you’re sick or unable to attend to the details on the day of our wedding?
4. Is there any advice you can offer in regard to planning the wedding?
5. Will you provide a timeline of the wedding details and a floor plan for the wedding venue?
To begin your search for a wedding planner in your area, check out our red book vendor guide. Remember, you want to hire someone who takes away the stress- not someone who adds to it! Emphasize your desire to stick within your budget and your planner will help you plan the wedding of your dreams (without a ridiculous price tag)!
Feel free to print out Essential Questions for Every Bride-WeddingPlannerEdition to take with you to artist meetings. If you need any help picking other vendors, do check out our guides on venues, decorators, makeup artists, photographers, mehndi and caterers. We’ve got all your wedding bases covered!