Finding a suitable person to whom you will trust with planning one of the most intimate days of your life is a very daunting task. You want someone who is reliable, responsible, capable and most importantly, someone who "gets" you. The best way to find a wedding planner is to ask your recently married friends, family or coworkers. These people will be the most honest with you when weighing the pros and cons of a wedding planner and whether or not this person is a suitable candidate for you.
The perfect wedding planner will be someone with whom you can be open, honest and comfortable and the feeling should be felt mutually on the other end. Developing a great relationship with this person means they'll be better suited to assist you with planning such an important day.
So let's get to it. A PDF version of what questions you should ask your potential wedding planner is available here, but I've made a summary below as well.
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| *Image sourced from BHLDN (Gown: Zinnia) |
INTERVIEWING YOUR WEDDING PLANNER.
The Basics.
- How long have they been working in the wedding planning industry and how did they get started?
- If this is their own business, did they build it from scratch?
- Is this their full-time or part-time job? If they only do this part time, what is their other job?
TIP You will want someone who is going to be available for you at all times. If they only work part time at planning weddings, they may not be able to assist with or attend all necessary meetings/items. Make sure this will not present any issues when they are planning your wedding.
- What did they do prior to becoming a wedding coordinator?
- On average how many ‘full-service’ vs. ‘wedding day only’ weddings do they personally coordinate and attend each year?
- What is the largest wedding they have ever planned?
- Ask them to walk you through a typical wedding timeline and how they participate.
- What was the best wedding they have ever managed? Why was it the best wedding? And similarly, what was the most difficult wedding they have ever managed and why?
- What type of formal training have they had and are they a member of any major bridal or wedding planning associations?
The Planning Process.
- Are assistants or event managers brought to the wedding or included during the planning process? Is there an an additional charge for these assistants or is it worked into the cost?
- If they fall ill or cannot come to the wedding for some unforeseen reason, who will stand in? Can you meet that person?
- Is there a charge for the initial meeting and if so, is it applied to the cost of coordination should you agree to move forward with their services?
- Do they have preferred vendors with which you should be working? If so, do they accept commissions, kickbacks or professional discounts from any of these preferred vendors?
- Do they offer any other services than wedding planning? (ie. invitations, cake, etc.)
TIP Often a package deal can work in your favour from both a planning and organizational aspect, but be sure to do your research as you don’t want to be overpaying for these services, or losing out on quality. There is a reason why vendors specialize in one area – it is their area of expertise!
- What can clients expect from them and vice versa, what do they expect from their clients?
- Who signs the vendor contracts? Do you pay them the fee for the entire event and then they in turn pay each vendor or do you contract with vendors separately?
- Do they make initial contact with all referred vendors and check price and availability or do they act as a concierge and provide a list of vendors for you to call?
- Will they be present at all vendor meetings?
- Request that they describe some problems they’ve had with vendors not fulfilling their contracts and how it was handled.
TIP If someone tells you that they have never had an issue with any vendor or wedding, dig a little deeper. It’s impossible to satisfy people one hundred percent of the time and in order to grow your business and your capabilities failure is inevitable and hopefully learned from.
- Do their services include help with design of the overall theme, decor and flow of the wedding ceremony & reception?
The Wedding Day.
- How many hours are they on site the day of the wedding?
- Do they participate in and guide the setup and tear down including all of the personal items that you have planned? (ie. favours, guest book table, etc.)
- Will they be present for the rehearsal in the days before the wedding and will they help with the processional and recessional the day of?
The Fine Print.
- What is their coordination fee?
- Do they have travel or expense fees?
- What is the billing process like? Do they charge by the hour, a flat rate or a percentage of the overall budget?
- How are the payments structured and when are they due?
- What is the amount of the initial deposit?
- What is the refund policy in case of cancellation?
- With what will they not assist?
- Will a detailed budget outline be provided?
Things to Consider.
- Has the wedding coordinator addressed your personal concerns satisfactorily?
- Do you feel they are capable of fulfilling your needs and is this someone you would be comfortable around for a long period of time?
- Contact their references.
TIP While it may feel a bit awkward to call a stranger, it can be invaluable to have an outside opinion on a potential wedding coordinator/planner.
- Review the available packages. Do they include everything you need?
To save a copy of this list of questions to ask your wedding planner, click here.
For more wedding planning resources, click here.
