QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR WEDDING PLANNER BEFORE YOU HIRE THEM
You have said ‘YES’ to your perfect match and now the wedding plans begin! Whether you’ve been eyeing the venue, florist, and photographer since you started dating, or you have absolutely no idea of what you want your special day to look like, your wedding day is a time to make memories and celebrate your love and commitment to each other.
I know firsthand (and love!) how many moving pieces come with organizing one of the most memorable days of your life. Perhaps you have a busy schedule and don’t have time to oversee all the details or maybe you’re overwhelmed and just need a pro to help you make some of the decisions; Lindsay Plank Events can do just that.
As you search for a wedding planner who will make your wedding dreams a reality, here are 7 questions to ask your wedding planner before you hire them to help you find the perfect fit.
Are you available on my wedding date?
The first of the questions to ask your wedding planner is obviously the most important. In the early stages of contacting potential planners, it’s important to make the most of your time and also respect theirs by communicating your wedding date. For my potential clients, I request a date on my website form when you make an initial inquiry. If you have greater flexibility with your event date, this could increase your chances of securing your ideal planner.
Can you work with our budget?
Talking about your wedding budget might feel awkward, but it’s one of the crucial questions to ask your wedding planner before you decide to book them. While the cost will likely depend on the level of involvement you’re looking for (e.g. are you wanting event management or full planning & design?), come to your initial consultation with an understanding of your budget, and how much you're willing to spend. I recommend contacting a wedding planner that you like, and set up a consultation! Go over your vision, and expectations from a wedding planner. My rule of thumb is 3-5% of your budget for Event Management and 10-12% for Full Planning Service. Many wedding planners (myself included) display a budget range for different packages on their website.
Questions to ask your wedding planner: What do your services include?
You might want a wedding planner to step in, catch your vision, and plan, design, and coordinate the whole process. Or maybe you just need some assistance during the home stretch. Whichever is the case for you, take the time to define terms with the wedding planner to understand how involved they will be in the process. These are all great questions to ask your wedding planner when inquiring for a Full Planning and Design service to get a feel for how involved they will be:
What do you do to get to know the couple and their vision for their wedding?
How often do you check-in with the couple?
How do you communicate with your clients?
Do you handle booking our vendors?
Will you be handling invitations? Rentals? Etc.?
How many staff will be assisting at the wedding?
Do you provide a timeline to stay on track?
Have you worked at our venue before?
Once you’ve chosen your venue, this is one of those questions to ask your wedding planner that can put your worries to rest and let you trust you’re in good hands. A wedding planner who has worked with your venue before will know the ins and outs of coordinating the event, ensuring the process is seamless for you. They will also understand how to layout the space to give your event the best flow for your event.
How much experience do you have in the event industry?
Another one of the questions to ask your wedding planner is how much experience they have. Every wedding is a unique day filled with the details that tell each couple’s love story, but a wedding planner’s portfolio and testimonials can certainly boost your confidence in their ability to plan yours. LPE has planned weddings for every season, with a diversity of couples and styles in Niagara, Hamilton, the GTA and even along the coasts of Newfoundland. As we discuss your dream day, I bring years of wedding design experience that helps me realize your wedding vision.
How many clients do you take per month? Do you work alone or with a team?
These are excellent questions to ask your wedding planner before you hire them. You want to make sure they can give you the attention you deserve on your special day. Firstly check to see if they work multiple weddings in one weekend. If they do, it’s important to know whether they have a team and who will be the main contact on your wedding day. If you’ve really fallen in love with a wedding planner’s personality, make sure they will be there every step of the way and can give you 100% of their focus.
How do you handle it if something goes wrong?
A wedding planner’s job is to ensure the day goes smoothly so that you can focus on celebrating your love and new life together. This is one of the most important questions to ask your wedding planner. How do they stay organized? What do they do to prevent confusion? How do they prepare if things go wrong? With these questions to ask your planner, their answers will hopefully give you that extra peace of mind that they will handle it professionally. I always come prepared to help things run smoothly down to the smallest detail because I’ve pretty well seen it all! Learn what I keep in my Wedding Day Emergency Kit to be prepared for my clients.
Do you have more questions? Let’s connect!
I love getting to know each couple that comes my way. You can ask me any of these questions - I’d be happy to answer them. Designing and coordinating your wedding day brings me so much joy when I know you are free to enjoy it without worrying about the logistics. If you’d like to connect, you can contact me here to get start.
