Planning a wedding can be a long, and intensive, experience. That’s why many couples choose to hire a professional wedding planner, instead of completely going it alone!
Having a pro in your corner helps to make the planning process more manageable, and ensure that your wedding day is everything you hoped it would be. But hiring a wedding planner is, in itself, a difficult a decision.
All wedding planners are not created equal, and you want to be certain that you have found a professional who is up to the task, and has the experience needed to plan the perfect wedding.
Most of all, you want to find a wedding planner who works well with the both of you, and who fully understand what you want for your big day. So, before you sign a contract with a professional wedding planner, remember to ask these ten important questions.
1. How Will You Stay in Contact?
There are a lot of decisions to make when planning a wedding, and you need to keep in close contact with your wedding planner. Before you hire anyone, ask how they handle the lines of communication. Will they keep in touch by email or phone? Will you get weekly or daily updates? And most importantly, can they be reached any time you have a question or concern?
2. What Services Do They Offer?
Again, not all wedding planners are created equal. Some offer more extensive services than others, and you want to be sure the person you hire can handle all of your planning needs. Some wedding planners offer comprehensive packages, and handle every aspect of the wedding from start to finish, including bridal showers and rehearsal dinners.
Others offer task specific packages, leaving much of the basic planning to the couple, and simply handling coordination and last minute arrangements. Before you hire a wedding planner, be sure they are offering the services you want and need.
3. Do They Work With a Team?
It is important to know if your wedding planner works a lone, or with a larger team. If they work alone, will they be able to handle all of your wedding details? If they work with a team, will you be communicating directly with them or with their assistants, and how much of the planning will be delegated to subordinates?
Our team staff at Belvedere is ready to answer all your questions!
4. What Experience Do They Have?
This is an important question, because you want to hire a wedding planner with a solid background and enough hands on experience to ensure that your wedding is a success. Ask for referrals from previous clients, and don’t be afraid to pass on a planner who hesitates to supply you with those testimonials.
Also, ask for a list of their favorite wedding vendors. Those vendors can give you a lot of insight into how professional and organized your prospective wedding planner is, or isn’t.
5. Do They Have a Set List of Vendors?
Many wedding planners have a list of vendors that they work with on a regular basis. This can be good and bad. On the upside, long term relationships with wedding vendors can often lead to discounts for the client.
On the downside, those vendors may not be able to meet your expectations, or match your wedding theme. Ask for a list of preferred wedding vendors, and check them out.
6. How Budget Conscious are They?
Your wedding planner will be spending your money, and unless you have a bottomless bank account you want to know that they can keep to a strict budget. Again, ask about their relationships with their preferred wedding vendors, and if they can secure any discounts.
Talk frankly about your budget, and gauge their responses. If they seem unconcerned with your financial stake, move on to a new candidate.
7. Do They Specialize?
This harkens back to your wedding planner’s experience. You want to find a wedding planner who has had experience staging weddings similar to yours, in both size and theme. A wedding planner with extensive experience staging large church weddings may not be the best match for a couple planning a quirky intimate wedding.
Similarly, a wedding planner that specializes in large extravagant weddings may not be able to work effectively with a smaller budget. Quiz them about their experience, and the types of weddings they excel at, and match that against your own vision.
8. Will They Be There at The Service?
The major advantage of hiring a wedding planner is that they will be on hand to handle any emergencies that may crop up on the big day. Before signing a contract, ask your wedding planner if they intend to be with you on your wedding day to handle any last minute arrangements.
A good wedding planner should be on hand throughout the day, helping with arrangements before, during, and after the ceremony. They should also be prepared to handle any post-wedding tasks, like paying vendors, returning rented items, and cleaning up the reception hall.
9. What Do They Charge for Their Services?
Unfortunately, even weddings have budgets and you need to know what your wedding planner charges for their services. Some charge a flat fee or an hourly rate, while others expect to be paid a percentage of the total cost of the wedding. Before you sign a contract, ask about costs and request an itemized list of all services and attendant fees.
Ask how much of a deposit is required, and how and when the balance is due. You should also ask any potential wedding planners about their refund policies, in the event your wedding has to be postponed or cancelled.
10. Finally, a Question to Ask Yourselves
Finally, before signing any contract, there is a question you must ask yourselves. “Can you work well with this wedding planner?” This is important.
Planning a wedding is labor intensive and stressful, and you need to be sure that you are in sync with your wedding planner. If your personalities don’t mesh, you will find the whole process frustrating and you are likely to end your wedding day on a sour note. If either of you don’t feel you can work well with someone, move on and interview another wedding planner.
The right wedding planner can help to alleviate some of the stress associated with planning a wedding. But to find the right wedding planner, you need to ask the right questions. If you’re in the market for a professional wedding planner, keep these ten questions in mind.
Have more questions? Email us directly using info@belvederebanquets.com and we look forward to hearing from you!
