Please learn what to ask a wedding planner, which can be simplified into four categories. Instead of listing hundreds of questions; we’ll go through the four main ones that are important to ask this essential wedding vendor.
These four categories will ensure that your meeting with the planner will cover everything you need for the wedding. And for additional reference, you can also familiarize yourself with the questions to ask when planning a wedding.
4 Best Questions You Must Ask A Wedding Planner
Ask about your wedding date
Question: Will you be available for my wedding date?
The first question to ask the wedding planner is if they can do the wedding you planned on a specific date. This is important regardless if your wedding lands during peak wedding season or not.
Remember that a wedding planner will work with you early on until the wedding date. If they are not available in the months leading to your wedding, you might not efficiently plan for the event.
Alternatively, some couples who have not decided on a wedding date yet also make a reverse approach where they’ll secure a wedding planner on the date the vendor is available. Then, they’ll set the wedding appropriately, especially if they want to work with this specific wedding planner only.
Discuss your budget with the wedding planner
Question: What is your budget for our wedding?
Before scheduling meetups with wedding vendors, you will sit down with your partner and discuss your budget for the wedding. This is important to know beforehand because it will give the wedding planner an idea of if what you want for the wedding is workable.
You will also find out if you must compromise, adjust, or change some wedding elements to fit within your budget. Furthermore, knowing your wedding budget will allow you to shortlist different wedding planners and help you find the one you’ll work with.
Do not be tempted to go over your budget to fit any planner’s package and service rate, mainly when you are limited with finances. It’s still possible to find a wedding planning rate that will suit your budget.
Learn the services for the wedding
Question: What are the services you offer?
After you find the wedding planner available for your schedule and budget, you must clarify everything regarding their services. Don’t be afraid to ask for a breakdown of what they offer to know what you can expect from them.
Most couples opt for full-service planning, which is the priciest, but the advantage is the planner would handle everything regarding wedding decisions, vendors, and other elements. But if you can’t pay for this type of service, there are also wedding planners who will execute the responsibilities on the month of the wedding day.
The wedding planner will only need to communicate and confirm with the vendors you’ve already booked yourselves. Just clarify if the planner will also be involved with the rehearsal and post-wedding activities.
Clarify the inclusions
Question: What are the inclusions in your package?
Wedding planners vary in the packages they offer. Therefore, you must know the services and inclusions you’ll have to avoid booking unnecessary vendors or potentially buying wedding items that the wedding planner will already handle.
For example, will you only need to pay through the wedding planner to book all the wedding vendors, or you’ll get contracts with multiple people? You can also ask how long the planner will be involved with the creative aspects of the wedding, scheduling, set-up, and breakdowns.
And of course, clarify the planner about their contract, payment method, and if they’ll also bring other people with them to work on your wedding. Clarifying these things should avoid potential misunderstandings and help you stay within your budget.
Will you be the one searching for vendors? Here is the ultimate wedding vendor checklist!
When Should You Talk To Your Wedding Planner?
The best time to book your wedding planners is around 12 months before the wedding. It may seem too early, but remember that wedding planning takes multiple months.
This applies to those who are hiring a wedding planner for full service, where the planner helps with everything from the wedding concept, finding vendors, and other wedding needs. On the other hand, you can hire a wedding planner much later if you only need them to oversee the responsibilities for the wedding that you’ve started.
There are also day-of wedding planners that some venues offer. You will communicate with this short-term wedding planner during your wedding and let them handle the vendors and other wedding duties.
Are Wedding Planners Negotiable?
Wedding planners can be negotiable, especially if you’re upfront with your wedding budget beforehand. Furthermore, the planner will negotiate with other wedding vendors for you to ensure that you can stay within your financial capacities.
However, do not haggle with the wedding planner too much that it’s unreasonable. Instead, be realistic with the service you want, especially if the planner is being generous with discounts.
Conclusion
And that’s it! To recap what to ask a wedding planner, start with their availability, your wedding budget, their services, and package in inclusions.
These four categories can also lead to more questions. Overall, don’t hesitate to inquire and ask everything you want to clarify to the planner.