TOP 10 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR WEDDING PLANNER

When it comes to picking a wedding planner, there are a lot of things you need to consider.

Weddings can be very hectic to plan on your own and there are many moving pieces. It's nice to have someone on your side helping you manage all of that. But hiring the wrong wedding planner can be disastrous.

Ultimately, the person you choose not only needs to be good at their job but also good at communicating with you specifically. That means it needs to be a good personality fit.

Aside from that communication match, here are some excellent questions to ask your wedding planner:

1 - How do you charge - flat fee, hourly or percent of budget? 

Some might even do a hybrid. It's good to know what you're getting into before signing anything. You want to find someone that fits your budget.

2 - When is the final payment due?

An important note that you'd rather have now than later.

3 - What's the deposit and when is it due?

Financial stuff can cause problems. You don't need any completely avoidable problems while planning your wedding. Take care of this upfront so everyone is comfortable moving forward quickly. 

4 - Do we pay vendors directly or do you handle those?

Good to get this detail set. You don't want to leave this up in the air and have something not delivered for the wedding because nobody paid the vendor.

5 - Do you also plan the events surrounding wedding (ie: rehearsal dinner)?

If you're going to be planning the other events, best to know now so you can start that planning.

6 - What parts are we solely responsible for? 

Leave no room for things to be left undone. Cover all the bases so you can rest easy.

7 - Have you planned any other weddings at our site?

If they have worked at your venue before, they will be familiar with the staff, how the day will run best, and the layout. See if you can see other photos of weddings they have planned for good ideas.

8 - How many times do you typically meet with clients?

Good to get a gauge of how involved the planner likes to be. Maybe they are super hands-on. Maybe they prefer a less active role guiding you through the process. Figure that out so you know whether or not they are a good fit for you.

9 - What is your preferred method of contact?

If they like text, but you email and wonder why it takes days to get a reply... you should've asked this upfront to avoid the breakdown of communication. Get on the same page from the start.

10 - Do you have references I can check?

You'll want to call their references to get a feel for how someone else felt having their event planned and coordinated by the planner you're considering. Better to find out through a reference if there's something you didn't catch in the interview.

What do you think? Did we leave one off that you would want to have answered?