Image Courtesy of Sophia Barrett Studios
When looking for a wedding planner, you need to ask more in-depth questions than the cost of services. Far too often, I’ll get an email inquiry asking about services and pricing, just to get a response that I’m out of budget. Even if that’s the case, you should do a little more inquiring to know and understand what you’re getting for the price. There are a lot more questions to ask when hiring a wedding planner and I’m going to share my top 7 with you so that you can be better prepared when interviewing wedding planners for your big day!
Is the planner certified? I have gone to school to become a Certified Wedding & Event Planner and continue mastering my craft with wedding conferences, seminars, and webinars. The industry is constantly changing and one of the first things we learn is to never become complacent.
Is the planner insured? I carry two policies, one being a general liability and the other a professional liability. Just like I protect my home and car, I protect myself against anything that could potentially happen on your wedding day. If something were to happen to something that you had to rent for your wedding day, I’m able to cover it under my policy and I’ve been able to add venue and larger items such as venues and Cadillac car bars as riders on my policy.
Image Courtesy of Inije Photography
Does the planner have a full-time job while planning full time? I used to be a planner that held down a full-time job while building my business. While I was good at jugging both full-time responsibilities seamlessly, not everyone can handle the stress of both worlds so easily. If your planner has a full-time job, ensure that he or she can devote adequate time to planning your wedding and the stressors of their career. After all, you’re hiring a wedding planner because you’re too busy and your job is too stressful. Right?
Image Courtesy of Sophia Barrett Studios
How much experience does he or she have? Are you meeting with someone that has just planned their own wedding and now wants to plan yours? Will they be learning on your dime? Becoming a skilled wedding planner takes time; a lot of time. I worked with my mentor almost four years before launching Enraptured Events. I learned to master the art of logistics, work with a well-choreographed staff and team of vendors, all while honing my creativity.
Are they using someone else pictures on their website or social media outlet? If they haven’t had their company or been in the industry long enough, it’s not uncommon for a new planner to “borrow” a more established planner’s images as use as their own. You want to make sure that they have a proven track record that they can easily produce via reviews or references.
What happens when Plan A becomes Plan B? Inevitably, something will not go according to plan, regardless of how well and thought out the plans are. We can’t predict the weather, people, and things go wrong from time to time. An experienced planner takes control of the situation and deals with it. If you choose to enlist a family member or hire someone with not as much experience, you could be adding more stress to your wedding day.
Image Courtesy of Made You Look Photography
Do they have vendor relationships to help realize the wedding of your dreams? Being an experienced wedding planner comes with the adding benefit of building and cultivating relationships with some of the best people in the industry. Often times we can call upon at the last minute, late at night, and get things done in a manner that may be a bit for difficult without having that relationship.
Cost is important but should not be in the top three consideration of whether you want to work with a particular planner or not. You want to make sure you’re able to mesh well with the planner, find one that will go to bat for you when it’s time to stand up for you in your absence, one that will be responsive, and one whose creative vision is in line with your own and the services that they provide. These questions to ask when hiring a wedding planner will help get you started on the right path to choosing the best wedding planner for your big day!