20 Crucial Questions to Ask Wedding Planner

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There are a lot of details that go into a wedding and at times it can be overwhelming. One of the simplest methods you can use is to hire a wedding planner to help relieve you of all the stress, and to make sure you have all the preparations attended to. However, choosing the right one can be a task in itself. Here you will find all the crucial questions you need to ask wedding planner to help you find the perfect fit.

20 Questions to Ask Wedding Planner

Are you available on the date of the wedding?

Knowing this is one of the first questions you will want to ask. If your date is still flexible, then you can ask what date works best for them if it is someone you really want to work with.

What do you typically charge for a wedding?

You definitely want to make sure the wedding planner is within your budget. Know if they have a minimum fee, so you can better determine if you will be able to afford their services. Typically wedding planners will charge about 15% of your overall wedding budget. You can also ask if they would be willing to work part time, so you can better afford them.

How many weddings to you typically plan a year?

You will know about their experience and this can tell you how many weddings they have actually planned. Some may have only done a few weddings, but may have experience in planning large events or as an assistant wedding planner. Know what roles they have played in each of the planning scenarios to help you better determine whether choosing them or not.

Will you be working on any other weddings at the same time as ours?

You want to be assured that they will be able to give you the attention you deserve and need, even though most wedding planners will work on more than one wedding at the same time. You can also ask how many people they have on their team to assist and the location of the other weddings they will be handling along with yours.

Are you familiar with our wedding location?

This is one of the questions to ask wedding planner that can be a bonus if they are familiar with where you wedding will be held. They will already have an idea of the layout, policies and procedures that need to be followed for holding your wedding there. You can also ask to see pictures of the weddings or events they planned to get a better idea of what they can do.

How do you choose the vendors you work with? How will we be a part of this selection? Do your vendors offer any discounts to couples?

If your wedding planner has regular vendors they work with such as caterers, DJs or table and chair rentals or decorators, they can usually get you a discount for the referral. Ask for names of the professional vendors they typically work with so that you can do some of your own research to see if they are the best to work with.

Do you coordinate deliveries, rentals, set up times and other meetings with various vendors on the wedding day?

This should be on your list of questions to ask wedding planner to help you know how much of the arrangements you will need to handle and what they will handle. Some planners may take on the role of coordinating the day of details, while others may only serve as a consultant. You will want to know how involved they will be in these details to know if you should hire another coordinator to help.

What is one of the most memorable weddings you have planned?

You want to know their style and they will most likely be able to provide specific details or even photos of some of the best weddings they have planned. You can take note of what you like and do not like about some of these details to decide if you will be able to match up with her or him.

What are the biggest problems you have encountered when planning a wedding? And how do you stay calm under the pressure?

You want to know how they handle the stressful moments and if they have a backup plan in place when things go astray. This question will help you get a better sense of their organizational skills and the steps they take to solve the problems that arise in the planning process and on the wedding day.

How often will we be in touch and what is the best way to contact you? Will you also accompany us to important meetings?

You want to know how and how often you keep touch with each other. This is one of the questions to ask wedding planner for a general outline through the planning process. Some will send emails and do a follow up call to go over any meeting, while others will wait to fill you in all at once. Knowing how they prefer to be contacted will give you a better idea of how they will work with you through the process.

Do you offer a flat rate and what do you charge for in addition to this rate?

Some planners will offer a planning package that will include all the planning details. If they offer a flat rate, you will want to know what is included in this, usually attending the rehearsal dinner or planning a day after the wedding brunch may not be included in this rate. Know what your planners billing method is so that you won't have additional expense you didn't budget for.

Can you help us stay within our budget?

A good wedding planner will know how to stay well within your budget and can offer a number of vendor referrals to get you some major discounts. If the planner is not willing to discuss discounts or how they can stretch your budget, it is a good sign you may not want to work with them.

What is the typical size wedding you plan for?

Your wedding planner may have a significant amount of experience planning small intimate weddings, but if you are having a large wedding, they may not know how to handle the size well. You want to make sure your wedding planner has the experience in pulling off a wedding of your size.

Do you have a team that you work with?

This can be one of the most important questions to ask wedding planner, if they have already mentioned they will be working on another wedding while also planning yours. You want to make sure your planner can handle all the details of your wedding responsibly and be there on the day of.

Do you specialize in the design or coordination of the weddings?

If you need a wedding planner that is more skilled at the design details or in the coordinating of the events, you want to choose one that specializes in that specific area. If, on the other hand, you need an equally balanced wedding planner who can manage both aspects, you will want to hold off until you find one that is capable of all these duties.

Do any ideas come to mind for pulling off the vision we have for our wedding?

They may not be able to go into all the little details of your day, but most experienced wedding planners will be able to automatically think of some ideas to bring your vision to life. You want to make sure they are listening to your vision and that you can work together to create your dream day.

How do you ensure that everyone sticks to the schedule planned out?

Your wedding planner should assist in creating a schedule outlining everything that needs to be taken care for your big day as well as on the big day. This includes vendors, bridal parties, family and friends. You want to get an idea of their systems for creating and sticking to a schedule to ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible.

Do you have insurance?

This is one of the crucial questions to ask wedding planner that many couples neglect to ask. You want to make sure you are protected throughout the planning process in case anything was to happen to the planner while working with you by knowing what types of insurance they have and what exactly it covers. Actually, a number of venues will require that all professionals you work with have liability insurance.

Do you have testimonials or references that we can contact?

Most wedding planners will be happy to supply you with the names and numbers of the most recent couples they have worked with. If you planner is hesitant or does not offer any references, you will most likely not want to work with them.

How well will you work together?

This isn't a question to ask the wedding planner particularly, but is one you will want to ask yourself. You will spend a significant amount of time with them and be in constant contact, so if you feel your personalities will not line up, you will want to choose another planner.