Every couple needs someone reliable to lean on when it comes to planning their wedding. Often that means going beyond your family and friends and hiring a professional. Here are 7 tips to consider when interviewing potential wedding planners.
1. A Consultation
Professional wedding planners will offer a consultation so they can get to know you and your wedding vision and determine if they’re a good fit for you, and vise versa.
2. Planner Personality
It’s super important that you find someone whose personality clicks with yours. Just think about how much you’ll be communicating with and seeing this person throughout a potentially stressful wedding planning process. They’re going to be a part of your life in a very saturated way for a short amount of time. So you’ll want to be sure you’re very comfortable with your planner and how they listen to you and speak to you. There should be a solid rapport and an element of trust there.
3. The Planner’s Individual Background or Experience
Each planner has their own unique skillset and some may be better suited to the type of wedding you’re hoping to plan. If you’re very focused on design, colors, and floral—and you know you want help from someone who’s also very visual—it would make sense to choose someone whose background aligns with your needs. Of course, many planners have a diverse body of experience to draw from, but you should try to work with one who also emphasizes the aspects that you think are the most important.
4. What Services Are Included
Spend a little time thinking about what services you’ll need for your wedding, then find a planner who can fulfill those needs. Some planners offer all-encompassing packages whereas some are more a la carte. You may only need a day-of coordinator to help everything run smoothly, or you may prefer an expert to help walk you through every step of the way while planning your big day.
Be honest about what you’re capable of doing and what your strengths and weaknesses may be. For example, if you don’t have time to email all of the vendors because of your work commitments, perhaps you should shop for someone who can handle the communication for you. What’s more, some planners tack on an extra charge for design services, so make sure you know what you’re getting from the start. And some coordinators won’t set up any décor unless it’s explicitly stated in the contract.
5. Response Time
Since communication is key, it’s also important to know what kind of response time you can expect from your planner. This will help reduce or eliminate the stress of wondering about any issues—big or small—as you’re planning. So, be sure to ask potential planners whether you’ll be communicating via phone calls, texts, or emails and how long you should expect to wait for a reply.
6. Simple Honesty
Your bridesmaids can be your “yes” men, but your planner shouldn’t. Find someone who will give it to you straight when it comes to everything from your creative ideas to your budget. You want to work with someone who will keep your expectations realistic while ensuring your vision, not someone who will say or do anything to get your business.
7. Insurance
Although it’s the least romantic aspect of wedding planning, insurance is a must. Make sure your planner has liability insurance. In fact, most high-end resorts or venues require a planner to have it. This maintains the professional aspect of everything and protects everyone involved.
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