Picking a Planner

So you’ve made the decision to hire a wedding planner and you’ve narrowed down your search through referrals and research. What’s next? You’ll first want to place a quick call to the business and ask about the availability for your date. Once you’ve confirmed the date is open, you’ll want to act fast. Here are some quick and easy basics to ensure you’re asking the right questions to get those necessary answers.

Purpose

The first thing to think about is what purpose the wedding coordinator will serve in your premarital life. Do you want someone to help you create your perfect day by planning those details with you or do you just need someone to take charge on the day of your wedding? Take time to make a list of your expectations and needs so you can discuss them with the prospective planner.

Price

Just as with everything else you’re planning for your wedding, decide on a budget. While it will be important to understand the cost associated with hiring someone for one thing or another, the value of the services is equally as important. Remember that your time and stress is worth something, too!

Personality

While it is important to like the person you are hiring, personality extends a bit further. Your wedding planner is someone that will need to communicate your ideas and expectations on the day of your wedding, hold the bottom-lines on budgets and be respectful, responsible, and reliable. Does the potential planner respond to your calls or emails in a timely fashion? Do they seem to understand your vision for your wedding? Are they too agreeable or shooting things down? Have they taken time to ask about budgets and offered advice? This person will be fielding questions and fixing issues as a stand-in for you, so make sure you feel like the planner is a good fit.

Portfolio

While some people don’t feel comfortable asking for referrals, getting someone else’s opinion on a vendor is really important. This enables you to have a clearer idea of their strengths or areas of question. Ask previous clients if there were any issues that arose during the process. Did they know of every hiccup as it happened, or were they unaware and worry-free until after the day ended? Inquire about the communication style, the visibility on the day of, the vendor’s impression of working with the planner, and most of all, if they would hire the planner again.

Paperwork

Each wedding planner will have detailed contract showing the scope of work. The more detailed, the better! You want to know exactly what services are being provided. Don’t be afraid to ask for written clarification or modification. Make sure that any changes are made to the original document and signed by both parties.