Interested in hiring a wedding planner to coordinate all the events on your big day? Get to know them first by asking these important questions before hiring one!

Your engagement is a fun and exciting time—until the wedding planning begins. Simply put, it’s going to be chaotic. This is why having a wedding planner is a wise move.

The wedding planner’s job is to ensure the bride and groom can enjoy their big day instead of stressing over the cake delivery and the flower arrangement. However, hiring the perfect wedding planner is a daunting task. Considering the immense pool of skilled people creating dreamy weddings, it can be challenging to pick one.

Here are 10 questions you and your partner should ask a wedding planner before hiring them.

1. Are You a Certified Wedding Planner?

While a wedding planner doesn’t necessarily need a license or formal degree to take on clients, it’s a good idea to get one that’s certified. One certificate you can look for is from the New York Institute of Art + Design, which is certified by the Association of Bridal Consultants, a wedding planning organization. The American Association of Certified Wedding Planners and Weddings Beautiful are two other prestigious training organizations that produce excellent wedding planners.

Apart from having certificates, they should also be registered as a business, especially if they’re operating independently. Only work with a wedding planner who can provide a business license. This ensures the planner is legal and can give out official paperwork if needed.

To better understand the wedding planner’s certification, ask these questions:

• Did they take any certifications and training? If so, where?
• Can they show you copies of their certifications and business permits?
• If they aren’t certified, how long have they been planning weddings?

2. Do You Have a Professional Portfolio and References?

Many wedding planners have testimonials posted on their websites, giving potential clients an idea of what it’s like to work with them. However, unless you personally know the wedding planner, you should always ask for references. Reputable professionals will be happy to provide past clients’ contact information so you can get feedback directly from them.

You can also ask these questions:

• Do they keep a list of references they give out to potential clients?
• What’s the best way to reach their references?

3. What Has Your Experience Been Like for Past Weddings You’ve Worked On?

Asking about the wedding planner’s past work is a great approach to gauge their competence and whether they can provide the services needed. Here are some specific questions you can ask:

• How many weddings have they handled so far?
• What do they do when they encounter wedding-day hiccups?
• What kind of weddings do they usually take on?

The last question is particularly important as this will determine the capabilities and limits of the wedding planner. For instance, if you’re planning on a large and complex event with more than 100 guests, it’s best not to hire someone brand new to the industry.

4. Are You Available on Our Wedding Date?

If you’ve already finalized the wedding date and secured a venue, this is probably the first and most important question to ask the wedding planner. You need to know the planner’s availability, whether they’re free on the chosen wedding day, and any other key preparation dates. Avoid working with a planner who intends to book those dates with other couples.

If you really want to work with a specific wedding planner but have no dates in mind, you can base your decision on the availability of the planner. It’s also important to ask these questions:

• Will the wedding planner have anything else lined up on the weekend of your wedding?
• What other dates would they be willing to work on?
• Are there other couples interested in booking that same wedding date?

5. What Is the Scope of Your Services?

Different wedding planners offer different services. That’s why it’s important to know exactly what the wedding planner will (and won’t) do from the time you hire them to the moment you walk down the aisle.

Most of the time, planners already have this information on their website. But it’s still a good idea to ask for a breakdown of the services so expectations are set correctly.

Wedding planners typically provide three different services to their clients:

1. Full-service planning consists of practically everything, from budget management to styling.
2. Partial-service planning revolves around consultation and vendor suggestion, as the clients who choose this option already know what they want.
3. Month-of coordination is when vendors are already booked and the planner takes care of the final days leading up to the wedding.

For more insight into what is and is not included in the services, ask these other detailed questions:

• What specific tasks will be left to the couple to plan?
• When will the service begin (i.e, how many days before the wedding)?
• How many meetings will the planner allow, and how often are those meetings?

Afarose Insider Tip: Most wedding planners are now willing to tailor their services to fit your needs and liking. This is still separate from packages they may have already pre-selected for you.

6. What Are Your Rates?

Talking cost is tricky but essential. You must know the wedding planner’s rate so you can stay within your budget, but it’s equally important for the planner to know how much you are willing or able to spend. This will help the wedding planner determine whether they can accommodate your needs.

Most wedding planners will mention the range of their rates on their website to give potential clients an idea. Check this out and determine whether it’s within your budget before scheduling a meeting. As a rule of thumb, allocate around 10% of the total wedding budget for full-service planning.

Here are more detailed questions to ask about pricing:

• Will there be any other costs (for transportation, parking, etc.) on top of the first quote?
• How much will the deposit be, and when does the planner expect to receive it?
• How do the cancellation and refund policies work?

7. What Are Your Payment Terms?

After settling the total cost for the wedding planner’s services, it’s time to nail down the specifics of how that sum will be paid. Some professionals require full payment upfront, while others only require a certain deposit, with the rest of the payment due at or after the event. For both parties’ security, the second option is the way to go.

Here are other potential questions to better understand the wedding planner’s payment terms:

• What percentage of the total payment is for the down payment?
• What payment methods do they accept?
• When will the rest of the payment be due?

8. Is There Any Fine Print We Should Be Aware Of?

While looking at the big factors like vendor selection and budget, it’s also important to talk through the smaller details. These can include:

• How many of the wedding planner’s staff members will help during the event?
• What is the contingency plan in case the planner gets sick or has an emergency on the wedding day?
• What will the post-wedding plans be?

These details may seem trivial for some but are essential for you to know.

9. How Will Vendor Contracts Work?

Most wedding planners, except the month-of coordinators, are tasked with helping the couple secure vendors. However, get clarity on what kind of help they’ll provide. For example, some planners will book, pay, and coordinate the vendors themselves, only asking the couple for a lump-sum payment. Others will only introduce the couple to their recommended vendors, and the couple will work out the finer details like pricing and contracts.

To get a better sense of how the wedding planner works with vendors, ask these questions:

• Do they keep a list of reliable vendors at hand?
• How do they pick out the vendors, and will you be involved in the selection?
• Who will handle the vendor contracts?

You can also look into thrifting some aspects of the wedding instead of searching for vendors.

10. How Will We Keep In Communication?

Wedding planning is a long and tedious process, and it’s essential to know how frequently the wedding planner will update you. Some planners prefer emailing designs and documents (itineraries, reception layout, etc.) as soon as they are available. Others run their clients through everything all at once. Set your expectations at the beginning and let the planner know what kind of workflow you prefer.

Here are other communication-related questions you should ask the wedding planner:

• What are their preferred means of communication?
• Is there a specific window when you can expect a response?

Include Afarose in Your Wedding Planning Process

Weddings are best planned with a professional holding your hand along the way. However, before you sign a wedding planner, ask these important questions to get to know the planner better. These questions will help you narrow down your potential planners and find the perfect one who will turn your wedding vision into reality.

With a wedding planner selected, you can get on with the more fun and exciting parts of wedding planning like dress shopping. For all your attire-related needs, look no further than Afarose.

With our years of experience in the industry, we bring nothing but ethereal dresses that are sure to be a perfect fit for any bride-to-be.

Drop us a line today, and we’ll help you choose the right dress.