What questions should wedding planners ask their clients? The team at Anticipation events asks questions to make sure clients get the best wedding possible.
what questions should a wedding planner ask their client?
A wedding day is an iconic milestone in many adult’s lives. People are in love and happy, and their family and friends are gathered around to celebrate the two coming together, unified, as one family. It’s no wonder we spend a lot of time daydreaming about the moment, and planning how it will look and feel. (Oh yeah, and about our partner.)
Well, now you’ve met your true love, and you’re getting ready for the big day. But, is hiring a wedding planner on your to-do list? There are so many options available, even locally, that it can be difficult to choose the right fit for your wedding.
There are plenty of articles that will tell you the questions you should ask your planner, but it doesn’t give you as much insight into what to expect if they’re giving you stock answers right back.
In this article, the wedding planning team at Anticipation Events in Chicago will help clear up the confusion and help you choose the right planner with a list of questions that they should ask you, not the other way around.
Learning what questions a wedding planner should ask their client before any contract is signed will help you gain an inside look at how they work and whether they are a good fit to plan your wedding.
why choose a wedding planner?
Before we get started, you may be bogged down with wedding interviews, trying to decide who the right fit for the job is, and wondering, “if there are so many choices, surely it’s easy enough for me. Should I just plan my own wedding?”
Wedding planning is, for most people, a once-in-a-lifetime event that is meant to be pure and joyful. We believe that there is no sense in adding the layers of stress that can come from navigating the murky waters of event planning for the first time. (1)
There are so many preparations that can drive any person with all those extra to-dos into stress overload. It’s easy to lose focus on the big details and fret over the smaller ones; just like family concerns, sometimes you can be a little too close to take a hand in the issue.
A wedding planner has proven experience with curating successful weddings, and their portfolio can show you some of their previous work. They already have connections to reputable vendors, and they may be able to get you a deal on certain packages from those vendors since they provide repeat business.
“Do wedding planners know all the right people in a world that you don’t? Yes. Will that save you tons of time, and anguish as you narrow down your wedding vendors? Absolutely!” – Deborah DeFrancesco
The wedding planner will help you coordinate everything from the day you sign the contract to the day of the wedding. They will also be present for the weekend’s activities to make sure everything is smooth sailing.
There are plenty of other personal benefits as well, such as the creative thinking that a wedding planner can bring, and how they listen to your unique concerns and wishes to create your perfect day.
what should you ask yourself before hiring a wedding planner?
There are a couple of questions that you should ask yourself – and your future spouse – before you start looking for a wedding planner.
Many couples choose to skip this part of wedding planning and focus on the happier, less stressful questions about how to create the perfect day, rather than asking the hard questions. Asking these questions, however, can help create a smooth transition into married life, and make sure no one holds a grudge, however small, after the day.
Especially in today’s age where the parents no longer commonly pay the wedding bill, finances loom over many couple’s heads. Finances are one of the leading causes of stress in new marriages. (2) Unfortunately, this can’t be ignored and has the potential to build up into larger issues. Clear, open communication is always the best path forward with your partner.
“Money—like how much you each have and owe, or where it comes from and how to spend it—is a topic that all too many couples skim over, assuming that financial matters will simply fall into place after the wedding.” – LearnVest
Sitting down with your partner and discuss the wedding day before you sit down with a wedding planner will make sure both partners get a say in how the day will proceed.
Any wishes from your partner should be taken into serious consideration and nothing shot down. If you need to say ‘no’ to an idea, make sure to consider it and provide a counter opinion, rather than immediately throwing it out the door.
You should ask each other questions about the wedding and if your partner has any non-negotiable things they’d like to see at the wedding, what their wedding wishlist includes, and who they imagine themselves surrounded by.
Financially, you should ask how the wedding will be divided, and have an honest discussion about how to split the costs based on income and discuss a game plan for paying off any debt after the wedding day.
the 8 questions a wedding planner should ask you before you hire them
What the wedding planner asks during your initial consultation can tell you a lot about how the wedding planner works, and how competent they are from the beginning.
What questions should a wedding planner ask their client during the initial consultation, and how does it affect their job?
- What is your total budget?
This is an important question to answer honestly upfront. Be sure to specify whether this includes the wedding planner’s fees or not, as this will help the planner determine how much money they have to work with while they are negotiating with vendors and venues.
- Do you have a location already?
Some couples choose a location before they hire a wedding planner. If this is the case, the payment for the venue isn’t considered part of the budget, but it will tell the wedding planner more about their scope of work if they’ve dealt with the venue before. Some venues only work with certain vendors, which is something the planner will need to workaround.
- How hands-off or involved do you like to be?
Be honest here, are you more likely to fret over small details, like the flowers being 15 minutes late? Everyone in the room wants your wedding day to be perfect, including the wedding planner; a happy bride is a wonderful feeling for an event planner.
- How many guests are attending?
This is an important one since the planner will be working with the venue and vendor to plan for a certain number of guests. You will need to confirm whether these guests have been invited, or if they have responded to the RSVP as attending.
- What are the three must-have elements for your event?
Both partners should answer this question honestly, as it helps the wedding planner get an idea of what both of you want out of the wedding, creating the perfect day for both of you.
- What are three deal-breaker elements you don’t want at your event?
Learning what you don’t want at your wedding can be just as important to the wedding planner as knowing what you do want. This provides a complete view of the couple’s likes and dislikes, and helps guide the planner towards success in curating the best wedding for the two of you. Again, both the couple should give their list honestly.
References:
- Deborah Defrancesco, Does Hiring a Wedding Planner Save You Money?
- LearnVest, 6 Important Money Questions to Ask Before You Say I Do