5 Questions to Ask When Booking a Wedding Planner or Coordinator

Nearly all planners and coordinators will encourage you to schedule a consultation meeting with them to get to know them better and so they can learn more about your wedding. While you’re in these consultations, they will ask you questions to get a good feel for what services you might need, but you may go into these meetings feeling unprepared. It’s hard to know exactly what you should be asking your potential planner or coordinator, so here are 5 questions that are important to ask wedding planners or coordinators before hiring them.

Are your packages adjustable?

Many planners and coordinators will have about 3 packages to choose from, but you many feel like they don’t match your exact needs. Planners usually have their packages set up in a way that they that has benefitted couples best in the past, but if you feel like there are not enough things, too many things, or you want a package in between what they offer, it’s always worth asking if they will make further adjustments. Some planners and coordinators may say that they are structured that way to be able to perform the best on your wedding day, but some may have some flexibility with what they are willing to offer.

How many meetings do we have?

During your consultation, this question may get answered for you. Many planners and coordinators make sure to go through their package options and what is all included, so you’ll likely know how many meetings you’ll have with them. However, if they don’t say, it’s definitely important to ask so you know how much they will be involved with your planning process.

Do you set up decorations?

Depending on the decorations you need set up, your potential planners and coordinators may have different answers for this. Many planners and coordinators will set up things like a welcome sign or escort cards, but if you have larger items like an arch or many things like centerpieces, this may depend on the planner themselves. Make sure to ask about any specific items that you want set up, and they may suggest recruiting some extra help for those bigger items.

Are there travel fees from our venue location?

Most planners and coordinators don’t have any problem with traveling outside of their area for your wedding; however, there will likely be travel costs involved. Make sure they know where your venue is and if that will affect the pricing they have provided you.

What is your payment process like?

Many planners and coordinators will likely have a similar structure, but it’s important to know when and how much money you are paying for their services. You will likely have to pay a deposit when you sign the contract to fully secure your wedding date so they put it on their calendar, and then the final payment will likely be due about a month before your wedding. If there are any additional payments throughout the wedding planning process, make sure you know exactly when you will need to be making payments and where those payments will go.

After your consultations, make sure you sit with it for the day to really know if you like the person. Your planner or coordinator will likely be one of the people you spend the most amount of time with besides your photographer/videographer, so it’s important that you like them and their personality. These questions may help you make your decision, but what is most important is that you see the value with the person you plan on hiring.

If you would like me to help to plan your wedding, you can reach out to me here. I offer 10 planning resources to all of my couples and one of them is “questions to ask when booking your vendors” so you can know what to ask all of your vendors to ensure you are making educated decisions regarding your wedding day.