Many brides will realize almost too late that they could’ve used a wedding planner.  Why wait until you’re overwhelmed?!  Brides who have planners will enjoy their planning with clarity, organization, great design, a path to take to get to the big day, and will save their family and friends from added day-of stress.  Brides who don’t hire help end up having quite a different story.

But that’s not you.

You’re already here.  You’ve already decided it’s a good idea to get a planner… so now what?  Ask these five critical questions before choosing the right one…

1. What is your preferred mode of communication?

Communication is key when it comes to hiring your wedding planner/coordinator.  You’re about to become wedding BFF’s with this person so it’s important to know that you can connect and communicate clearly and often.  If your preferred mode is email (I know it’s mine!) in planning your big day, you will not want to hire someone who wants to get on the phone with you every week.  The converse to that is also true.  So figure out which way you prefer to be contacted and find someone whose communication style is compatible with yours.

2. What is your style?

Wedding planners are creative professionals who can offer a great deal of insight and suggestion to make your event more personal, unique, and detailed.  Take a look at their website and their social media feed – if their pictures speak to you on some level, you will probably get lots of great suggestions to add the details that you’re looking for.  For those of you who follow my IG feed, my style is an eclectic mix of rustic/boho and clean/contemporary.  I love pastel colors right now and mixing lots of feminine romantic elements (flowers, bling, lush textures and fabrics) with finer masculine elements (like rough wood, broken marble, industrial metals).  For me, it’s all about the contrast and the balance.  If you’re into retro or emo, I’m not the woman for you.

3. What is included in package (enter your preferred package here)?

In the world of weddings, you often get what you pay for.  Professionals can tell you clearly what is included in each package, on average how many man hours get put into each package, and if there are any other benefits that come with it.  For example, my clients get gifts… often.  I love giving them things that will help them throughout their journey.  Hiring someone just because they fit your budget may not be a good idea if you need more services or professional help.

4.  What are your strengths as a planner?

No two planners are the same, so find the one whose strengths you’re looking for.  This question is typically answered by including several of the following: great organization skills, planning skills, communication, vendor relationships, design, budgeting, etc.  As much as possible, you should try to match their strengths with your priorities – it makes for an easy win-win relationship!

5.  Do you have a preferred list of vendors?

Any professional wedding planner will have a list of go-to vendors they know they can count on that will give you both great value and great service.  We never put our stamp and just anyone… Our reputation is shared by those we recommend and we don’t take it lightly.  So take comfort in knowing the vendors on that list is tried and true. Plus, if you’ve already been looking at some vendors, it’s good to know that your planner has a good working relationship with vendors you would like to hire.

Now you’ll be ready when they ask you… “Do you have any questions for me?”

I love, live, and dream parties.  Like seriously, sometimes I just can’t sleep until I’ve sketched out a rough draft because my mind will dream up new designs right when my head touches the pillow!  We (planners and designers) have all kinds of great ideas.  You might as well take advantage of it! Plus, the earlier you hire a wedding planner, the better your value – you can utilize our expertise from the very beginning! Bonus!

I hope you liked this post!  It’s applicable to almost any consulting, coaching, and designing service out there… so keep it handy!  Sign up for our emails so you don’t miss a single one.