Planning a wedding is a grandiose affair. You need to have everything fall exactly the way you thought and desired. And to do that, wedding planners make your lives easy by bringing in the right set of ideas, creativity, peace of mind, and know-how for budget planning.
There is a range of questions you must ask your wedding planner before you shake hands with one. Because these questions will determine everything of what you want and what the person on the other side of the table offers.
Make sure you have these questions and notepads handy to jot down the answers before you meet!
Are you a logistic expert or an aesthetic expert?
Generally speaking, there are two types of wedding planners. One who started initially as a decorator and is now into planning. And the other who handles the logistic space well and outsources a decorator.
This might be a tricky shoot up for them, but they will be able to come up with a response as you explain the above.
What should you choose? That totally depends on your personal interests; if you are looking for an aesthetic expert go with a decorator turned wedding planner, and if you are into handling things go for a logistic expert.
However, both of them will be able to manage your wedding, either with an in-house team or by outsourcing.
How many weddings do you think are your best shot and Why?
Scrutinize the answer to his question carefully. The answers to this question will determine the potential and let you dive into the insights of the wedding planner’s portfolio.
Have you been a part of a wedding from my background?
In India, every religion and caste have different rituals. And on top of that, geolocation also plays a major role.
To find out the perfect wedding planner, you must ask this question to know if he/she is abreast of the nitty-gritty of the wedding of a particular region and religion.
Can you tell me your USP?
This is a straightforward question but can give you an insight into what you are associating with.
For instance, you might be a quirky couple and ask to have kettles on the photo booth background, but the wedding planner might not understand this for his/her experience with flowers, frills and tassels only.
What all services do you offer?
Instead of burning your pocket hole by spending on different things individually, ask your wedding planner if they have that particular on their list.
A detailed break-up of the services offered will help you with what you wanted and what are you getting on the table. This makes it easy for you as well as the wedding planner to boil down the resources and expenses required for each of the services.
What are contingency resolutions? Do you have any bad experiences on your list?
Weddings are big affairs, and so can be the chances of fizzling. However to handle these obstacles a wedding planner should have a B plan. What if it starts pouring? What if there is a power outage during a special performance? What if...anything?
You need to just casually ask about the bad experience and how did he/she respond to its resolution then and there. The answer will give you enough explanation for a decision you will make.
How many people will be present from your team for the event?
Some wedding planners have mostly experts on the ground, and some have an abundance of interns. In any which ways, there must be 2 to 3 professionals/senior members to handle the event.
Asking this question from your wedding planner will also determine the potential these ninjas from their tea holds.
What was your favourite wedding you planned last year?
This question will ting the personal preferences of the wedding planner, and the type of themes/work patterns/ideas one likes to work on.
And if the planner goes non-stop for any particular wedding plus the events involved in it, then you will get to know what he/she can deliver the best.
What is your standard package? And what are the surplus charges for premium packages?
This will determine the quality, quantity, and rates of different ranges of packages a wedding planner has. And for that, you will be able to decide on the package based on your budget for the wedding.
Can you show me the contract?
Ask this question when you are ready to move forward with that particular wedding planner. Read every clause on the paper carefully, and do not hesitate to follow up with any other questions that you have.
What is your payment mode?
Move forward with this question when you are abreast of the contract and are looking forward to discussing monetary terms. Ask the wedding planner if he or she accepts payment in installations, tangible cash, or digital payments.
