These are the important conversations that you need to have with your wedding planner
When it comes to planning a wedding, there is no rest for the weary. Producing a wedding is a long, tedious and gruelling affair which eventually turns into one of the most beautiful and memorable days of a couple's life. To make your life just a tad bit easier, why not hire a wedding planner? With that being said, here are some important conversations that you need to have with your wedding planner before sealing the deal.
What services are included?
While some wedding planners are management-focused, others may consider themselves to be sort of all-rounders. That is why, it is essential to understand what services your wedding planner is willing to offer you. Is the wedding planner simply going to coordinate with the various vendors or are they going to go the extra mile and handle the decor, lighting, floral arrangements, venue setups, time management, hotel bookings and the works? In our opinion, a wedding planner who is willing to take on the workload so that you don’t have to worry is the one to choose.
Who is going to handle the wedding planning?
Is the wedding planner going to be in charge of planning your wedding? Is he or she going to delegate your wedding management to a team? Who is the main point of contact? It is essential to understand how much time a potential wedding planner is willing to invest in your wedding! If a certain wedding planner is available for only a few hours a day and takes three to five business days to respond to simple questions, then you may just be stuck handling the last-minute stresses.
How many years have you been in the business?
The experience of a wedding planner will play a crucial role in managing last-minute hiccups. Someone new to the scene may be cheaper, but they may not always be able to get the thing done at the last moment. On the other hand, someone with many years of experience may be a little too complacent which could have adverse effects. You want a wedding planner who is professional, experienced and essentially one who is a go-getter.
Can you stick to the budget?
Honestly, it is almost impossible to stick to the “original budget”. There is also a revised budget, and then a revised budget part two! And that’s alright, a slight increase here and there is essentially expected. But, can your wedding planner stick to the given budget without attempting to increase it in the first conversation itself? When you do speak to a potential wedding planner, it is very important to be clear about your approximate budget as well as the maximum budget!
Have you ever produced a similar wedding?
Ask your wedding planner if he or she has ever produced a similar wedding at a similar price point. The photographs of said wedding will give you a fair idea of the execution, skill and professionalism of the wedding planners team. This is very important; just because a wedding planner can stay within budget doesn’t necessarily mean that they can execute your vision. Also, you may just find some new inspiration in these photographs!
How do you prefer to communicate?
Some wedding planners like to have weekly meetings while others are always available 24/7 on a WhatsApp group chat. What is your wedding planner’s style of communication? And is that in sync with how you want to communicate? Some busy brides may want to have weekly meetings to discuss various issues while some brides may prefer to address an issue as soon as it pops up in their head. Other brides may prefer to keep it strictly professional via email. Figure out what works for you.
Are you on board with our vision?
Before you even go to a wedding planner, you should have a vision board to showcase your ideas. This helps wedding planners understand how you envision your big day, the kind of backend work that needs to go in as well as the cost of execution. A wedding planner who has understood your vision will be able to skillfully execute your vision board to the tee. With that being said, it is important to ask the wedding planner how many months it will take to bring your vision to life.
Can you execute our vision?
Be very clear and straightforward while meeting potential wedding planners. Ask them point blank if they will be able to execute your vision, exactly as you want it. At the end of the day, this is your big day and you want everything to go perfectly. Improper decor, vendors running late and falling photo booths should be the last of your concerns! After all, you are trusting this wedding planner to plan the wedding of your dreams so there is not much scope for error.
What is the backup option, if needed?
A good wedding planner will always have a backup option. An outdoor wedding will have to quickly be moved indoors in case the rain gods decide to have some fun; a lighting technician may need to be kept on standby if a string of lights decides to act up; a florist will have to reach the spot in a matter of minutes if the floral decor starts falling apart. Is your wedding planner equipped, aware and observant enough to notice these faux passes and catch them in time?
