Top 5 Questions & Answers You Must Know about a Wedding Professional Before you Book Them

Hiring the right team for you is crucial to planning your dream wedding…and it can also be rather stressful.

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Where do you go for advice?  How do you know who to trust?  Where exactly do you find the right match?  How do you know if they are the right match for you? 

The first thing you should be aware of is this is not an easy task and it’s totally normal for couples to feel overwhelmed, frustrated or confused.  You’ve got at least ten people handing you advice from what seems like the second that you announce your engagement.  You’re not sure if its even the right advice for you.  Your friends and family are offering their two cents and pretty soon you don’t know if your wedding is reflecting you and your fiancé or someone’s dream for you. 

After all it’s not like you plan a wedding every day!  This is all probably brand new to you, so be patient with yourself.  Stay true to yourself and follow the following guideline to make sure that you pick the right wedding professionals for you.

A few tips to finding the right wedding professionals for you…

• Do Your Homework.  You’ll get much more out of a meeting or conversation with a wedding professional if you do a little background homework first. 

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What exactly does that mean?  Spend some time on the internet check out their website.  Chose the vendors that speak to you through their website.  You’ll look at some websites and immediately you’ll get the gut feeling to back out.  If that happens, do. Once you find 2 or 3 that you like; then schedule appointments with them.  You can talk to friends who’ve recently been married, just remember that they may have had a different vision or have a different personality than you and what’s right for them, may not be right for you.  Likewise, you’d be surprised how many DIY brides feel that they have a wedding planning degree after they plan their own wedding.  Planning their own wedding, doesn’t mean that they can plan someone else’s.  Many times they know what they want…they don’t really pay attention to what you want or envision.  If you’re talking to a wedding vendor like that…Run! 

Find out the average prices in your area and what services are available.  Get an idea of what you like and don’t like.  Wedding websites and chat rooms can be a great resource.  This way when you meet with a wedding professional you’ll be able to ask better questions and have an idea of what to look out for.

• Meet With Them.  An in person meeting is the best way to interview a potential wedding vendor.  It lets you get the full experience of their personality, style and professionalism.  If that’s not possible, have a phone conversation.  Be sure to spend some time with them in person or on the phone.  Be careful if they speak over you, force their opinion or don’t take into account your opinion.  If your main focus is cost, the vendor may not even price out your vision, because they already know that it’s a budget buster for you or that you’re not their focus.  If a wedding professional brushes you off or behaves like you’re not important or that your opinions don’t matter.  Then they aren’t the professional for you.

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• Ask Questions.  There are no stupid questions!  And you may notice that several of your questions are answered when you read the wedding professionals website.  Again, it’s important to read or skim through a professionals’ website prior to meeting with them as part of your homework.  Make sure you get clear, specific answers to your questions.  If you aren't sure what something means, ask them to clarify.  Keep asking questions until you completely understand. 

If a wedding vendor has a problem with you asking questions, they probably aren’t the one for you.  The best wedding professionals are patient, understanding and take the time to help you make the best choices for your wedding.

Here are 7 Must Ask Questions to ask ALL your potential wedding professionals before booking:

1.       How many weddings do you do per year?  How much experience do you have?  This is an extremely important question.  Ideally, your wedding professional should have ample experience specifically with weddings.  Not only will they be more skilled in their craft, this also makes them a valuable source of information and ensures that your wedding day goes smoothly.  Did they actually attend school or the school of hard knocks.  When you meet with them are their certificates available for you to see.  Are they associated with any associations? 

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2.       How much do you cost?  Price is often relative, especially when you factor in experience, reputation and expert skill.  Generally, the most talented professionals have a higher price tag because they are worth it.  Similarly, the least expensive company or vendor … well, let’s just say, your wedding is totally one of those experiences and days you can’t re-do and you do get what you pay for.  The super cost conscious couple, although they may stay in budget, may not be thrilled with the results on or after their wedding day.

3.      How much is the deposit?  Are there any additional fees?  Taxes, service charges and travel fees can add up quickly.  Make sure you understand exactly what is included and if there are any other fees you’ll have to pay.  This should be clearly defined in your contract. 

4.       What specifically is included in that cost?  When you factor in experience, reputation and expert skill and then factor in the variety of wedding packages offered by different professionals, it’s likely that you won’t be able to compare one vendor exactly to the next without doing a little figuring.  The lowest cost isn’t necessarily the best deal; some higher quotes include services that you have to pay extra for in other packages.  Make sure you take these points into account when making your decision. 

5.       What happens if I cancel?  What happens if you cancel?   Find out if your deposit is refundable under any conditions.  Does the wedding professional have a back-up plan if something happens to them or if they have staff trained to take their place if the main professional of the company becomes sick?  

6.       Do you use a contract?   If the answer is No, RUN!  Seriously.  No contract.  No good for you or them.  A contract is designed to protect both you and the wedding professional.  Don’t settle for a verbal agreement that won’t hold up in court.  

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7.       Do you carry liability insurance?  The answer you’re looking for here is Yes.  This protects you in case an unfortunate accident should occur on your wedding day.  It’s also a sign that this is a reputable business, since most “fly by night” operations don’t invest in insurance.

• Listen.  Don’t just hear the words the wedding professional says, but really listen.  Watch the vendor’s body language.  Are they confident and comfortable with their response?  Do they look and sound nervous?  Do you get a “funny feeling” about them?  Take all the sights, sounds and feelings into account along with their responses; if your gut tells you something isn’t right, it probably isn’t.  This is the read between the lines listening as well as the actual listening with your ears.

• Portfolios are hand-picked to show off the best work, but they may not represent the “average” wedding performance.  Videos are edited for the optimum presentation.  But real referrals and testimonials from satisfied clients are hard to fake.  In addition, when you meet with wedding professionals that work with a wide range of budgets and they actually show you pictures of them, then you can really get a sense of (1) what your budget may include (2) what their work quality is really like and (3) pay attention to not just the testimonials on their website but the testimonials on Google, Yelp and other such sites.  Sometimes, vendors work with a clientele that doesn’t leave feed back then calling references is a must.

Call up both client and professional references.  Ask questions and use those listening skills.  Even if they give a rave review, you’ll often be able to “read between the lines” if there were any issues or problems.  Weigh all of this information into your choices.