Does it make sense for you to hire a wedding planner? If you are short of time, don’t enjoy planning events, have an intricate vision, don't have family or friends to help, or simply want someone to help alleviate the stress of planning one of the most expensive and most important events in your life, you may want to consider hiring a planner. Below, we've defined the different types of planners available and questions you may want to ask to find the planner right for you.

Types of Planners

• Full-Time Planner: A full-time planner helps plan A to Z of the wedding from vendor selection, negotiation & coordination to RSVPs, seating charts and any other special requests. While probably the most expensive, these planners are with you every step of the way. If you are swamped with school / work or hosting a destination wedding, a full-time planner may be the way to go.
• Part-Time Planner: A part-time planner will only help with specific activities (e.g., vendor curation & coordination) and leave you to handle the rest (e.g., vendor negotiation). It’s important to understand what value these planners are providing and what you must do yourself.
• Day of Coordinator: A day-of coordinator will only help with event execution and vendor coordination the day(s) of the event(s). It’s important to make sure there is proper handoff between your conversations with the vendors to the day of coordinator, so the planner understands the expectations and can execute as you envision.

Pre-Interview Ahead of your scheduled interview, you should prepare with the below information:

• Approximate number of guests
• Approximate budget
• City / venue ideas if any
• Approximate date(s)

Interview Questions

High Level Questions

• Tell me about the company structure.
• Where are you based?
• How long have you been a wedding planner?
• How many weddings do you plan a year? Do you plan multiple weddings for the same dates? These questions will help you understand how dedicated the planner will be to you.
• What services do you provide in house and what do you outsource (e.g., design, stationery, decor, etc)?
• Tell me about how your team would be structured if you were to plan my wedding.
• Tell me about a crisis that came up at a recent wedding and how you / your team handled it.
• What are the biggest problems you’ve seen couples face during a wedding event? This answer should give you a list of things you should be prepared to mitigate for ahead of time.
• What is your pricing and payment structure like? Ideally, you do not want to pay the full amount until after the wedding to ensure everything goes smoothly.
• If you are looking into a destination wedding, ask if they have had international / US desi clients before.
• Ask for 2-3 references if you feel good about the planner.

Pre Contract Questions

• Please explain the process to me and how you work with clients
• How many weddings do they take every month?
• How is the team assigned for a wedding?
• How do you manage vendors?
• Do you preferred vendors in [city of wedding]? Do you negotiate with them?
• How do you coordinate with them? - Can we speak with a recent client, preferably married in [city of location]?
• What are your payment terms?
• Can you provide draft contract with duties, costs and expenses, deposits and payment schedules?
• Provide us formal proposal for following dates.
• Which venues would you recommend for [city of wedding]?

Post Contract Questions

• What is involved in decor cost? Ask to get an idea of what all the planner / vendor in the price quoted will include.
• Does your team need accommodation and/or additional travel expenses?
• What form of payment do you accept? Are there taxes or additional fees not included in your proposal?
• Reconfirm: Will your team be onsite 24/7?
• How many hours of photography / videography is included?
• What are the deliverables, and when are they due?
• Does the photographer / videographer require accommodations and/or additional travel expenses?
• How many mehendi artists are required for guests?
• Does mehendi artist need accommodation and/or additional travel expenses?
• How many makeup artists are required for bride / family / friends?
• Does the makeup artist need accommodation and/or additional travel expenses?
• If transportation is required, how many vehicles will be required?
• Can you get hotel group rates for extra guests?
• Will DJ play for at all events? How many hours per event is included?
• Does DJ need accommodation and/or additional travel expenses?
• Who will arrange food for the hospitality team?