QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD
(OR SHOULDN'T)
ASK YOUR PLANNER
(AND MORE IMPORTANTLY WHY)
PART I
If you do a Google search for "questions to ask your wedding/event planner" you will likely wind up with a plethora of web sites like the Knot offering a comprehensive list of questions that you should be asking. However many of these sites don't fully explain why you should be asking these questions which leads many to blindly ask them and in return receive answers that may or may not sit well with them.
Not all questions targeted at wedding and event professionals have a black and white answer. If one fully understands why they are asking the question in the first place they will likely have a full comprehension of (and appreciation for) the answers they get back. It will also help one understand why THEY are asking the question and whether or not it is truly important to them.
Here are just a few questions that, in this Planner's opinion, you should -- or perhaps shouldn't -- ask your potential Planner and, more importantly, why.
Do you have any kind of formal education or training in your field? Yes!
This, in this Planner's opinion, is an extremely important question to be asking. So often we hear of Planners who "dabble" in the industry or who view the profession of wedding or event planning as a hobby. And yes, sadly, there are many out there masquerading as qualified Planners.
Asking if your Planner has completed any form of education or training will help you determine if they are serious about their profession and from where they've received their knowledge. A Planner who has and, more importantly, continues to invest their time (and not to mention finances) in programs, seminars, conferences, recognized courses, books, networking events and more, shows that they are serious about what they do and are equally serious about continuing their education to remain up to date in their field.
How many years of experience do you have planning weddings/events? Yes!
This is also an important question to ask but understand that how you perceive the answer will depend on your preferences.
A Planner with many years of experience obviously would seem like the better choice. After all they've seen and experienced it all, have watched trends emerge and re-emerge over time, have vast knowledge of their field, can adapt to the changing times and any situation, etc yet still have a stylish eye and strong creativity. On the flip side however, a Planner with only a few years experience may have a fresh perspective on traditions, may be equipped with modern approaches and a new way of thinking towards certain situations and yet will still have adequate knowledge and a few years of experience in their belt.
And of course, a Planner who has only 5 months experience may not have the same skill or knowledge level of a Planner who has been working within the profession for more than a year or two.
In the end it will all come down to whom you have full confidence and trust and with whom you feel a connection (After all, you'll be spending quite a bit of time with your chosen Planner!). Some clients will want a relatively new Planner or a Planner that can relate to their own personal perspective while others are more comfortable with a Planner who has many years of experience and have "been around the block" so to speak.
How many weddings/events do you do in a year? Yes...and No.
This can be a loaded question and so it's important to understand why you're asking it. Why does it matter to you how many weddings or events your Planner does in a year? Is it because you're concerned that the Planner may spread themselves too thin and want to ensure that you receive adequate focus? Is it because in your mind a Planner who does 50 weddings or events in a year means that they are more successful than one who does 10?
While one Planner may do 25 weddings in a year and another may only do 10, this does not necessarily reflect on their experience level, their success in the industry nor how serious they are about their profession. Every Planner has a different business model and operates differently. Some Planners are equipped with a team that enables them to work on countless weddings or events per year, while others operate alone and feel that they can only take on so many weddings/events per year in order to give proper focus to each event that they plan. Some Planners may be engaged in other projects such as speaking at conferences, philanthropy, etc. which may result in taking on less events or weddings per year to do so. Other Planners may still be early in their profession and therefore continue to hold down another source of income. Or you may find that a Planner may be selective in how many weddings or events they work on each year due to family or personal obligations.
If you feel that this question is important to you and your Planner is able to give you a rough estimate of the number of weddings or events that they do each year, be sure to ask WHY they choose to do that many and let that be your focus, not the exact number. You may find that their answer concerns you more or less than at first thought.
How many weddings or events have you done in your profession? (In this Planner's opinion) No.
Personally I have yet to meet a Planner who accurately keeps track of how many weddings or events they have completed in their professional careers. Most have a general idea but not a exact number.
Again, ask yourself why this question is important to you, if at all before you put it out there. A Planner who has been in the business for 20 years will likely have more weddings or events under his or her belt than a Planner who has been in business for 10. However the number of weddings/events a Planner has done in their lifetime does not necessarily equate to how fabulous a Planner he or she is. After all, just like any wedding or event professional, a Planner may have done thousands of weddings or events but what is more important is how many of those weddings or events were done well or that most closely resemble what you are specifically looking for in a wedding or event.
That said, rather than focus on how many weddings/events your Planner has done in their career be sure to ask how long they have been in business and more importantly, ask to see a comprehensive Portfolio and let their work speak for itself.
As my Planner can you save me money by negotiating discounts with vendors? Yes...and No.
If your Planner tells you that they can save you money because they get "discounts from vendors", proceed with caution.
By now you've heard of the saying "You get what you pay for". Nothing rings more true than this sentiment in the wedding and event industries. Yes, a Planner may receive a discount from a vendor on your behalf however you have to consider whether any quality is being sacrificed in order to provide that discount. Also, you need to ask your Planner whether he or she has actually worked with the vendor providing the discount. After all, there is no sense in hiring a mediocre DJ simply because he or she gives your Planner a special price. Part of a Planner's responsibility to their client is to direct them to the best possible vendors within their budget range. If your Planner is recommending a vendor based solely on price...run away.
Qualified Planners have worked with many, many wedding professionals in their career and many of those professionals who would like to continue to work with these Planners will often provide exceptional service and, in some cases, provide even more value for their fee rather than provide a discount.
Instead of focusing on whether your Planner can or will negotiate discounts on your behalf, focus on what the vendors with whom your Planner works can do for you. Period.
Stay tuned for PART II of QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD (OR SHOULDN'T) ASK YOUR PLANNER (AND MORE IMPORTANTLY WHY)!
All Photos courtesy of The Designer Cookie
ET LOFTE LOVES!!!
ET LOFTE LOVES!!!
ET LOFTE LOVES!!!
