Posh Occasions’ Guide to the Best Questions to Ask Your Wedding Planner | Advice & Planning

To hire a wedding planner or not to hire a wedding planner… that is the question. But I will tell you that the majority of brides who did not hire a planner (including myself), wish they had! But how do you even go about interviewing a wedding planner? What questions do you ask on that initial meeting to make sure A) you are a great fit for each other and B) you are making the right decision? We've asked Ashley of Posh Occasions to help us out with these questions to get rid of the overwhelm and trade it for some step by step guidance for finding the perfect planner for your specific needs. Take a look at Ashley's advice below and also see some of her gorgeous planning work sprinkled throughout the post! 

Photos by Elle Danielle

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What does the initial meeting with a wedding planner look like? What types of things will you talk about?

Ashley of Posh Occasions: The initial meeting with a wedding planner is the most important one. It is where you will get to know each other and see if you are a good fit. You want to look for a planner that is of course organized & professional, but you also want to make sure that you mesh well and he or she will put your needs first. With this first meeting, you will discuss your vision, needs and budget.

What are some great questions to ask your wedding planner during that first meeting?

Ashley of Posh Occasions: This is a meeting to get to know your planner. You will want to know what your needs are and what you are looking for in a wedding planner.

Some good questions to ask are:

What sorts of services do you offer (day-of coordination, full-service event design or à la carte planning)? Based upon your needs, you will be able to see if the planner is a good fit for you. Know what you want based upon how much work you are willing to do in the planning process and what you want a professional for.

How many weddings have you planned? This will give you an idea of the experience of the wedding planner. To make sure your day runs smoothly, you want to make sure that your planner has experience with weddings and knows what they are doing.

Have you planned weddings at my venue? This is a major plus, if they are familiar with your venue and know the staff, the logistics and event will run more smoothly. As an added bonus, they may have some insight on layout options and design ideas from working in the space before.

Do you have preferred vendors? This will give you a chance to see what other professionals the planner works with. Most likely, they are going to refer only the best and people they know are going to make your wedding day run flawlessly.

What is the best way to communicate with you? Establishing this up front will set the clear lines of communication. You know what to expect and this will give you a sense of how they work.

Do you have references? Hearing from other professionals and past couples on their experience with the planner will give you insight on how good the planner was. Make sure to do your research and hire someone that you can trust so you can enjoy the day and relax!

Photo by Rebecca Denton

Photo by Elle Danielle

Photo by Rebecca Denton

You've hired your wedding planner (hooray!) – what are the next steps in the process?

Ashley of Posh Occasions: Once you have hired your wedding planner, you want to outline exactly what they will be doing for you. Did you hire them for Full-Service, Partial Service or Day-of Coordinating? Since there are different levels of event planning, you want to make sure that you are getting what you paid for.

It's getting closer to your wedding day! What should you confirm with your planner a month out?

Ashley of Posh Occasions: A month out, your planner will be checking in with vendors to confirm bookings, finalizing all last minute details, checking final guest count numbers to get them to the vendors and creating a timeline & schedule of events.

Is there any more advice you have for couples meeting with their wedding planner? Any best practices/tips?

Ashley of Posh Occasions: Your wedding planner will be your lifeline on your wedding day. You spend so much time planning your wedding, you want to make sure you are hiring a professional so you can relax and enjoy this very special time in your life. You don't want to have to worry about if something is going wrong, your wedding planner should take care of it without you even knowing. That is their job and you will be so thankful that you have them.

Photo by Rebecca Denton

Photo by Elle Danielle

Wow – this is such great advice, Ashley! Thank you so much for sharing all the inside scoop on wedding planning. These are all really great things to think about before making the move to hire someone. Experience is key! 

You can find out more about Posh Occasions and her wedding packages here on her website and also be sure to check out her Instagram page here!

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