This is the question that many vendors will ask you when you start planning your wedding. Not Do you have a planner but, who IS your planner. The reason for this is because all of the vendors you use know the importance of having a wedding planner. Even if it is just a day of planner it will be worth it. Many people think they don’t need a planner or that they can do it all themselves or with the help of friends and family. This might be the case in some situations yet, when I ask people after their wedding what they would change and hiring a planner is always mentioned. Many times, by the mother of the bride who spent the day working and not enjoying the wedding herself.

Many couples see planners as an added cost when in actuality they can help you save money and more importantly your sanity. For example, a bride sees a beautiful tent that she wants for her wedding. So, she calls the rental company and says I want a tant. Then when the tent arrives it is just a bare bones tent. Yet the one she saw in the picture had window walls and a gorgeous liner with lights and leg covers. Then she learns that they can’t set up the tent because there are sprinkler lines running underground where they would stake the tent and they didn’t bring the weights. Yes, the rental company “should” ask these questions, but you should not rely on this. All of this would have been avoided with a planner. A good planner would know to ask about all of the additional items needed to make the tent look like the one pictured. The planner would also do a site inspection to make sure where the tent could be placed and the type of equipment that would be needed to secure the tent. This is just one example of the many many items that you need to plan a wedding. The planners do this all of the time they know these details.

Now you might ask, how do I hire the right planner? My brides typically will interview and meet with a few planners and honestly, it’s who you connect with. Not only are you interviewing the planner, but they are also interviewing you. A good planner would have no problem referring you to another planner if they thought you might be a better match for them. Besides the connection, make sure you are asking the right questions.

Here are the questions I tell people to ask and what has been asked of me.

1. How long have you been planning weddings? The specific word here is weddings. This is because there are many fantastic planners out there who have planned tons of fundraisers and business events but, not so much for weddings.
2. How many weddings have you planned? They might not know exactly how many as I stopped counting around 200 but, they will be able to give you a general idea. There are many planners out there who have planned their own wedding and maybe a wedding of a couple friends. Not saying that is a bad thing and everyone has to start somewhere. However, the planners with more experience are the ones who have seen it done it and have the T-shirt.
3. Ask situational questions – Such as What is the worst thing you have had happen at a wedding and how did you fix it? Have you ever had a medical emergency at a wedding and how was that handled? What was your favorite wedding and why? Asking these types of questions will give insight to the level of experience that the planner has.
4. What is your background or education in this field? There are many planners who did not go to school for event planning. This is not a bad thing as there are many planners who have learned on the job. Yet, having someone with an education in the field is an added bonus. Whether it was a degree in Event Management or a certificate in Wedding Planning it shows that this planner has invested in this industry. Also continuing education is important. Are they part of networking groups and educational programs to extend their event knowledge?
5. Why do they plan weddings? This is when you get to hear them gush about how much they love weddings and how fun they are to plan etc. You will be able to see the passion that a truly invested planner has for what they do. This is my favorite question, because there is something, a feeling a sense of satisfaction that we as planners get. It’s usually different for everyone. For myself it is when I am carrying the brides train or veil and then placing it down on the aisle as she begins her walk. It’s almost like time stops and there is this feeling of everything being perfect in the world. It’s that combination of family, friends, love and a gorgeous environment that you helped create and it’s that moment that makes all of the hard work worth it.