Monday, June 26, 2023
If you’re planning to get married and starting your wedding planning journey, you’re likely considering many, many questions each day. Where should we get married? How much is a wedding coordinator? What should be our wedding date? Should we have a wedding party? How early should we start working with a wedding planner in Chicago?
Those questions (and so many more) can start to feel overwhelming! If you’re dealing with wedding stress, hoping for an experienced wedding professional to help guide you through the planning process through the event itself, and perhaner.com/post/chicago-wedps even save a few dollars along the way, you may benefit from seeking support from a Chicago wedding planner or Chicago day-of wedding coordinator.
In this post, we will review the questions that we believe will help you find a good fit for your wedding planning journey. Touching on everything from the planner’s experience to finding out about cost-savings that might be available like micro wedding packages in Chicago, this guide is a must-read as you begin speaking with the wedding pro’s.
If you’re planning to get married in the Windy City, there are definitely benefits to working hand in hand with a planner who is experienced with the culture, venues, vendors, seasons, and transportation available here. They will be able to better match your expectations with the offerings that are available, find ideal matches within and beyond their professional network, and provide unique insight that out-of-town planners likely just don’t have.
If you have a specific date set for your wedding, be sure to communicate this with your potential planners in early conversation. Some planning teams have multiple staff and coordinators and can ensure that they provide adequate support to clients sharing a wedding date, but some planning teams are more limited in size and may not have the capacity to ensure quality services to multiple clients on the same day. We recommend reaching out to planners 12 months prior to your wedding date to increase the likelihood that you will find a planner with availability who can prioritize your event.
Did you know that wedding planning teams frequently offer different packages and services to their clients? Because the needs of couples vary depending on the level of complexity of the event and the degree of involvement the couple envisions during the planning process, many planners offer full service packages, day-of coordination, and customized packages.
This will help you match up your expectations, budget, availability, and interest with a planner who is the best fit.
Your budget should reflect your values, and finding a planner who agrees to work within your budget categories and with the amounts you’ve established will make your collaborative process a lot smoother. We recommend that you ask about their experience in budget management and speak honestly and openly about your spending constraints in each area of your budget to ensure a good fit.
Understanding how teams like florists, designers, caterers, and more work, what their pricing structures are, what services they provide, and more, can help a wedding planner provide the best recommendations to their clients. The average cost of a wedding planner can sometimes even be covered by the benefits and special packages that vendors offer because of their networks with planners. It can be extremely beneficial to have a seamless team of vendors, and so asking about potential planners’ preferred vendor list or vendor relationships can provide invaluable insight.
We love this question because how the planner answers it shows their style and values when working with interpersonal relationships. Problem-solving skills are important for everyone to develop, but when it comes to your wedding day, being able to trust your planner to appropriately handle conflicts or challenges that arise is paramount.
Testimonials and client references frequently provide an inside scoop to what it’s like to work with a planner, hold an event with their vendor team, or learn from other’s experiences. We would even suggest that you inquire about the possibility of contacting previous clients.
As you probably understand already, having clear, regular communications with your planner, as well as regular updates and prompt responses to your questions is incredibly important. Understanding and setting reasonable expectations clearly at an early meeting is highly recommended and will get you started off on the right foot. While you’re at it, why not chat about their preferred communications and how frequently they provide updates. Ask yourself if this style works for you, and be sure to share your feedback in order to establish a good working relationship. Discuss the importance of clear and regular communication with your wedding planner.
We already included a question about your wedding date, but it’s also good to ask about the planner’s general workload. Do they seem stressed or overworked about the upcoming season? Can they ensure that you and your event will get the time and attention it needs to be successful? How do they establish a healthy work-life balance, and can they model that for you, as you’re engaging in the planning process?
Understanding and outlining very clearly the planner’s pricing structure is a question that should always be understood before hiring a wedding planner. The planner is there to provide you with support and be a trusted resource, and knowing how, when, and for what you will be charged can help you establish value and ensure that you have clear expectations for the process.
This question is multi-faceted. How the planner answers it will show you some tidbits about their personality and what lights them up - but it will also likely illustrate a client-planner relationship that worked well or was meaningful to the planner in some way. It’s a question that may be able to provide unique insight.
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Although the planner may not have a fleshed-out answer, this question will show you a bit about their problem-solving style, ability to be creative and problem-solving, and will likely show you that they heard and understood about your priorities and what you might be looking for for your big day.
With many wedding planners in Chicago to choose from, asking the right questions will help you decide the best fit for your needs. Whether you’re looking for a day-of wedding coordinator in Chicago, or a full-service destination planner, you will have the best chance of finding what you’re looking for if you take the time to get to know the prospects by going through this list.
