This story was originally published on March 4, 2020, and last updated on May 2, 2024.
What interview questions should you ask a wedding planner or coordinator? Here’s my two cents, as a wedding coordinator and consultant.
Not sure what type of wedding coordinator or planner you even need? Read this article about scopes of service and average price point.
If you’re looking for interview questions for other vendor types, check this out.
Q: What do your services include?
Wedding planners come in three main flavors: wedding planner (often known as a “full-scale” planner), wedding coordinator, and month-of or day-of coordinator.
There’s a lot of grey in-between those different tiers because this is wedding planning. Why would it be easy? But at least these three terms give you some place to start.
The main differences between each tier are how much work they’ll do and, consequently, how much they’ll charge. I go into this more — including different price points — in this article.
If you want to sound REAL SMART, try these more specific “what do your services include?” questions:
Will you create a timeline?
Do you have an example of a timeline? May I see it?
Will you send that timeline to vendors?
Will you send that timeline to any wedding party member(s), if my partner(s) and I have a wedding party?
Will you send that timeline to any friends and/or family whom we want to have a little more information than the average guest?
Will you create any floor plan(s) of the wedding venue(s)?
Will you attend a final tour? (Note: This meeting, which is typically scheduled around 60 days out from a wedding, is often called a “walkthrough” but the term is ableist and I avoid using it.)
What, if any, is your interaction with any rental order(s) for the wedding?
Will you coordinate my rehearsal, if we have one?
Why this interview question matters to you
You want to know what exactly you’re hiring this person for. Are they going to handle any communication with vendors before the wedding? Are they going to a rehearsal, if you and your partner(s) have one? Will they expect you to make the timeline or are they doing it?
You and your partner(s) can totally do all of the tasks above. It’s why I make those wedding planning templates I mentioned available for free. It’s just a matter of who’s doing what. What wedding planning responsibilities are you paying this person to handle and are those responsibilities enough to justify what they charge?
Q: When will our work together start?
This one sounds weird but what I’m getting at is: Will the planner or coordinator you’re interviewing starting work with you right away? Will they send you a monthly check-in or do they prefer to not email until four to six weeks before your wedding? Will you not chat until the week of your wedding?
There’s no right or wrong answer. If this person won’t talk to you again until the day before your wedding but has a proven track record (think 5-star reviews on Google or Yelp) then, hell, maybe they know something I don’t.
I personally start communicating with my couples as soon as they hire me because I don’t know a better way to do my job. I also like to be a resource for any couple I work with throughout their planning process.
Having a “you will hear from me at least once a month” guarantee helps me do this but lots of planners and coordinators do it differently so ask! If what they say doesn’t make a lot of sense, ask again!
Why this interview question matters to you
Like with any service you hire, it’s important to know when that service starts.
Can you contact your wedding planner or coordinator anytime or do they prefer not to hear from you until closer to your wedding? Do they set a limit on the number of emails, texts, or calls you and your partner(s) can make? (This is rare but it happens.)
Figure out how often you’ll be in touch so you can know how much help you’ll get.
Q: How many hours am I hiring you for?
Like many other types of vendors, you can hire a wedding planner or coordinator for a set number of hours, usually somewhere between 8 and 12 hours. Other planners and coordinators don’t cap their hours; they’re available all day.
Why this interview question matters to you
Consider where you most want help on your wedding day. My guess is it’s either to set-up, clean-up, or both.
Will the range of hours that you’re potentially hiring this person for cover the area of time where you want the most help? If not — or, as often happens at a wedding, things run a little long — is there an additional charge for extra hours?
Q: Are there any tasks that you and, as applicable, your team won’t do?
A popular example among coordinators and planners: Some have “I’m not your DJ” clauses in their contracts, which can be a problem for a couple who is planning to DIY music. (If that’s your situation, I recommend you read this article.)
Another example would be if you need someone to pick up items ahead of the wedding. In my service, I ask my clients to bring any items they have to the rehearsal (e.g. the license, rings, decor, signs, favors, etc.) and then I’m responsible for getting them from Point A to Point B on the wedding day. I’m also usually available to pick up items the morning of the wedding such as flowers and desserts.
However, that’s not a universal standard so I recommend you ask so you can assess if this person is available for that labor or if you and your partner(s) need to source that labor elsewhere including from your own community.
Why this interview question matters to you
Boundaries matter and different wedding planners and coordinators (not to mention, different people) have different boundaries. Never assume that because one vendor does something, another will. This will save you heartache.
Q: What do you charge and why do you charge that?
I highly encourage you to ask what vendors charge and, if that number surprises you, ask WHY they charge what they charge. A quality vendor will be able to give you a quality answer and ideally, they already post a range of their prices so you have some sense of what to expect.
Personally, I am never offended when people ask me what I charge and why. Instead, I point them to the math I did to determine my fee and, if I’m not the right fit, I do my best to set them up with someone who offers a smaller scale of service or lower prices.
Why this interview question matters to you
There’s no shame in admitting it: You’re planning a wedding and if you’re like 100 percent of couples I work with, you’re doing it on a budget.
Just because you what to know the price of the service you’re buying doesn’t mean you’re unromantic or cheap or dumb. It means you’re interested in getting a good value, and there’s nothing stupid about that. All I ask is that, if the price is low, you ask yourself why that is. Nearly always, it’s because the person you’re hired isn’t being paid at least minimum wage for their services and that’s not a good look for anybody.
Q: Where do your referrals come from?
Wedding vendors love to refer their coworkers. Often this comes from a place of sincerely wanting to share the work of people they respect but sometimes — and particularly with planners and coordinators — there may also be a financial benefit for the person who’s doing the referring.
Why this interview question matters to you
If knowing where referrals come from matters to you, ask. How does your planner decide which vendors to refer? How do they center diversity and inclusivity in their referrals? What monetary kickback, if any, do they receive for referring certain businesses? (You may also get value from my code of conduct.)
Q: Anything else I should know?
When I worked as a journalist, this was one of my favorite questions to ask during interviews. You get such great and telling answers! Try it and remember: No matter what responses you get to the questions above, trust your gut. You and your partner(s) know yourselves even if the wedding industry makes you feel like you don’t.