The 5 Critical Questions to Ask Your Hawaii Wedding Planner Before You Hire Them
With Hawaii being the #1 wedding destination in the US with over 20,000 weddings each year. There are wedding planners that help you plan a wedding for just the two of you to a guest list that is in the 100s.
Hiring the right wedding planner can make the process easier and fun whether you call Hawaii home or are planning from across the Pacific. We can help you narrow down that list with these 5 Critical Questions.
What Is Your Experience with Planning Weddings?
Ask how many years they have been planning weddings and how many weddings they have planned. Ask if they normally do weddings at hotels or remote locations. Ask them if they have experience at your ceremony and reception location-if they do they will know the requirements, rules, and restrictions for those venues. Do they have experience with large guest lists? Or large wedding parties? (Surprisingly – a large wedding party can be one of the hardest parts on the Day-of)
What Are Your Prices & What Do They Include?
Before asking this question I would ask yourselves-What do you want in a Wedding Planner? Or What does your venue require for a Wedding Planner. As explained earlier, some venues require at least a Day-of Coordinator. So, in that case find out how the venue would define a Day-of Coordinator (they could need a certain amount of insurance, etc) and find a Wedding Planner that can fulfill those requirements.
If you are getting a Wedding Planner because you WANT a Wedding Planner then talk with your partner about how much help and handholding you will need. Then find a planner that will offer services that will match your needs. Many Wedding Planners will be able to customize a package for you-don’t feel embarrassed to ask.
The cost of wedding planners may be a surprise, especially for Day-of Coordinators. Most will think that the cost is high but what you don’t see is all the behind the scenes work that they do to prepare for the Day-of.
Ask your planner if there are packages that they offer or if there are services that can be booked ala carte. Make sure to understand what the cost will include and verify that all this is in the contract. Ask if there are any additional fees, for example, travel fees, supply costs, taxes, etc. Also ask about their cancellation policy and add that date to your calendar just in case.
How Will We Be Communicating?
COMMUNICATION IS KEY! This is true in all aspects of your life and especially in wedding planning.
Are you the type of person that needs a response to your emails within 2 business days or can wait a week to hear back from them. Do you prefer email or a phone call? Let your planner know. The planner will let you know how they work and how they communicate and if they are a right fit.
Planners may also have a set communication schedule, for example: 1 meeting at the 12, 6, and month mark then bi-weekly meetings. Ask the planner what meeting schedule has worked best for them and really reflect on if that will work for you.
Are there any vendors that you recommend? Why do you recommend them?
Many planners will have a preferred vendors list. Ask them for this and ask why they chose to have them on that list. The reasons that they offer will be an eye opener to how they work and how they work with other vendors.
Ask your planner if they will be assisting you with booking the vendors – setting up meetings, reviewing contracts, etc. Also ask how much interaction they will have with the vendors before your special day. Will they be sending a customized timeline to each vendor? Will they meet each vendor as they arrive at the venue? Will they double check that all items on the contract have been provided?
How do you handle the unexpected?
Having a plan for the unexpected is MANDATORY! Planners need to be ready for weather issues, late vendors, wandering wedding parties, etc. Ask them what they would do and what experience they have with each. Ask them for examples and how they handled it.
At the weddings that I worked at the most stressful (and entertaining) events included family issues. There was one time that we had to be on the lookout for a specific person that could crash the wedding. We had a pix of the person and everything! I think my two favorite requests were:
- Don’t let Aunty So&So have the microphone because she will start singing. Guess what! She got the microphone! So we had to work with the DJ to turn down the mic and start playing music. All without trying to embarrass her.
- Uncle So&So will try to steal the centerpiece. We had to have eyes on him the whole time and stopped him at the door to explain that the centerpiece are all promised to other guests. He wasn’t happy.
Hiring a Wedding Planner is going to be one of the most important (if not the most important) vendors for your wedding. So take the time to ask these 5 critical questions.
