Questions to ask
The questions that change the answer.
What to ask every wedding vendor before you pay a deposit — and, more usefully, what a good answer sounds like and what should worry you.
Most "questions to ask your vendor" lists are harmless and useless: twenty questions, no indication of what you are listening for. A question is only worth asking if you know how to read the reply.
So every question below comes with what a good answer sounds like and what should make you pause. Start here — these apply to every vendor you will hire — then use the guide for the specific trade.
The contract
Can I see the contract before I pay anything?
What to listen forAny professional says yes immediately and sends it. Hesitation, or a deposit requested before you have read terms, is the single clearest warning sign in this entire list. Read the cancellation, postponement and substitution clauses before the price.
What is the payment schedule, and what is actually refundable?
What to listen forA typical structure is a non-refundable retainer to hold the date plus a balance due days or weeks before. That is normal. What you want stated plainly is which portion is refundable and until when - and 'we would work something out' is not a term, it is a feeling.
What happens if we postpone?
What to listen forSince 2020 most vendors have a written postponement policy. A good answer names a window, says whether the retainer transfers, and is honest that a new date depends on availability. No policy at all in 2026 suggests they have not thought about the most likely disruption to your wedding.
What happens if you cannot make it?
What to listen forYou want a named arrangement: a professional network they would call, a second shooter or associate who could step in, a refund position if nobody can. 'That has never happened' is not a plan, and it is the answer that should worry you most.
Their business, not their portfolio
Do you carry liability insurance, and can you send a certificate?
What to listen forYes, and they can produce it the same day - many venues require it, so professionals have the document ready. A vendor who has never been asked for one has not worked many real venues.
How many weddings are you taking that weekend?
What to listen forOne is ideal. Two is common and workable if they have separate teams. A vendor doing a Friday, Saturday and Sunday is tired by the time they reach yours, and you should know that going in.
Who will I actually be dealing with between now and the wedding?
What to listen forLarger companies hand you from sales to operations to a day-of lead. That is fine when it is disclosed. It is not fine when you discover it a week out.
How quickly do you normally reply?
What to listen forJudge this by what already happened rather than what they say. A vendor who took nine days to answer your first enquiry will not become faster once they have your deposit.
Money questions people avoid
Is there anything not in this quote that I will end up paying?
What to listen forTravel, overtime, meals, parking, delivery, setup, strike, rush fees and taxes are the usual omissions. A confident vendor will list them unprompted. Ask for the all-in number for your specific wedding, not the package price.
Do you receive anything for recommending other vendors?
What to listen forReferral fees and kickbacks are common in this industry and are not always disclosed. An honest answer is either 'no' or 'yes, and here is how it works'. It matters because it tells you whether a recommendation is an opinion or a commission.
What does gratuity look like for your team?
What to listen forAsk before the day so you can budget it. Some contracts include a service charge that is not gratuity, which means you may be tipping on top without realising it.
Then ask the trade-specific ones
A photographer and a caterer fail in completely different ways. These cover what is particular to each.
How to actually use these
- Ask by email where you can. A written answer is a record, and vendors are more precise in writing. Verbal assurances about overtime and cancellation have a way of evaporating.
- Ask the awkward ones anyway. Referral fees, backup plans and what happens if they cannot make it are exactly the questions people skip because they feel rude. A professional expects them.
- Notice how they answer, not just what they answer. A vendor who is annoyed you asked about the cancellation clause is showing you how they will behave when something goes wrong.
- Get the answers into the contract. A promise made in an email is worth far less than the same promise as a clause. If it matters, ask for it in writing in the agreement.
Why a wedding site can publish this
Ours can, because vendors do not pay us for leads, for bookings, or for position. Rankings can't be bought on Lazo at any price, and every review comes from a couple who proved they actually held their wedding with that vendor. A platform funded by vendor advertising would find a page about spotting a vendor who is managing you considerably harder to write.