Questions to ask a wedding planner
Not just what to ask — what a good answer sounds like, and what should worry you.
Planning is the one category where the words mean different things at different companies. Two planners can quote the same price for wildly different amounts of work, and the only way to compare them is to make each describe the job rather than the tier.
These are specific to wedding planners. The questions worth asking every vendor — contracts, deposits, cancellation, insurance and referral fees — are on the main questions page, and you should ask those too.
What you are actually buying
Walk me through everything you do, month by month, from now until the wedding.
What to listen forThis question is impossible to answer vaguely. A planner who has done the job describes a sequence. One who cannot is selling you a title.
What is explicitly not included?
What to listen forDesign, rentals sourcing, RSVP management, guest accommodation, rehearsal dinner, day-after brunch and travel are frequently excluded from packages couples assume are comprehensive.
How many weddings do you run in a month, and who else is on my team?
What to listen forOne planner running six weddings a month is not giving any of them the attention the sales conversation implied. Ask how work is distributed and who will be on site.
Whose side they are on
Do you take commission from vendors you recommend?
What to listen forThis is the most important question in this category and it is rarely asked. Some planners receive referral fees, which is legal and common - but it means a recommendation may not be purely about fit. An honest planner answers directly either way.
What happens if I want a vendor who is not on your preferred list?
What to listen forA good planner works with anyone competent and tells you their honest reservations. A planner who resists without a specific reason may be protecting a relationship rather than your wedding.
Tell me about a wedding that went wrong and what you did.
What to listen forEveryone with real experience has one. The answer shows you how they think under pressure and whether they take responsibility. 'Nothing has ever gone wrong' means either inexperience or unwillingness to be straight with you.
The day itself
What time do you arrive and when do you leave?
What to listen forSome packages cover ten hours, which does not stretch from an 8am setup to a midnight strike. Find the gap now rather than at 11pm on your wedding night.
Who handles vendor payments and gratuities on the day?
What to listen forIdeally them, from envelopes you prepare in advance. If it is you, that is a job you have just been given without being told.
Common questions
What should I ask a wedding planner before hiring them?
Ask them to describe month by month what they will do, what is explicitly excluded, how many weddings they run per month, whether they take commission from vendors they recommend, and what time they arrive and leave on the day.
Do wedding planners get kickbacks from vendors?
Some do - referral fees are legal and common in the industry. It does not make a planner dishonest, but it does mean a recommendation may not be purely about fit for you. Ask directly; a good planner will answer either way.
How do I compare two wedding planner quotes?
Not by tier name - 'partial planning' means different things at different companies. Make each describe the actual work month by month and list what is excluded, then compare those descriptions rather than the labels.
Why we can publish this
Most wedding sites are paid by the vendors they list, which makes a page about spotting a vendor who is managing you a difficult thing to write. Lazo charges nothing per lead and nothing per booking, and rankings can't be bought at any price — so we have no reason to soften any of the above. If a wedding planner gives you one of the answers we've flagged, that is worth knowing before you pay a deposit.
Wedding Planners on Lazo
We index 8,700+ wedding planners across 108 markets. Every review comes from a couple who proved they actually got married with that vendor.