Selecting your wedding vendor team is one of the most important parts of planning a wedding. They will play such a huge role on your wedding day, and there are so many choices, it can feel like such an overwhelming task to find the right ones for you.
In Episode 82 of The Wedding Planning Collective Podcast, I go over:
What wedding vendors you need?
What order do you book your wedding vendors in?
How to find your wedding vendors?
The wedding vendor inquiry process.
If you're in the early stages of wedding planning, it's an episode you don't want to miss! Once you're ready to meet with vendors though, what questions should you be asking them in the inquiry process? Here's a list of all all the questions by category that you should be asking, other than "Do you have my date available?", and "How much does it cost?"
Questions to Ask Potential Wedding Venues
How is pricing determined?
What is the comfortable capacity with room for a dance floor?
Will there be other weddings/events at the venue on the same day?
What is included in the rental? (Tables, chairs, linens, plates, glasses, etc)
Is there an onsite coordinator? If so, what is their role on the wedding day?
Are there any vendor requirements, or can we hire anyone we’d like? Do they have preferred vendors to work with?
Do you require liability insurance from us or our vendors?
Are real candles, flower petals, confetti, sparklers allowed?
Do you have rooms for the wedding party to get ready in?
What time do we have access to the venue? How about vendors?
How long do you have at the end of the night to clean up?
Do you have separate spaces for ceremony & reception?
Where are the restrooms for the guests?
Is parking included? Valet?
Is there coat check included?
What are the back up plans for outdoor locations?
What are the options for the ceremony rehearsal?
Does your staff take care of setting up tables, linens, chairs, etc?
What is the cancellation or reschedule policy?
If hotel venue - do you offer complementary wedding suites or guest room block rates?
Questions to Ask Potential Wedding Caterers & Bartenders-
This may be a separate company, if you're looking at having a backyard wedding, or wedding at a unique venue.
Are you licensed/insured?
Have you worked at our venue before?
Can we supply alcohol?
Do you supply the mixers?
Do you supply plates, flatware, linens?
What’s included in your menu packages?
Do you allow menu adjustments?
Do you offer bar staffing?
Does your staff set the tables? (Plates, flatware, glasses)
Are staff gratuities included in the pricing? If not, what’s the preferred rate and way to handle them? Do you allow tip jars on bar as an alternative?
How are tastings handled?
When do you need final counts by?
Do you prepare extra meals?
How do you handle kids meals? Vendor meals?
What do you do with leftovers?
How do you prepare and bring food to event (if not prepared onsite)?
What space, tables, etc will you need for a catering prep area (non-traditional venue)
Does staff stay through the end to continue clearing glassware through the end of the event?
How do you handle allergies and dietary restrictions?
How is pricing determined
Questions to Ask Potential Wedding Planners
What services do you offer? Full, partial, month of, day of coordination, etc.?
How long have you been planning weddings?
Have you worked at our venue(s) before?
Do you have photos or reviews of weddings you have done? From our venue?
What are your payment plans? Cancellation policies? Deposit requirements? Travel fees?
How does the planning process work? What is your preferred method of communication, and how often can we expect to hear from you?
Do you offer design help as well as planning? How does that work?
Can you work within our budget? Do we make the payments to the vendors, or do you?
Do you help us with vendor recommendations and how many? Are there required vendors that we would have to work with?
Do you communicate with vendors, and/or attend meetings with or for us?
Do you receive any commissions or payments from any of the vendors you recommend?
Do you use any planning software that we would have access to use?
Do you help us create a budget plan, the wedding timeline, etc?
Do you have any extra fees?
Will you be working our wedding on the day? Do you have assistants?
What is your contingency plan if something happens to you?
What time do you arrive and leave?
How do you handle conflicts or issues on the day of?
Are you insured?
Do you attend the ceremony rehearsal? The dinner?
Questions to Ask Potential Wedding Florists
Have you worked with our venue(s)before? Do you visit prior to the wedding?
How do you price your services? Packages, itemized, etc?
Do you have a minimum budget? What is the payment schedule?
Do you include pick up at the end of the wedding? Would we need to return anything?
Is there an extra charge to drop off personal flowers (bouquets and boutonnieres) to a different location?
Can I see examples of your work and previous weddings you have done at our venue?
Based on our budget, what flowers and design ideas do you recommend?
Do you help with ideas to maximize our budget? Ie. Repurposing flowers from ceremony, using in season flowers, etc.
What types of vases do you use?
Do you offer any other rentals for the wedding décor? Some florists also help with linens, chairs, chargers, etc.
Can you provide flowers for our cake? Extra flowers for flat lay pictures?
Can you help preserve my bouquets or have suggestions for me?
Are you insured? Your venue may require this.
Questions to Ask Potential Wedding Photographers
Have you worked at our venue(s) before? How do you enjoy working there?
How long have you been a wedding photographer?
What are your packages and suggestions for my wedding?
What style is your editing? Can we make requests for different styles?
Do you have additional lights you bring? Do you have additional cameras you bring?
Do you focus on wedding details shots, like flat lays and reception details?
How long does it take to receive all the photos back after the wedding?
Do you provide sneak peeks? When would we receive them?
Do you have any travel fees?
How many hours are included in your service?
Do you include a second photographer in your package or is that extra?
Can you help us with posing? Can I send you my pose ideas?
Can you help recommened photo locations around our venue(s)?
Do you help us create our family photo list?
Do you offer prints/albums, or a print release for us to have those made elsewhere?
Do you provide a digital gallery after the wedding?
Do you have any special needs for the day of?
Would we meet before the wedding?
Is an engagement session included in the package?
Do you have any special needs like food restrictions we need to keep in mind?
Questions to Ask Potential Videographers
Have you worked at our venue(s) before? How do you enjoy working there?
Have you worked with our photographer before?
How long have you been a wedding videographer?
What are your packages and suggestions for my wedding?
What style is your editing? Can we make requests for different styles?
Do you have additional lights you bring? Do you have additional cameras you bring?
Do you focus on wedding details shots, like flat lays and reception details?
How long does it take to receive all the video back after the wedding?
Do you do a recap video as well as the full length video?
Do you have any travel fees?
How many hours are included in your service?
Do you include a second videographer in your package or is that extra?
Do you provide mics and how many?
Do we need to record our vows at a separate time for video overlay?
Do you pick the music for our video? Do we give you suggestions?
How do we receive the final video?
Do you have any special needs for the day of?
Would we meet before the wedding?
Do you have any special needs like food restrictions we need to keep in mind?
Questions to Ask Potential Wedding DJs
Have you worked with our venue(s)before?
What packages do you offer? Can it include the ceremony and cocktail hour music?
How long have you been a wedding DJ? How many weddings do you do per year?
Who would be our DJ for the wedding?
Do you/your DJ’s have backup equipment in case something goes wrong?
Do you provide dancefloor lighting, uplighting, or photo booths?
What does your DJ set up look like? Do you put out signs/promo material?
Will we need to provide anything for your (table, linen, powercords, etc)?
How do you handle the ceremony music? Does it come with a mic for the officiant?
How do you create playlists? Are we able to make suggestions/requests?
Do you take requests from guests?
What do you do to motivate a crowd if my guests are not dancing?
Do you handle the MC roll when it comes to making announcements?
What are your payment plan options?
Do you work with our venue and planner on the timeline?
Are you insured?
Do you have food restrictions?
Questions to Ask Potential Wedding Bands
In addition to the majority of the questions for DJ's, also ask:
How long have you been performing together? Is it the same group of musicians, or are they contract for each event?
How many/often do you require breaks? Do you play music during this time?
How many band members are there total?
Can you provide musicians to also play the ceremony & cocktail hour?
How much floor space to you need, not including the dance floor? Do you require a stage or risers?
Do any of your band members have food restrictions? Do we need to provide a greenroom for the band members for dinner/breaks?
Questions to Ask Potential Wedding Officiants
Have you worked at our venue before?
How long have you been a wedding officiant?
Do you offer/require anything in regards to pre-marriage counseling?
Will you help us create the actual ceremony script?
Can we include/exclude any religious components?
How long can we expect the ceremony to run?
Can we write our own vows? Or are you able to help us write our vows?
How many times would we meet?
Do you attend the rehearsal? Is there an extra fee?
Do you help line up our family and wedding party before the ceremony?
What are your fees, deposit, and cancellation policies? Travel costs?
Do you have a backup plan if you cannot attend the wedding for any reason?
Can we preview or approve the ceremony script?
Can you help instruct us on when/how to apply for the marriage license? Do you mail in or submit the license after the wedding?
Questions to Ask Potential Wedding Rental Companies
Have you worked at our venue(s) before?
Are there any extra fees associated with the venue? (some companies charge extra if the venue has a challenging load in process)
Will you work with the venue to schedule the delivery and pickup?
What are the prices, payment plans, deposits needed, extra fees, etc
How do you handle final counts?
Are we able to increase/decrease our counts?
Is there a fee for increasing/decreasing counts?
At what point do we need to give you guaranteed numbers by?
What happens if something breaks, gets stained, or damaged in any way?
Will your team deliver and pick up the products?
Will they just drop off, or will the items be set according to the layout?
Is there an added charge to have them set up?
What condition do the items need to be returned in? (Ex., do plates/dishes need to be washed?)
For larger items like tents:
Do you need to do a site visit and/or get approvals for power lines?
When do you set up and take down the tent?
Can we cancel the tent if we don’t end up needing it because of weather?
Do you install & set up things like lights, dance floor, bars, etc, or will we be responsible for that?
Questions to Ask Potential Wedding Transportation Companies
Are you licensed and insured?
What’s the hiring/training process for your drivers?
What are the different options of vehicles for our size group?
Can we change the locations for pickup/drop off if needed?
Are we able to change the vehicle size if our count goes up/down?
Can we add time if we need to at the end of the night?
Is gratuity for the driver included?
How much notice is required for booking the service?
Are we given a phone number to reach the driver in case we need to update our time/location?
Questions to Ask Potential Wedding Hair & Makeup Artists
How long have you been wedding HMU stylist?
Can I see photos of your previous work?
Will you come to us at the hotel/venue?
Do you have a minimum amount of services for weddings?
If you travel to us, what will we need to provide for you (stools, power cords, mirrors, etc.)?
Do you work alone or do you need an assistant? What are those fees?
Are you comfortable with different ethnicities, mature skin, etc? Are you comfortable with all kinds of hair?
Can you accommodate allergies, sensitive skin, etc? What brands do you use?
Do you offer additional services (airbrush, spray tan, lashes, etc.)?
If we need to be done by ______, what time will we need to start?
Do you provide extra lip product, hair spray, and/or other products for touchups?
How do you schedule trials? Is there an added fee?
What are your deposit requirements and cancellation policies? Are there travel fees?
Can bridesmaids bring inspiration photos?
Are you licensed? Do you have insurance?
Questions to Ask Potential Wedding Bakers
Have you worked a wedding at my venue before?
How long have you been making wedding cakes?
Are you licensed?
Can I see examples of your work?
What ingredients do you prefer working with? Ie. fondant, buttercream, sugar flowers, etc.
What flavors of cake and fillings do you offer?
Do you make cupcakes, or sheetcakes?
Do you offer tastings? Is there a fee for them?
Do you offer vegan, gluten free, or other allergy options?
Do you offer other dessert items if we wanted to do a sweets table?
How is pricing structured?
What is your cancellation policy, deposit requirement, payment plan, etc?
Do you deliver to my venue? Is there a fee?
If a sweets table, will you set up and tear down the display items?
Will we need to return anything after the wedding?
How do you transport the cake? What happens if it arrives damaged?
Will you place fresh flowers on the cake, if we order them from the florist?
Do you have any additional fees?