When you are searching for a wedding planner, there are many extremely important questions that you should be asking. Many questions pertain to the qualifications they offer which have the responsibility for the most important day (thus far) of your life.
PRELIMINARY QUESTIONS TO ASK A POTENTIAL WEDDING PLANNER:
- How did you become a wedding planner?
- Have you worked for other planners?
- What qualifications do you have other than on-the job training?
- If you are new in the event industry, what is your previous career?
- Is wedding planning your full-time job?
- What are your strengths?
- What is your process as a planner, do you offer documents to outline your process? (They should answer with a checklist, deposit tracker, timeline) or send you a proposal with these items
- Do you have a business license registered as an LLC or S-Corp?
- Do you have business insurance?
A large reason why I decided to start my business as an event planner is because I worked on the venue side for fourteen years, and I saw many event planners take advantage of clients. They were paid a flat fee by the client, often a lower fee to secure the business. They would then recommend their preferred vendors, and the referrals would send a check to the planner without the client’s knowledge. They receive trade discounts with rental companies and receive commissions. Additionally, many who have an IATA number receive commissions from your guestroom blocks. Not only are they increasing costs for the host, but they are also increasing costs for your guests.
I know this to be true, because I was the venue sending the checks to the client without the client’s knowledge. They were often paid tens of thousands in addition to their flat fee.
QUESTIONS TO ASK POTENTIAL WEDDING PLANNERS TO ENSURE THEY ARE ETHICAL:
- Do you accept any commissions directly from the venue/talent/vendors which is paid directly to you?
- Are you willing to include a clause in the contract that states you will not accept any commissions/kickbacks from the venue/talent/vendors?
- Are you willing to include your name in the contract stating you are our main contact and we will communicate with the owner directly and throughout the process?
You may not believe that the vendor or venue are paying out commissions. Some businesses do not accept, we are a rare breed! There are companies in financial trouble who simply do not want to deal with the IRS, so they avoid paying commissions altogether. However, most do offer commission and increase the price 10 to 25 percent and then send the check directly to the planner when the event is completed.
I have personally been in situations where the first wedding planner was fired, and I was hired as the second planner. The venue asked me if they should send the commission check to me or the first planner. I would like to say I was shocked, but I was not surprised. I told the venue that it was their decision if they would like to pay the first planner, but I do not accept commissions of any type.
There are often times that the client was referred a vendor or venue from a friend, and the planner still requests a commission. This may become quite cumbersome and creates animosity within the event industry. This is why I decided not to accept commissions when I started my business. I do not wish to be chasing down vendors and venues for checks and bullying them into paying me when the business should be referred by the quality-of-service level and product.
Regarding service, if you are paying for a luxury level of service, you should be experiencing luxury communication. My clients typically do not have to wait more than ten minutes for a response, and if I have back-to-back meetings, I let my clients know in advance so that they know there will be a delay in response. Are you type-A? If so, you may want to ask questions that are in alignment with your response expectations.
QUESTIONS TO ASK A POTENTIAL WEDDING PLANNER TO ENSURE THEY PROVIDE THE LEVEL OF SERVICE YOU DESIRE:
- What is your response time to emails?
- Are we allowed to text? If so, will you text after office hours?
- How often do we schedule meetings?
- Will your event planner attend all meetings in-person?
- Will you be working with the owner the entire time and on the wedding day? Or will they pass you to an assistant?
There are clues to determine if the planner is Type-A. Did he/she send you a calendar invitation for your meeting? Did they follow up within one week after the meeting? Do they include an organized method of planning which involves shared documents to keep you on track with deadlines? Jessica Jordan Events includes all Type-A methods, if you are interested in setting up a consultation, please contact us!