How To Select A Wedding Planner: 7 Qualities to Look For

Sep 11

Spoiler alert – selecting a wedding planner is not just about finding an immediate relief to your wedding planning stress. It is SO much more.

Think about it – you will talk to this person for endless hours (over roughly 12 months) hashing out the details of the most important day EVER. When that day approaches, they’ll be the one making sure you and your fiancé are blissful, relaxed and everything looks and feels exactly the way you wanted.

They will get to know your family and the bond between you and your fiancé on a level so deep that they might as well be invited to Thanksgiving. Basically, you’re going to want to trust this person with your life.

That’s why selecting the right wedding planner is so important.

Not to worry, friends! We’re giving you the 7 qualities you should look for when trying to select a wedding planner.

1. Their planning style aligns with your lifestyle

Are you a busy, full-time employee hustling Monday through Friday, 9-5? Then you need a wedding planner with a flexible weekend and/or weeknight schedule to accommodate meetings outside of your work hours.

Are you living in a different time zone than your planner? Then you need a planner who can regularly accommodate meetings either late at night or early in the morning.

Identify when your wedding planning time fits within your schedule, first. When looking for a wedding planner, ask them what their typical hours and availability look like and understand how your schedules and lifestyle realistically fit together.

You don’t want to have to put your life on hold every time you need to talk to your wedding planner.

2. Their planning process is transparent

If you want to be very involved in your planning process, your wedding planner should be able to efficiently collaborate and include you along the way. This means great communication, easy to follow organization, and ways to keep the planning progress transparent.

Ask the planners you’re interviewing about their planning techniques, software and strategies in place to keep you in the loop every step of the way. You don’t want any surprises when it comes to wedding planning. It can be stressful enough already!

3. They specialize in planning your dream wedding

If you broke your wrist and need a doctor, why would you go to a pediatrist? Yes, you need a doctor, but the right kind of doctor. The same is true for wedding planners. If a traditional, religious wedding is important to you, look for planners who specialize in weddings celebrating your specific religion or culture. If you’re set on a destination wedding, you’ll want a wedding planner who specifically offers destination wedding packages (psssssstttt - that’s kind of our thing!)

It’s a lot easier to plan with an expert who already knows what you need. For example, if you are planning a destination wedding, they will already know how to help you navigate exchange rates, foreign transaction fees and V.A.T. taxes, language barriers, travel tips and all of the other nuances of destination wedding planning you may not have even realized!

You’ll want to feel guided every step of the way which is a lot easier when you work with a planner who already understands your unique needs.

4. You feel comfortable with how they charge fees

Do you like the idea of fixed, transparent pricing when it comes to paying your wedding planner? Then you’ll want a planner who charges a fixed package price, so you aren’t hit with a surprise bill based on hourly work or a percentage of your final budget.

Is it important for you to pay your vendors directly and not through your planner? Then you’ll be looking for a planner who supports this process and will help you keep vendor costs low and track payment methods and schedules.

It is not uncommon for planners to take back end deals and commission from vendors when they connect you. Unfortunately, there might also be some hidden mark-up costs. Make sure your planner charges flat, fixed fees and passes along their vendor discounts to you directly whenever possible. This way you know your planner is recommending the best vendors for YOU, not just the ones who give them kick-backs.

When looking to select a wedding planner, ask them these questions upfront and make sure you are comfortable with how you will be charged for their services.

5. You communicate really well together

On your consultation call, did you feel heard? Did they take the time to learn about how you want your wedding to look and feel?

Good communication with your wedding planner is imperative. You shouldn’t feel like you’re being steamrolled during your planning process. Remember, your wedding is special and one of a kind, just like you and your partner – it’s important that you feel your wedding planner understands your unique needs.

You should also understand how their preferred methods of communication align with yours (Zoom vs. email vs. text vs. phone call, etc.) and how that will affect your planning process.

When interviewing wedding planners, make sure to assess your communication compatibility as a whole.

6. They offer the level of involvement you need

If you are completely confused by this whole wedding planning thing and need help from A to Z, you’ll need a wedding planner who offers a full-service package to help you every step of the way.

If you don’t need complete hand holding and you have the time to plan your wedding but just need a wedding consultant/an expert to help keep you on track, you’ll want a package that can be customized to fit your specific needs.

You might only be looking for a wedding coordinator to show up at your wedding on the big day to run everything smoothly. In which case, you’ll want a planner who offers day-of or month-of coordination.

After learning more about a few planners’ packages, you and your fiancé will be able to better identify the level of help you need. Hold out for the package that is perfect for you!

7. They could be your friend IRL

You won’t constantly be positive and stress-free during the year leading up to your wedding. It’s a year of transition for many couples. You could be facing a stressful job, a move, starting a family, buying a house or balancing your family’s wants for the wedding with your own. During the good and the bad times, you’re going to be working closely with your wedding planner.

Check your compatibility. Is this someone you could get along with in real life? Can you vent to them? Can you go to drinks with them? Can you ugly cry in front of them?

A wedding planner becomes a friend. If you don’t see this compatibility happening up front, this could be a sign that you haven’t found the right match. The last thing you want is to feel uncomfortable being yourself (even your wine-drunk-mascara-running-just-finished-arguing-with-family self) around your wedding planner…

A wedding planner is an investment to ensure your wedding planning process will be smooth and enjoyable and your wedding day will be EPIC. They will free up your time to do the things you love while you enjoy being engaged. Selecting a wedding planner shouldn’t come down to the first planner you find, nor should it be who is the most budget friendly. Do your research and look for these qualities to know which wedding planner to select for YOU!