If you’re in the early stages of wedding planning, you’re probably now aware of just how much work you have ahead of you. While it may seem daunting, wedding planning is a process and one that follows a logical order to get things done.

If you’re not familiar with dealing with vendors and suppliers, or arranging large-scale events such as a wedding, we’re here to help. Not only can we arrange much of your day for you, we also produce informative blog posts like these!

This post is all about the important questions you need to ask your suppliers. Many of them are common sense, others not so much. Feel free to print them off and take them with you when you speak to them. They might save you time, money and effort if you do!

Wedding planner

If you’re using a wedding planner, they are going to be your go-to person for everything to do with your big day. Having a friendly, productive relationship with them is essential, so make sure you get the information you need before you start.

Questions to ask include:

What’s included in your services?

Are there extra costs or fees?

How many weddings of this type and budget have you planned?

Can we have what we want within our budget?

How often and how will we contact each other?

How do you handle emergencies?

Do you understand our vision and can you deliver it?

Wedding venue or caterer

One of the most memorable things about any wedding day is the food. Sad but true. So that makes it essential that your caterer is up to the job. Many wedding venues will provide these services, so ask these questions to whoever is providing your food.

Do you have a signature dish or style?

What recommendations would you make for my budget/theme/time of year?

When can you schedule a tasting?

Do you provide waiting staff, if so, how many?

Can we have some references we can contact?

Is alcohol included in the price?

Is dinnerware and glasses included in the price?

Wedding florist

A wedding is not a wedding without flowers, so it’s important that they be perfect for your big day. Ensuring you and your florist are on the same page is essential for delivering the perfect look on the day.

Questions to ask include:

Do you have a signature style or speciality?

Can we see your wedding portfolio?

What will be in season for our wedding date?

How many weddings do you do on a given day?

Do you have samples?

What’s the price of each item and how do you charge?

Who will be making my bouquets, you personally?

What’s the timeline for preparation and delivery?

Wedding photographer

It’s the photographer’s job to immortalise your wedding day forever in the best way possible. Working with them ensures they do not annoy you and will do the best job they can on the day.

Questions to ask include:

How long have you been a wedding photographer and is it your main focus?

What is your style? Fashion? Journalistic? Documentary?

Do you have portfolios of entire wedding albums we can see?

What makes you different from other photographers?

Can we have some references to check?

Will you be the photographer on the day and will you have an assistant?

Are you familiar with the various locations for the wedding?

What are your contingency plans for bad weather, equipment malfunction, etc?

Wedding officiate

Whether you’re having a religious ceremony or a civil one, you’re going to want to know how much freedom you have and what to expect. They are a big part of the wedding, so it pays to ask these questions as early as you can.

Does our lack of or different faith matter?

How many times do we meet before the wedding day?

How much of the ceremony can we personalise?

Can we write our own vows?

Do you have any specific requirements to marry us?

How many weddings will you officiate on a given day?

How much time do you allocate each wedding and how much between weddings?

Those are just some of the important questions you need to ask your wedding vendors and suppliers when you’re planning your big day. As we said, most of them are obvious, but others are vital but don’t occur to many couples until after the meeting. Make sure you’re not one of those by using this list!