Begin with the experience, not the moodboard
Describe the celebration you want your guests to experience from arrival to the final goodbye. Set out the number of events, provisional guest count, regions you are considering and the decisions already made. Keep confirmed arrangements separate from ideas.
Then describe your creative direction: the spaces, atmosphere and bridal wardrobe that matter to you. A concise brief gives a planner room to bring their own judgement while making your expectations clear. Include your intended spending scope privately; explain whether travel, accommodation and the wider weekend sit inside it.
- What should feel personal to you?
- Which decisions would you like to make together, and which would you like someone to manage?
- Which guest needs require individual attention?
Ask what the service actually covers
Do not assume that similarly named services include the same work. Ask each planner for a written description of their responsibilities, deliverables and event dates. Separate creative design, supplier coordination, guest support and on-site production in the proposal.
If a venue has its own coordinator, ask how that role connects with your planner. Clarify who owns each task, who communicates with suppliers and who is the point of contact during the celebrations. Record the handover between teams rather than relying on an informal understanding.
- Who leads the project, and who attends each event?
- Who coordinates room allocations, transfers and guest communications?
- Are welcome and farewell events included?
- Which tasks remain with us or another provider?
Look beyond the finished photograph
Ask to discuss an example that resembles the complexity of your plans. You are looking for an explanation of decisions, coordination and contingencies as well as a visual point of view. Ask what the planner personally handled and which other teams contributed.
If references are offered, agree a respectful route for contacting them and ask questions about communication, decision-making and the experience on the day. Request permission before contacting past clients. A portfolio image alone does not establish responsibility for the event or prove how a team works.
- How did the team resolve a change of plan?
- How were guest arrivals and the different event spaces coordinated?
- How will our indoor alternative and supplier handovers be prepared?
Make the working relationship visible
Agree how you will communicate, review proposals and approve spending. Ask for an example schedule of planning milestones and find out how progress is recorded. Choose a process that suits the way you make decisions, including how you would like private family details to be handled.
Clarify how supplier suggestions are selected and whether commissions or other commercial relationships affect a recommendation. Ask how changes to your brief, guest count or event programme are quoted and approved. Keep decisions in a shared record that both parties can refer to.
Compare the whole proposal
Compare fees alongside the stated service, team and number of events. Ask which expenses, travel, taxes or additional staffing appear separately and how they will be confirmed. Request a schedule of payments and identify which party holds each supplier agreement.
For cancellation, rescheduling, responsibility and contractual commitments, read the actual documents and take suitable professional advice if needed. These questions are a starting point for a conversation; they do not replace advice on your particular agreement. We do not quote an average planning fee or recommend a named provider in this guide.
Take a focused question list to the next conversation
After each meeting, write a short note about what was clear, what remains unanswered and whether the creative approach feels aligned. Ask for the outstanding details in writing before choosing. Give the relationship and the proposal the same attention you give the setting.
- Who is responsible for the complete wedding weekend?
- What is included, what is optional and what is still to be quoted?
- How do we approve suppliers, spending and changes?
- How are guest information and private details handled?
- What happens if a space, supplier or event plan changes?
Sources
Something needs a closer look? Our corrections approach.
