Questions to Ask your Wedding Vendors
Our team of wedding planners get this question from our couples all the time…
“What should I be asking such-and-such vendor?!”
And we know it’s a tough one. There are lots of lists out there of all kinds of great questions to ask individual vendors, but what if they were all in one place? So here they are, BW Studio’s top questions to ask each vendor by category!
Let us know if you’re still missing someone and we can add them.
Todd James Photography
Basic Questions you’ll ask any vendor:
Do you have my date available?
How many weddings have you done? How long have you been in business?
How many events do you do per year? Per weekend?
Can you work with my budget? Or are you within my budget?
(Please have some kind of budget in mind for every vendor you talk to! Saying “won’t break the bank” or “inexpensive” is really tough to work from because something that is expensive to one person is not to another. Help vendors out and let them know what your goal numbers are and they can point you in the right direction if they aren’t a good fit.)Do you offer specific packages, or is every package customized? What sort of add-ons are available?
Do you charge a delivery fee? Transportation fee? Set up or take down fee?
How far in advance should I secure your services?
Do you have lots of other couples interested in my date range?
When can I expect to receive a contract/updated proposal?
How much of a deposit is required to hold your services? What kind of payment plan do you offer? Can I break my payments up into smaller amounts or is everything due at a certain time?
What is your refund policy? Cancelation policy? Rescheduling policy? COVID policy?
Venues
Venues are usually the first vendor you start talking to and the toughest one to think of all the right things to ask and say!! So go with the flow, take the tour, and take your time. And know that you can always go back and ask more questions later if you have them. You don’t have to make a decision on the spot.
How many people does the space accommodate?
What the walking or drive distance from your ceremony location? Nearest hotel? Nearest transportation or whatever might be important to you?
Is the venue near guest hotels? Do you have partnerships with any of them? Or recommend any of them?
What kind of aesthetic features do they offer? (Chandeliers, uplights, outdoor spaces, etc.)
What kind of additional services do they offer? (In house catering, tables, chairs, linens, etc.)
Does the venue offer outdoor spaces? If so, what’s the back plan or rain plan?
How many hours does the rental cover?
Is the rental fee inclusive of a food and beverage minimum? Or just a room rental?
What kind of restrictions does the space have? (Confetti, open flames, no music past 11pm, etc.)
How many events do they host in one day? One weekend?
Do you have dedicated staff the day of the event?
Do you require any additional insurance?
Can the couple hire outside vendors? Do they have a preferred vendor list?
Can you provide your own alcohol?
Are you allowed to rearrange any of the in house furniture?
Anything else you wish couples knew about the space?
Louie Abellera Photography
Photographer
A lot you learn about the photographer is based on the aesthetics and approach to how they take their photos! The add-on and capabilities are great, but deep down you want to make sure you’re excited to know this person and have them up in your face all day long at your wedding or event!!
Can I see a full gallery from two weddings you've done in the past around the same time as my event? Or from the same venue location?
Have you shot a wedding at my venue? (Them having working AT your venue is not terribly important, don’t let this guide your decision making. But it’s good to know.)
How would you describe your photography style in a few words?
How does your retouching or color balancing/editing process work?
What input do you want from us, and what do you prefer to have the final say on?
We really like candid/natural shots, not all just posed, will that be something you can accommodate easily? Or the reverse…. We really need help with posing for shots, I don’t know what to do with my hands, will that be something you can accommodate easily?
Will there be a second shooter? How are they chosen? And what's their experience and equipment like?
Are you willing to give lots of direction? Tell us how to stand? Fix stray hairs etc. throughout the day to make sure we look our best?
For engagement sessions, are you willing to recommend location, time of day, and outfits?
How soon will I receive my deliverables?
Do I get a sneak peek gallery?
What range of final images will I receive? And will my guests be able to purchase images online?
Videographer
Very similar to photography questions! So you could use those above interchangeably.
Can I see a full cinematic video of a wedding you've done in the past around the same time as my event? Or from the same venue location?
Can you walk us through how you will film the wedding day?
Will there be a second shooter? How are they chosen? And what is their experience and equipment like?
Are you willing to give lots of direction? Tell us how to stand or move? Fix stray hairs etc throughout the day to make sure we look our best?
How soon will I receive my deliverables?
What length of final film will I receive?
What kind of add-on options do I have?
How is the music selected for my video?
Florist
What design styles do you work in? And which do you work in best?
Do you have photos or examples of florals in the style I want?
What recommendations can you give to maximize my budget?
Which flowers will be in season at the time of my event?
Based on my color scheme and design aesthetic, what flowers do you recommend? Or what flowers do you think I should avoid all together?
Do you stay and flip the room? Is there an extra fee to flip the room?
Do you do your own set up and take down? Will you return at the end of the night to retrieve anything I have rented?
Do you provide vases to hold my bouquets in during the course of the day?
Can you assist me in the preservation of my bouquet after the wedding? If not, can you recommend someone?
Do you offer a service to repurpose the florals after the event?
Officiant
Hiring a stranger to write about you and talk about you on your wedding day can be daunting! But I promise you, it’s the best decision a lot of our couples make. It’s very stressful for friends and family to write a great speech much less an entire ceremony script. Trust professionals to get to know you and do an amazing job telling your love story on your wedding day!
Walk me through your process, how do you get to know us before the wedding day?
How many pre-wedding sessions will we have with you? Are they included in the total cost?
What is your religious affiliation?
Is there an issue if it’s different from our own?
Do you have any sample ceremony wordings or readings you can share with us?
Can we specify ceremony details such as music, special readings and vows?
Are you comfortable if we include religious and personal touches, if desired?
Do you turn in the marriage license for us or will we have to do it?
What does your package include and what are the costs? Travel and parking?
Do you have a video we can watch of you performing a recent ceremony?
How long do your ceremonies usually last?
Anything else you wish your couples knew about working with you?
Catering & Staffing Companies
Are you licensed in the State of [fill in state here]?
Do I need any additional permits or insurance for my event?
Will you provide a banquet manager to coordinate meal service? How many servers do you recommend for an event of our size?
How is your staff dressed?
Will your team assist while flipping the room from ceremony to reception?
Given my budget, guest count, and event style - what food choices/service styles do you recommend?
Do you specialize in a certain cuisine?
How do you accommodate dietary restrictions, such as kosher, vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, etc?
How much do you charge for children’s meals? Vendor meals?
Do you also do wedding cakes? Or create small desserts?
If we use an outside cake designer, do you charge a cake cutting fee?
How do tastings work? Is there an additional charge? How many people are we allowed to bring?
What kind of equipment is included in the rental? Tables, chairs, linens, silver, etc? How does the selection process work?
What is your process for dealing with leftover food?
Do your packages include alcohol? Bar tending services? Garnishes?
Are champagne toasts for reception included or extra?
Do your packages include water, tea, and coffee services? What kind of upgrades are available?
What is the final day to give you a head count for the event?
How do we provide that information? A spreadsheet or a specific document?
Cake Designer
How do you price your cakes? By the slice or by the size of the cake?
What is your minimum per-person cake?
What is your minimum order for delivery?
Do you have a “menu” of cake flavors and sizes I can chose from?
Do you rent cake toppers, cutting knifes, stands, etc? If so, how do I return them?
Do you have a portfolio of cakes I can review? Or a website with galleries I can pick from if I don’t have my own inspiration imagery?
How do you accommodate cake tastings?
What are your specialties? Do you do fondant and buttercream icing? Can you create sugar paste, gum paste, or chocolate flowers?
Entertainment - DJ’s and Live Music
Do you have multiple DJ’s on staff? Or are you the sole performer? What is the backup plan in the event of a DJ emergency?
How do you select the DJ’s on your roster?
Do you have the ability to assist with an accompaniment (such as a friend that wants to play violin or sing for the ceremony)?
Can you do two set ups? One for the ceremony and one for the reception?
Do you provide lapel mic’s or wireless microphones?
Can you also provide - Up lighting? Dance floors? Other services not listed?
How much extra equipment does each DJ bring in case something is broken?
Bands & Live Music
How many band members are included in the package? Or for the level of sound you want to get?
What size stage is required?
What electrical setup is required?
Do you provide podiums for the singers?
What kind of setup is required for the live musicians - for ceremony or cocktail hour? Do they bring their own or hook up to the DJ’s/band’s?
Victoria Saint Martin Photography
Hair and Make Up
Do you provide air brush or regularly applied makeup? Do I have an option or do you make a recommendation based on my skin type?
Do you include eyelashes? Can I bring my own?
Do you include hair extensions? Can I bring my own? Can I rent them from you?
Do you provide hair accessories? Can I bring my own? Is that extra?
What is their training and experience level?
How many weddings do they do a year? A weekend? Do you have backup stylists?
When do they recommend the trial? And how much for a trial?
What prep do they recommend the day before/morning of?
Are there additional travel costs? Will you travel to my venue?
How do you like to take care of parking fees?
Stationery
Do you design custom pieces, create semi custom work, or sell from pre-designed invitation lines?
What is the lead time from order date to arrival?
Do you help with branding and/or custom monograms?
If so, how many proofs or iterations can we expect? How does feedback and edits work?
Do you offer calligraphy or addressing services? What is the charge for this?
How soon do I need to provide this information?
Will you supply a proof before the invitation is officially printed?
What happens if there is an error?
Do I need to purchase additional envelopes or products? Or is that already factored in your pricing?
Photo Credit: Victoria Saint Martin Photography
Let us know if you have others vendors you would like to hear more about! I’m sure we have more questions up our proverbial sleeves.
