Tips to Communicate with Your Wedding Planner

It’s one thing to ask your bridal party and family members to help with various aspects of the wedding plans, but when it comes to hiring a wedding planner, at all times remember that this is to be a working relationship – you are the boss, she is your “employee” of sorts.

Typically, on an initial consultation a professional wedding planner will offer couples a complete menu of wedding planning services, along with her fees – then it’s up to them to determine exactly what they would like assistance with.  

So communicating expectations clearly and precisely to the planner early on is imperative and will save you from potential stress later on.

In addition to sorting out and delegating tasks to the wedding planner, it’s crucial to discuss the contact flow between you. So often I hear from distressed brides who are deep into the wedding plans, but can’t reach their consultants! 

To avoid this, before finalizing the contract make sure you find out what the bridal consultant’s response time will be to your phone calls, texts and emails (24-36 hours is reasonable) and get it in writing. 

Other tips for communicating well with your wedding planner include:

Setting up a bi-weekly or weekly conference call or meeting to go over your to-do lists.

Outlining in advance which vendors you would like her to visit with you and your groom, and include a timeframe for each appointment. These can include the venue, the caterer, florist, baker and entertainment.

There’s a golden rule among wedding planners – treat each bride as though she’s your one and only client. Of course, while any good wedding planner will strive for this ideal, do keep in mind that in all likelihood, you won’t be her sole client. So be patient and considerate with your requests, and she will treat you likewise.