Ah, the excitement and challenges of wedding planning! Who wouldn't be thrilled about spending countless hours scouring Instagram and Google, searching tirelessly for the perfect wedding vendors for their special day? After thorough research and creating a comprehensive list, it's now time to start meeting your potential wedding team.

While this may not be everyone's cup of tea when it comes to the wedding planning process, I am here to provide guidance to simplify this process and help you confidently select the vendors who will play a crucial role in bringing your dream wedding to fruition.

This is not an extensive list of all the questions you need to ask your wedding vendors. There are extensive list that exist all over the internet. Rather, this is a short list of questions or conversations that I'm noticed some couple miss during there conversations that are equally important to find the wedding professionals that will fit best with you.

1. ASK VENDORS ABOUT THEMSELVES

Finding your wedding vendor team is a bit like dating – it's all about finding your "perfect match"! It's really important for your wedding vendors to not only click with you, but also to get along with each other. Good vibes only!!!

When you meet them, you can gauge their personality, values, and overall vibe, as you'll be working with them for the next nine to twelve months. It's crucial for vendors you'll be spending a lot of time with during the wedding planning process or on the big day, such as the wedding planner or coordinator, photographer, videographer, officiant, entertainment, and hair and makeup artist. Larger vendors like the venue and catering are also important, but building a personal connection isn't as crucial.

You can get an initial sense of a vendor's values through their website and social media presence, but meeting them face-to-face is the best way to truly understand who they are. During the consultation, vendors should open up about their background. If they don't, here are some specific questions to ask them about themselves:

• What is your favorite part of the wedding day?
• How long have you been in the wedding industry? What did you do before entering the industry?
• What do/does you or your company value most?
• How would you describe your style?

2. HOW DO THEY HANDLE EMERGENCIES

What happens when chaos ensues? 

Your wedding vendors are more than just professionals; they are adaptable problem solvers. With experience in multiple weddings, they have the flexibility to handle the chaotic nature of weddings when things don't go according to plan. Our job is to expect the unexpected and plan accordingly.

What can go wrong, you ask? 

Well, that list is expansive, but I've seen everything from vendors getting ill, unexpected inclement weather, midday camera malfunctions, wardrobe malfunctions, vehicles being towed with video equipment onboard, and, unfortunately, many more unforeseen challenges.

There is no greater example of this need for quick problem-solving than the 2020-2022 wedding season. I think we all have varying degrees of PTSD from the worldwide pandemic we all endured a few years back. But during this time, the wedding industry didn't just survive; it grew. It had to evaluate how to problem-solve in real-time and emerge stronger from the lessons we learned during those times.

Every vendor should have a unique set of contingency plans prepared in case things go wrong. Your event planner will be your go-to person for handling situations like this, so it's crucial to discuss contingency plans with potential planners and learn how they approach problem-solving. It's equally important to trust that each vendor is capable of handling any issues professionally. The best wedding professionals are the ones who can manage any chaos to the point where you don't even realize that anything went wrong in the first place.

3. WHY THE WEDDING INDUSTRY?

Finally, ask for their "why"?

When you ask wedding professionals about their decision to enter the wedding industry, you'll be fascinated by their stories. It's crucial to find a wedding professional who exudes genuine passion for their work and demonstrates a deep dedication to their clients. You want to entrust your special day to someone who is wholeheartedly committed to enhancing your experience and easing the wedding day jitters, making your day even more extraordinary.