If you’re in the home stretch of wedding planning, that means it’s almost time for the real fun to begin. But first, you’ll need to tie up a few loose ends—and hopefully, thanks to The Knot All-In-One Wedding Planner app, you’ll have as few loose ends to tie up as possible. A couple weeks to a month out from your day, check in with your vendors to lock down nitty-gritty details—payments, timing, directions, contact information and answers to last-minute concerns and uncertainties. Here are 10 essential questions to ask your pros during those final meetings to ensure your event runs as smoothly as possible.
Questions to Ask All Your Vendors
1. How much do I owe you and when are my payments due?
Why you want to know: Get on the same page with each vendor about what you owe them and when. Carefully compare their numbers with the ones you’ve been keeping track of to avoid any errors, and don’t hesitate to speak up if something looks off. You’ll want to get this not-so-fun question out of the way when you’re still in wedding planning mode, so you can enjoy your honeymoon and newly married status without vendor bills hanging over your heads.
2. Who is the wedding day point person and what’s the best way to get in contact with them?
Why you want to know: In case you need to get in touch with the vendor or a designated employee, keep their name, a phone number and even a back-up phone number to call in case you can’t get in touch with them at a moment’s notice. Even if you prefer email, it’ll be easier to communicate by phone (whether that’s a call or text) on the wedding day, as they may not see an email in time to remedy a last-minute issue. Add a point person’s contact for each vendor to your Wedding Day Timeline to keep track of who’s in charge of what and supposed to be where, when.
3. Do you have all the equipment you need?
Why you want to know: Confirm they’ll be able to get what they need by the wedding day. Go over each essential item to make sure it’s accounted for and hash out who’s responsible for providing it if it isn’t already taken care of.
4. Have you completed the labor-intensive and complicated tasks? What’s left to do and how long will you need to finish the rest?
Why you want to know: Not that you’re trying to micromanage, but at this point you do want to make sure your vendors are on the right track. More than anything, this answer will reassure you at a time that can be stressful. Trust your vendors, but if there are any red flags, like they’re unsure about your booking or are missing key information, this is the time to find out.
5. Do you have all the ingredients (specific blooms, liquor brands) that I ordered?
Why you want to know: You may have talked through what you wanted with your vendors months ago, but before the wedding, confirm that the details you’ve chosen are still available or, if not, that there’s an alternative you love just as much. If you can’t get something you really wanted, like the linens you ordered were discontinued, stay calm and ask follow-up questions like what are the next steps and what’s a back-up that would be most similar to the original.
Question to Ask Your Venue
6. How soon are we allowed to start setting everything up?
Why you want to know: Depending on your venue, you and your vendors may be able to get to the site and start setting up the day before. However, some venues, like those holding other events besides your wedding on that date, have more rigid restrictions. The sooner you find out this information the sooner your pros can establish a setup plan.
Question to Ask Your Photographer and Videographer
7. How much time will photos take considering my shot list?
Why you want to know: It’s important to know the estimated amount of time your photographer and videographer will need to take the shots and footage you’ve requested. This info will come in handy when you’re finalizing your schedule and organizing your bridal party and families for portraits. It affects everything from how early you should start getting ready to how long cocktail hour will go while you take photos.
Question to Ask Your Caterer
8. How much time will it take to serve and clean up the dinner course?
Why you want to know: Find out how much time it will take to serve the entire dinner, as well as each course individually. You’ll need this info to finalize you’re day-of timelines and give other vendors like your band or DJ an idea of when it’s time to transition into dancing or cake-cutting mode. Plus, if you want to schedule your toasts during the time between the first and main courses, you’ll need to know how much time to plan for.
Question to Ask Your Florist
9. Can I see a sample centerpiece?
Why you want to know: You want to see that your flowers look exactly how you imagined (or are almost there). Most florists will put in their flower order about a week or two before the wedding, but when you’re in your final meetings, they should be able to show you exactly what your arrangements will look like. If the sample isn’t what you expected, your florist still has time to modify the order or make adjustments so your flowers live up to your expectations.
Question to Ask Your Officiant
10. How long do you expect the ceremony to be?
Why you want to know: Get their estimate for how long the ceremony will last, taking into account the readings, songs and traditions you’ve picked. You’ll need to communicate this timeline to other vendors, like your photographer, musicians and transportation company.
Find all your wedding vendors here.
Figure out how much you should tip your pros here.
