Choosing the Best Wedding Consultant

Maybe you've been toying with the idea of hiring a wedding consultant. If you have the budget and an excessive amount of guests, than it may be a great idea! Prior to selecting your wedding consultant, you should 'interview' several of them and compile a list of questions. After all, you want to hire the right man/woman for the job, don't you? The idea behind hiring a wedding consultant is to take the stress of wedding planning and arranging your details-off of your shoulders. Let someone else worry about it. And, best of all, you always have final say. You're the boss. That doesn't sound so bad, does it? Just make sure you do it right, boss! The final fifteen questions are a great guideline to finding the perfect person to plan your wedding. If you're looking for the PERFECT wedding consultant, than they shouldn't express any hesitation when asked these questions: 1) Are you licensed, or do you at least have a DBA registration document? 2) How long have you been in the business of wedding consulting? 3) How many weddings do you do on an annual basis? 4) Do you have any feedback/testimonials? 5) Do you belong to any professional organizations? 6) Are you certified? If so, by whom? 7) Do you have a contract (if so, may you see it?) 8) Do you plan on doing this work yourself or are you using the services of your staff? (You'd be surprised how many wedding consultants send other people to do their work-this is an important question to ask). 19) Do you accept referral fees and/or commissions? (If they say that they accept referral fees-you should walk out the door, this sounds like a scam artist). 10) How do you work? Will we be meeting on a one on one basis, or will you full staff be there? 11) Will you be able to work within my budget? If I give you a ceiling budget, will you go beyond it to meet your expectations? (Make sure they are willing to work within your budget-it's always easy to spend someone else's money!). 12) What are you willing to do for the fee you are quoting me? Make a list and make sure it coincides with any written contract that requires your signature. 13) How often will you provide me with updates on my wedding planning? 14) Will you be present during my wedding rehearsal and wedding day? Will this be included in your fees? 15) What type of attire will you be wearing should you attend these events?