Choosing a Lake Tahoe wedding planner is an exciting step in the wedding planning process. The sooner you find your planner, the better! However, with so many planners out there, how do you choose the right one for you? Start by asking your potential Lake Tahoe wedding planner these 17 questions!

Start with the Basics

When choosing a Lake Tahoe wedding planner, it’s essential to ask basic logistical questions first. Based on the planner’s answers to these three questions, you can decide if it is worth their time and yours to move forward with the conversation.

Are You Available on Our Wedding Date?

Simply put, if the Lake Tahoe wedding planner isn’t available on the date of your wedding, you will need to find someone who is. If this is the case, feel free to ask the planner to recommend another local wedding planning company. Or, if your wedding date is flexible, talk about available options to see if one works for you.

Can You Work Within Our Budget?

Some Lake Tahoe wedding planners have minimum budget requirements for couples. Even if you don’t know your exact wedding budget, it’s best to have a range in mind. That way, you and the planner can discuss if it’s a good partnership finance-wise. At Epic Thyme, we have a wedding budget worksheet available to help you and your fiancé determine a realistic budget. You can download it here. For more information about how much a Lake Tahoe wedding costs, check out this post.

What are Your Wedding Planning Packages/Services?

Each Lake Tahoe wedding planner has unique services. However, the most common packages are full-service planning and partial planning. If you’re looking for day-of coordination only, be sure to discuss this upfront, as not all wedding planners offer this service.

Then, Get into the Details

If you and the wedding planner seem to be a good match so far, it’s time to get into the nitty-gritty details of the wedding planning process. These questions will help you better understand how involved your Lake Tahoe wedding planner will be during the planning process.

How Do You Help Couples Stay on Track During the Planning Process?

There is so much to do between the time you say “Yes!” to the time you say “I do!” It’s a wedding planner’s job to help you stay on track, so you don’t get overwhelmed. Ask about their planning strategy and tracking systems so you know exactly how they help.

How Many Meetings Will We Have Together?

When you ask this question, be prepared for the wedding planner to say, “As many as we need!” While that’s a great thing, it’s important to know how many scheduled meetings are required. Most of the time, a planner will have a set number of meetings included in their packages, giving you a better understanding of the minimum time required of you.

How Many Hours Does It Take to Plan a Wedding?

This question helps you understand how many hours the planner dedicates to your wedding and how involved you must be. It takes a serious time commitment to produce a wedding you’re proud of. Our research at Epic Thyme shows that it takes about 380 hours for a great wedding and 500 hours for a WOW wedding. This time investment is typically split 35% couple (150 hours) and 65% planner (230 hours). With these numbers in mind, ask your potential Lake Tahoe wedding planner to be as specific as possible.

Do You Help Find and Secure a Lake Tahoe Wedding Venue?

If you already have a venue booked, this question isn’t relevant. However, this question is vital if you need help finding a venue or are planning a Lake Tahoe destination wedding and aren’t familiar with the available sites.

Do You Help Find and Secure Lake Tahoe Wedding Vendors?

One of the biggest perks of hiring an experienced Lake Tahoe wedding planner is capitalizing on their relationships with the best vendors in the area. If the planner is new to Tahoe, they may not have strong connections yet. It’s important to understand how involved they will be in helping you find and choose the best vendors.

How Involved Are You in Tastings, Site Visits, Etc.?

There are many different aspects of planning a wedding, and it’s good to know how involved your Lake Tahoe wedding planner will be in each one. Ask about how many site visits, tastings, and floral demonstrations are scheduled and if the planner attends.

Do You Handle Invitations, Rentals, Vendor Contracts/Payment, etc.?

Weddings involve many people, and it’s good to know who is in charge of the logistics of those relationships. For example, if you rent wedding lounge furniture, who places the order? Who schedules the pick-up and drop-off time? Who signs the contract and handles the direct payment? Planners do things differently, so it’s good to know ahead of time if you will need to manage these aspects or if your planner steps in to help.

Next, Ask About Wedding Day Details

If you feel like the wedding planner provides the amount of support you need throughout the planning process, it’s time to learn about their involvement on your actual wedding day.

Will You Attend My Wedding?

Not all lead planners attend every wedding. While they may be there for set-up, they pass the actual day-of duties to a wedding coordinator or wedding assistants. Even if you’re ok with this, it’s still good to ask. That way, there aren’t any surprises on the day of your wedding.

How Many Planners/Assistants/Production Staff Will Work the Wedding?

For larger weddings, planners typically have assistants that attend to help set up, coordinate, and tear down, and it’s good to know how many hands-on-deck there will be on your wedding day. It’s also important to ask about any additional cost for the extra hands.

What is Your Process for Developing and Executing a Plan-B?

Weddings don’t always go as planned, and your wedding planner must be prepared to manage unexpected obstacles as they come. One of the best ways to understand how your potential Lake Tahoe wedding planner performs under pressure is to ask for an example of when something went wrong at a wedding and how they overcame it.

Finally, Ask About Their Lake Tahoe Wedding Planning Experience

If you’re still chatting at this point, that’s a great sign. It means the Lake Tahoe wedding planner is available and willing to work within your budget, provides support during the planning process, and can execute an amazing wedding day. When choosing a wedding planner, here are some final questions to ensure you have all the information you need to make an informed decision.

How Much Do Your Wedding Planning Services Cost?

Now you know a lot about your potential Lake Tahoe wedding planner, and it’s time to decide if you will utilize their services. Many times, a planner will send you a personalized proposal after your call. Be sure to ask them to explain their payment process, either during the call or in their package details.

How Many Lake Tahoe Weddings Have You Planned?

Lake Tahoe is an ideal wedding destination because it is truly one-of-a-kind. But because it’s one-of-a-kind, it requires your planner to have extensive knowledge and experience planning Tahoe-based weddings.

How Many Weddings Do You Plan at Once?

This question gives you an idea of how focused your Lake Tahoe wedding planner can be when it comes to planning your wedding. Most high-end planners only take on a handful of clients each year, so they can truly put all of their time and energy into planning spectacular weddings for each couple.

Do You Have Testimonials from Past Couples?

Reading what other couples have to say about their wedding planning experience is a great way to determine if this Lake Tahoe wedding planner is right for you.

You can check out all of Epic Thyme’s handwritten testimonials from our AMAZING couples here. Then, give us a call so you can ask us all of these questions for choosing a Lake Tahoe wedding planner. We are excited to see if we are a good match!