questions to ask your DJ or vendors

Most important questions to ask your venue.

Do you have my date available? Many venues book up quickly and could be booked a year or more in advance.
How many people can the space hold? and is that sitting or standing?
What is the fee to rent the venue? Ensure there aren't any hidden fees either.
What exactly does this fee include? Venues range from renting a room to offering catering, chairs, linens lighting etc...
How many hours does this fee include? Most of the time you are allotted so much time.
How much is it to add any additional time?
How many parking spots are available for guests?
Can I use any vendor or do you have a list of preferred or required vendors? Some venues require the use of certain vendors especially certain caterers.
Is there an added charge if I do use my own vendors?
Does the price include alcohol or is that extra?
When can I begin to set-up on my wedding day? Many venues only allow guests or vendors in an hour or 2 before your wedding, and some vendors sometimes need more time.
If the ceremony and reception are held in the same space, do you have enough staff to make this seamless transition?
If I bring my own cake or food is there an extra charge?
Do I break down and clean up or do you? Many venues only break down tables and therefore you must clean up any garbage.
Are there any restrictions on the use of the space? Many venues do not allow open flames or hanging anything from the ceiling.
Are there restrictions on photography and videography?
Are there any noise restrictions? Some venues have a noise ordinance or are in a rural setting such as some barns.
Is there a bridal room or grooms suite?
Can I see a sample of items you provide? (Chairs, linen china, etc...)
How much is the deposit?
When is the remaining balance due? 1 month, 2 weeks, a week prior.
What forms of payment do you take? Check, Credit Card, Paypal, cash, bitcoin...etc
What is your cancellation policy? Many venues will only refund a portion according to when you cancel

Questions to ask a wedding photographer before you hire them.

How many weddings have you shot in your career? How many last year?
What is your preferred style of photography?
How many weddings do you shoot on my wedding day?
Have you ever done a wedding at my venue?
Do you work from a shot list? If your photographer has a shot list your wedding pictures will com out 10x better
Can I request certain images taken at the wedding?
How many hours are included in your package?
How much is an additional hour?
Do you bring a second shooter? If there is a second shooter there may be shots your photographer doesn't get but the 2nd person does, therefore 2 is always better than 1.
How many images can I expect to see from my wedding? A photographer will take over 1500 pics, but you will only get 100 to 200 of these.
Do you have a limit as to the amount of images you will edit?
How long does it take to see the proofs from my wedding? Many times this can take up to a year for some photographers.
Will I receive a disc of the images or do I have to order all prints through you?
How much are prints?
Will you use any of our images in any advertising? If a photographer is planning to use your images then you should requests a discount, but if you prefer your privacy you can say NO!
What will you and your second shooter wear? The last thing you need is a photography showing up with someone wearing a t-shirt and jeans to a black tie wedding.
If there is an emergency, and you can't photograph my wedding, what happens then?
How much is the deposit?
When is the remaining balance due?
What is your cancellation policy? Again depending on when you cancel will determine the amount you get refunded.

Questions to ask your DJ before you sign the contract

How would you describe your style? With so many DJ's out there how do you decide which DJ to choose? That is why this question is so important. Depending on what your looking for there's many DJ styles such as is he the type to talk & engage the crowd, more formal, laid back, or super energetic? It really depends on what your looking for..
How do you work with couples to compile a playlist? How the DJ organizes all your events is important in order to ensure everything runs smoothly. Is it by playlist? Does the DJ use worksheets to acquire all the necessary details for your wedding etc...?
How extensive is your music library? We have over 75,000 songs, and we also do not stream.
Also, is the music the DJ uses all streamed and you need a WI-fi connection or is it saved on a hard drive? Saved in MP3 format
What type of equipment do you use? Does the DJ have back-up? How about a wireless mic? Are the speakers on poles or sitting on the ground? I would ask for a pic of the DJ's setup to ensure you would be happy with that at your wedding.
What will you wear to my wedding? A DJ with board shorts and a tank top for a wedding is like an outhouse in a mansion.
Do you work with an assistant or 2nd DJ? Coming from a DJ's perspective having a 2nd DJ frees the DJ up from being behind the booth for cue-ing up music and makes your wedding more engaging. However, there is an extra cost to have a 2nd person.
Do you mix and beat-match song to song to song or have the computer do it? There are many DJ's out there that honestly don't DJ they let the computer mix song to song and just stand back there adding your requests into a playlist. Kind of defeats the purpose of hiring a DJ. If the computer is auto-mixing for the DJ then you can expect a lot of fading and abrupt changes from song to song which will kill the dance floor and end the party.
Do you offer any other services? Almost every DJ has some type of dance lights, monogram lighting, up-lights, and or other features to enhance your wedding.
What packages do you have? We send our brochure
How much is it to add additional time? ($50 per hour prior to the wedding $100 last minute the day of)
What happens if you can't make it to our wedding? Any DJ in the business needs to network with other DJ's and or have some type of plan in case of emergencies. If not your risking not having a DJ at your wedding.
How much is your deposit? ($200)
When is the final payment due? 2 weeks prior to your wedding
What is your cancellation policy?

Important questions to ask a caterer before you hire

Do you have our wedding date open?
Can we do a tasting before we hire you? If so is there a tasting fee?
Have you ever catered at our venue before?
Do you fees change based on time of day, weekend, and or the season?
What is included in the catering service?
Will your staff handle set-up and clean up?
If serving appetizers how many do you prepare per guests?
Are salads served or preset before guests sit at there table?
Will dinner be served Buffet, family style, or plated dinner?
Do you offer an alternative food option for children?
What non-alcoholic drink options are available?
What will you do with the extra food after the wedding?
How do you handle vendor meals?
How does your staff handle cake cutting and distributing the cake?
What will you do with the extra cake?
Does your staff handle passing out champagne toast?
When will the bar close?
What brands of alcohol will be served?
Can we bring in our own beer, champagne, drinks etc...?
If the reception runs long is there an extra charge for overtime fees?
Is your company catering other events or weddings on our same wedding day?
How will your staff be dressed?
Is gratuity added to the bill?
Are there any additional fees I should know about?
When do you need a final head count?
Do you provide any decor for the buffet table?
If the Venue is outside... How will you keep the food warm?
Who will be the point of contact for the planning of the wedding? Will that person be at my wedding? If not, who will be in charge the day of?
How much is the deposit?
When is the final payment due?
What is your cancellation policy?

Questions to ask your officiant to ensure your picking the right one for you...

How many weddings have you officiated?
How many did you do last year?
What is your fee or do you only accept donations?
What services are included in your fee?
Do you have a written contract
Is there a deposit to secure our date?
Have you ever been late to or missed a wedding?
What happens if your sick?
What is your attire for the wedding?
Would you perform the ceremony outside the place of worship?
If the ceremony is out of town are you willing to travel?
Do you allow photography and or videography during the ceremony?
Do you have any restrictions pertaining to music?
Are there any restrictions pertaining to wedding attire?
Will you attend the wedding rehearsal?
Do you require any pre-marital counseling or religious class prior to officiating?
How many pre-wedding meetings will we have with you and are we still able to contact you with questions thereafter?
When and where will we sign the marriage license?
After the ceremony and we sign it will you or will we be responsible for mailing it to the state?
How many witnesses do we need to sign the contract?
Are there any requirements regarding who can be a witness?
During the ceremony, can we do personalized rituals like sand pouring or candle lighting?
Can we write our own vows if we wish to?
Can family members participate in the ceremony (sing, prayer, readings etc...)?
When is the remaining balance due?
What is your cancellation policy?

Every bride wants pretty wedding decorations, questions to find the right Florists.

Do you have a certain design style when it comes to flowers?
Can you help me decide the bests flowers to go with my wedding style (chic, modern, rustic etc...))?
Do you have any suggestions to keep costs down to match my budget?
Do you have a portfolio of your work?
Will you provide sketch work or mock-ups of my arrangements?
Do you provide additional decor items?
How many weddings or events will you book the weekend of my wedding?
How will the flowers be delivered and handled?
Will you be the 1 designing my flowers on my wedding day?
Who will be responsible for breaking down and and taking the arrangements away at the end of the reception?