You are at the step where you have found the vendor that you love. The portfolio is gorgeous, the reviews are glowing and the price seems fair, so you book!
Below is a short list of questions most people either never think to ask or might forget to ask until after something’s gone wrong! These are not the obvious ones, you already know to ask about pricing and availability!
Whether you are searching for a vendor or you are one, it is good practice to review these questions. Knowing what to ask is just as valuable as as knowing how to answer!
1. Do you have a backup if something happens to you?
Life happens… Illness, emergencies, double-bookings gone wrong. A vendor who has thought this through has a plan: a trusted colleague, a backup team member, someone who can step in so you’re not left scrambling days (or hours) before your event. If they have never considered this question, that’s worth knowing too.
2. Will it be you on the day, or someone else from your team?
When booking with a vendor that has a team, for example, a beauty salon, photographer, or decor company, it is good practice to make sure that the examples and pictures you fell in love with are actually from the person showing up on your special day. If someone else on the team is being sent instead, just ask to review their work as well!
3. What do you need from me or my venue to do your best work?
It is worth asking a vendor directly what they need from you or your venue or whether they handle absolutely everything on their end, start to finish. A caterer might need kitchen access, a florist might need the venue unlocked a few hours early, a DJ might need certain equipment provided. Knowing this upfront means nothing gets missed on the day of, and you are not scrambling to solve something the vendor assumed you would already handle.
4. How do you handle coordinating with my other vendors, and what does your actual setup and breakdown timeline look like?
Most people assume vendors naturally coordinate with each other. That the florist knows when to work around the caterer and the DJ and photographer are talking and coordinating throughout the event. In reality, many vendors only manage their own piece unless you specifically ask who’s talking to whom. It’s also worth getting clear on the exact setup and breakdown window: if you have booked a vendor for “6-11pm,” does setup start at 5 and eat into that time, or does that cost extra? What about cleanup? These are small details, but they quietly shape your entire day’s schedule — and from the other side, they shape how the vendor plans their day too.
5. What is something that has gone wrong at an event before, and how did you handle it?
Honestly, this question helps you two ways. First, if they tell you a story about something going wrong at another event — something you hadn’t even thought about — that is great news for you, because now you know to plan for it too. But if they say “nothing has ever gone wrong,” I would take that as a bit of a red flag. Realistically, one of two things is going on: either they haven’t done that many events yet, or they’re not being totally honest with you. The vendors worth booking are the ones who can talk you through a real hiccup and how they fixed it!
A great vendor isn’t just talented — they are prepared!
Ask these five questions, and you will know a lot more than the portfolio alone can tell you.
With love,
