Wedding questions for vendors, the couple and the guests

If the party runs past the booked hours, what does each extra hour cost, and can you stay?

Extra time tends to be sold in fixed blocks and at a higher rate than the booked hours, and the decision gets made in a loud room late at night. Before the day, pick one person who may approve it up to a limit you set, and give the vendor that name. Staying on is not always possible: a vendor with a morning job, or a venue with a hard closing time, ends the question.

From: Questions to Ask Wedding Vendors

What is always in the fridge at home?

Domestic detail that guests immediately recognize and can confirm out loud. It is also a question about how they actually live rather than how they present themselves.

From: Questions to Ask the Groom for a Bridal Shower

What decisions do you still need from me, and by when is each one too late?

Coordinators hold open questions they assume you know about: linen colour, cake cutting time, a seating change. Asking for the deadline attached to each one prevents the calls that arrive the night before.

From: Questions to Ask a Wedding Coordinator at the Final Meeting

What actually happened when you proposed, second by second?

The blow by blow beats the summary, because the interesting parts are the mistakes: the wrong pocket, the interruption, the weather. She may hear details she was too distracted to notice. If she was the one who proposed, ask what went through his head instead.

From: Questions to Ask the Groom for a Bachelorette Party

Do you come to me on the morning, and how far will you travel?

Many wedding artists work on location and some only from a studio, which means getting a finished face and a whole party into cars. If they travel, ask where their usual radius ends and whether a distant venue puts a night's accommodation on your bill.

From: Questions to Ask a Wedding Makeup Artist

How do we reach you before the session, and who do we contact on the day?

Slow replies during planning tend to predict slow replies afterwards. Ask for a phone number for the day itself, since email is useless when someone is fifteen minutes late at a park entrance.

From: Questions to Ask an Engagement Photographer