If you’re planning to become a wedding planner, you’re on a path to financial freedom and independence. That’s because many wedding planners are their own bosses rather than working for a big corporation!
Still, that’s not to say that you won’t have to do job interviews. Wedding planner interviews typically take place between the planner and the couple and are what will ultimately land you a gig or not.
Here are some of the top interview questions at wedding planning positions to be prepared for. Plus, I’ll throw in some pro tips on how to respond!
1. Why Did You Choose to Become a Wedding Planner?
One of the first questions clients are likely to ask you is why you wanted to become a wedding planner in the first place! This is a great question for connecting with your clients and building rapport with them.
For this question, you’ll want to tell a story. Talk about how you figured out that wedding planning was a career choice for you and what inspires you about the job. Try to hit on points that will relate to your customers and build trust between you.
2. What Services Do You Offer Your Clients?
Not all wedding planners offer the same services. Some wedding planners coordinate everything before the big day, while others offer day-of coordination as well. And, that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what services wedding planners can provide!
Before starting a career as a wedding planner, make sure to have a detailed services list that you can provide to clients. This makes it easier to discuss options and packages with clients later on.
3. What Are Your Greatest Strengths?
For this question, you’ll want to talk to your couples about what sets you apart from other wedding planners. Perhaps you’ve got twenty years of experience in the space, or perhaps you’ve been a bride multiple times yourself.
No matter what it is that makes you shine, be sure to highlight it here. Talk about how your particular strengths can benefit the couple, and go over why this makes you a great pick for their special day.
4. What Are Your Rates?
Wedding planning rates can vary widely depending on experience and location. The best rule of thumb is to do research on average prices in your locality based on experience and quality. From there, you can come up with a fair pricing scheme for your clients.
Keep in mind that you can offer various tiers of wedding planning packages. This is a great way to give couples who are on a tighter budget some options when it comes to planning their special day.
5. How Many Weddings Have You Done in the Past?
The one issue with getting your foot in the door in the wedding planning industry is that you’ll often be asked how many weddings you’ve done in the past. If you don’t have prior experience, this can make it tough to get hired.
Even if you haven’t done any weddings before, talk about any other related experience. Perhaps you’ve planned weddings pro bono, or perhaps you’ve handled other similar events. Whatever your response, be honest and try to showcase any work in the field you’ve previously done.
6. What’s the Timeline Like for Planning a Wedding?
Timelines are important for clients to know about because they help them figure out how to meet wedding deadlines. Of course, timelines can differ depending on the size and scope of a wedding.
Give your clients a few different timelines for different types of weddings. You can go over the typical timeline for a courthouse ceremony, a destination wedding, an elopement, and more. This will help couples have a better idea of what the planning process looks like.
7. What Are Some of the Coolest Weddings You’ve Ever Planned?
This question is a great way for you to showcase your portfolio and discuss any past projects you’re particularly proud of. For this question, be prepared with photos or albums that you can share with your clients. Photos and imagery are what will ultimately get your clients excited and encourage them to make a booking with you.
8. Do You Have Experience With Special Diets and Needs for Weddings?
Many couples have special dietary or medical requirements that they’ll need assistance with their wedding. If you have any experience handling situations like these, make sure to let your clients know.
If you don’t have this kind of experience, talk about how you would handle these situations if they ever came up. This can reassure your clients that you’d be able to help them out, even if you haven’t had to in the past.
9. Do You Have Experience Planning Other Types of Events?
Weddings have a lot in common with other big events such as anniversaries or quinceñeras. As a result, having experience dealing with other kinds of events can be a big plus to some couples.
If you have any other event planning experience, make sure to let the couple know. Once again, bringing photos or videos of the event with you can help you close the deal and book the couple.
10. Have You Ever Made a Mistake When Planning a Wedding?
Unfortunately, mistakes sometimes happen, and when it comes to weddings, this can lead to some pretty upset clients. As a result, it’s not uncommon for couples to ask if you’ve ever made any errors when planning a wedding.
If you’ve ever made any errors in your career, this is the time to let the couple know. Tell them what the problems were and go over how you came up with solutions to resolve them. You can also let them know what safeguards you’ve put in place since then or what lessons you’ve learned to ensure these issues don’t happen again.
If the answer is ‘no,’ however, talk about how you would handle upset clients or things going wrong. You can give examples or talk about different contingency plans you put in place to ensure things go right on the couple’s big day.
11. How Do You Help Your Clients Stick to Their Budget?
It’s all too easy for clients to go over budget on their wedding day, which can, unfortunately, be a big issue. Part of your job as a wedding planner is to help clients make a budget and stick to it.
For this question, make sure to have a few budgeting strategies in mind. Make it clear that you’re willing to work with a number of different budgets, and talk about strategies that you can implement to ensure the couple doesn’t stray too far from their original limits.
12. How Do You Keep the Planning Process on Schedule?
Another key part of a wedding planner’s job is ensuring that the planning process stays underway. For this question, you’ll need to talk to the couple about how you keep the event on track and avoid delays.
You can talk about using a calendar, having regular meetings with the couple, and reserving vendors in advance. Whatever you do, just make sure that these are steps you’re truly prepared to implement!
13. What Kinds of Concerns Do Couples Typically Have, and How Do You Address Them?
For this question, you’ll want to brainstorm a few different concerns that brides and grooms typically have about their wedding and to come up with ways to handle them. This helps show a couple how you’d help them out if things don’t quite go according to plan.
A couple of the most common concerns you can cite include:
- Bad weather
- Misspellings on the invites
- Not enough seats
- Going over budget
Come up with a few different contingency plans for these situations and strategies for making these problems right in a tough situation. Having those contingency plans in place helps show clients that you know how to deal with tricky situations.
14. How Would You Help a Couple Who Has No Ideas for Their Wedding?
While most brides have been dreaming of their weddings since they were little, that’s not the case for everyone. Sometimes, couples need help planning a wedding and don’t have any ideas about how to start!
For this question, you’ll want to have access to a portfolio of ideas that you can show clients. This can help spark inspiration and get the ball rolling in the planning phase.
Another way to help a couple with no ideas about their wedding is to conduct an intake interview. This kind of interview or questionnaire helps you get to know the client and gives you a better idea of how to make their day special.
15. How Many Weddings Do You Organize at a Time?
Some wedding planners organize just one wedding at a time, while others handle multiple weddings at once. Think about how many projects you can viably take on and set a limit for yourself.
Then, be prepared to tell clients how many bookings you take each year. Talk about how you keep things separate for each wedding, and how you ensure each wedding is a success.
16. How Do You Handle Cancellations?
While ideally, clients won’t back out once they’ve signed a contract, this still happens sometimes. In general, you’ll want to have a clause in your contract protecting yourself against cancellations. Many times this looks like a nonrefundable deposit before the day of the wedding, with the final amount due on the day of the event.
You’ll also want to have a policy in place for vendor cancellations. Make sure to have similar safeguards in place in case a vendor pulls out at the last minute, leaving you and the couple in a bind.
Letting the couple know about these policies upfront can help set expectations of how you’ll work together and how you’ll help bring their vision to life.
Take Your Wedding Planning Career to the Next Level
Wedding planning interview questions can be pretty tough, and are usually tailored to what a client is looking for. The way you answer these questions is what will ultimately help a couple determine whether or not they want to work with you.
When answering interview questions at wedding planning positions, remember to use the STAR interview method. This can help you give detailed insight for couples that will help them make a final decision about working with you.
With that said it’s, time to say “I do” to a new wedding planning career and take the first steps to landing your next client.
