As a wedding planner, one of the most important things you can help a couple do is make sure their wedding is an expression of their personalities. No wedding should look like it could fit just any bride and groom. This means you have to spend time with the couple, talking to them about their preferences, their styles, and their day-to-day life together.
If you’re a new planner and feel unsure of what questions to ask, pick up a copy of the Winter 2013 issue of Martha Stewart Weddings and check out the 20 questions that Darcy Miller, Editorial Director, lists in her article, “20 Questions to Help You Design Your Day.” The questions are meant to help a bride determine the type of venue that would work for well for her and the design and details she might want for her ceremony and reception.
The questions may seem basic such as: “What time of year do you love most?” “Where do you go for food?” and “What are your hobbies?” but these questions will help you start a conversation with your bride. You’ll be able to get to know your bride and what she really wants for her wedding that she may not be able to easily explain if you just ask her what she wants.
Other ways you can learn more about your bride to best help her design her day:
- Ask her to start a Pinterest account, if she hasn’t already, and have her pin photos and share them with you
- Have her collect photos from magazines, not just wedding magazines but also fashion, interior design, and food, and bring them to your meeting
- Ask her to show you photos of the two of them together. These will tell you the types of activities they enjoy and the places they have traveled to and may help you suggest the perfect venue or theme.
By the way, don’t think you don’t have to know much about a couple if they’ve decided on having a themed wedding. There are always many ways a theme can be interpreted, it’s up to you, and your network of wedding vendors, to make sure the theme is executed in a way that best expresses the personalities and styles of the bride and groom.
