Greetings everyone as I type this post with one eye open! I'm one of those people who usually have to have their coffee first thing in the morning, but some of you might know that I'm all about my healthy liftestyle and I've kicked that horrible coffee habit! So as I muster up some strength to type this just bare with me please.  Also, my hunny and I just celebrated our 10 year anninversary yesterday, woot, woot!

Anyway, enough of the small chatter and let's get down to business. I'm mean that is why you stopped by right?  I wanted to chat with my couples who have recently gotten engaged and who are on the hunt for the perfect planner. However, this discussion isn't closed to those of you who aren't newly engaged so, stick around and chime in or feel free to share this information with someone you think might find it useful.  Monday we talked about the importance or value of having a wedding planner! Missed it? Don't worry, you can see that post here.

So, now that you know the value and the importance of hiring a wedding planner let's chat about at least 3 things you should bring to your initial consultation with your potential wedding planner!  Let's dig in, shall we...

Don't Come Empty Handed | The Initial Consultaiton

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1.  Come prepared.  Yup, I said it. Come to the meeting prepared!!  Not only should your potential wedding planner come to the meeting prepared, but you as the couple should come prepared as well.  Do your research.  Know something about the person that you're scheduled to meet with. Have you visited his or her website?  What did you learn or experience when you checked it out?  Did you visit their social media pages? Do they seem like someone you would want to work with for 10 to 12 months? 

If you've done your research about them prior to the meeting then you don't have to really worry about meeting with someone that you possibly might not like; wasting your time and theirs.

2.  Come with questions! Everything cannot be answered by just viewing their websites and social media sites, but if you've done your research about your potential wedding planner then I'm quite sure you should have some follow up questions for them.  Now is your time to find out as much as you can about his or her experience or knowledge of the industry.  

Also, this is your time to tell the potential planner all of your expectations.  Tell them your vision for your day.  Describe what you'd like to see and be specific about what you don't want.  Simply be upfront about what you expect.  

3.  Know your budget! Every wedding planner will ask that daunting question, "So, what's your budget?"  Usually a couple who cannot answer this question or who answers, "we don't know" or "well, we haven't discussed that yet"  gives the planner reason to believe that this couple either doesn't know the costs of a wedding today or genuinely haven't discussed it.  It's not a bad thing if you don't know, but if you answer "we don't have a budget" that's a major red flag and possible reason why a potential planner might decline the opportunity to work with you!  Everyone has a budget.  A budget is that magic number or cap that screams, "hey stop spending!"  Often times when a couple says they don't have a budget usually means something else.  We'll chat more about that on a later post!

Yes, wedding planners are interviewing you just as much as you're interviewing them!  So, before you meet with your potential planner do a quick google search to find out the average cost of a wedding in you area and then check with your financial allies such as parents and grandparents to know what they want to contribute to your wedding experience.

I hope this information was helpful and not overwhelming! Planning a wedding is supposed to be fun and enjoyable.  Selecting the right planner is a part of that process. 

So, what do you think?  Leave us a comment below.  We want to hear from you!  Also, join the conversation on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!