Wedding Vendor Questions Checklist

📝 The exact questions to ask before you book any wedding vendor

Booking vendors is where weddings go right or wrong. Here are the questions experienced couples (and a 15+ year wedding pro) wish they’d asked before signing. Print it, bring it to every meeting, and don’t book until you’ve got clear answers.

📸 Photographer

  • Have you shot at our venue — and do you plan around golden hour?
  • How many hours of coverage, and how many edited photos do we get?
  • Do we get full print rights to the final images?
  • What’s your backup plan for gear failure — and for if YOU get sick?
  • Second shooter included? When do we get the gallery?
  • Can we give you a must-have shot list (and a do-not-photograph list)?

🍽️ Caterer

  • What’s the all-in per-head price — including service, tax, and gratuity?
  • Do you handle dietary restrictions and allergies? Kids’ meals?
  • Is there a tasting, and is it free?
  • Who provides linens, china, glassware, and staff — you or the venue?
  • What’s the overtime rate if the party runs long?
  • Do you do vendor meals for the photographer/DJ?

🎶 DJ / Band

  • Will YOU personally be our DJ/MC, or someone else from the company?
  • Can we give you a must-play and a do-NOT-play list?
  • How do you handle the first dance and special songs — original or your version?
  • Do you bring backup equipment? A backup performer?
  • What does setup, overtime, and travel cost?
  • How do you read the room and keep the floor full?

💐 Florist

  • Can you work within our budget — and what would you cut first if needed?
  • Are our flowers in season on our date (price + availability)?
  • Do you handle setup, teardown, and repurposing ceremony flowers for the reception?
  • What’s your substitution policy if a flower isn’t available?

🏛️ Venue

  • What’s included — tables, chairs, setup, cleanup, coordinator?
  • What’s the rain / heat backup plan?
  • What time can vendors arrive, and what time is hard-out?
  • Are there noise ordinances or a hard music cutoff?
  • Is there a getting-ready suite on site? (It saves 60–90 min of transit — see our golden-hour timeline.)
  • What’s the all-in cost with every fee — not the headline rate?

The universal question for every vendor

“What’s the total price with every fee included, and what’s your cancellation/refund policy?” Hidden fees and fuzzy contracts cause more wedding stress than anything else. Get it in writing before you pay a deposit.

Frequently asked questions

What questions should I ask a wedding photographer before booking?

Ask about coverage hours, number of edited photos, print rights, backup gear and backup shooter, golden-hour planning, the gallery delivery timeline, and whether you can provide a shot list.

What should I ask a wedding caterer?

Ask for the all-in per-head price including service, tax and gratuity, how they handle allergies and kids’ meals, what’s included (linens, staff, rentals), the overtime rate, and whether the tasting is free.

What's the most important question to ask any vendor?

“What’s the total price with every fee included, and what’s your cancellation policy?” Hidden fees and unclear contracts cause the most wedding stress — get everything in writing before paying a deposit.

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