I discourage brides from shopping based on price alone. Our prices are higher than some and lower than others. I tell prospective clients to make sure they compare the services offered in each wedding planner’s package, their years or level of experience and their personalities. That way you are comparing apples to apples instead of apples to oranges. One wedding planner may charge a higher fee because they’ve been in the business for 25 years, planned thousands of weddings or includes everything but the kitchen sink in their package. Another wedding planner may charge a much lower fee because they’ve only been in the business for 6 months, only planned 3 weddings or only includes the bare minimum in their package.

So after viewing their website I encourage you to meet with the wedding planners that pique your interest. Ask how long they’ve been in business, how many weddings they’ve planned (not including their own), are they members of any associations/organizations (if that is important to you), will they provide references, etc. The initial consultation is also a chance for both you and the planner to assess each other’s personality. You will work with this person on one of life’s biggest milestone celebrations therefore you need to know if your personalities mesh and if you will work well together.

Once you’ve taken all of these things into consideration, you should be able to narrow down your choices and make an informed decision.