What Questions to ask to hire wedding coordinator in Mexico

Hello, I just started planning our wedding in the Riviera Maya region of Mexico for Spring 2015.  I am not sure where to start, so I decided that hiring a wedding coordinator should be the first step and then they can assist throughout the process.

Can someone give me suggestions of questions to ask when hiring a coordinator?  Do you use skype, and how many should I interview?

Looking for all the support we can get.  

Originally Posted by astaats83 

 

Hello, I just started planning our wedding in the Riviera Maya region of Mexico for Spring 2015.  I am not sure where to start, so I decided that hiring a wedding coordinator should be the first step and then they can assist throughout the process.

 

Can someone give me suggestions of questions to ask when hiring a coordinator?  Do you use skype, and how many should I interview?

 

Looking for all the support we can get.  

Hello astaats83,

Congrats in your engagement!

It is wise of you, because hiring a wedding planner is the first step to get started.

I am 42 years old and have been in the wedding business for more than 23 years.

I suggest to choose 5-3 different wedding planners and have contacts and interviews via skype with them since it is very important to have a "click" with the person who will be your eyes, ears and will be an extension from you here and will be taking care of your interests and budget.

Here is a list of questions you can ask before hiring a Professional weeding planner in Mexico:

1. First of all, the company has to be formally LEGAL here in Mexico.  That means that they have to be able to offer a Legal invoice, in order to have it, they need a special document or seal (RFC) provided by the mexican government with the name of their business on it.  Sometimes they run away from another state of Mexico or another country because of something.

2. Ask for their university career, certificates, diplomas, awards, etc. If they have some academy education, it will be mentioned on their website or they will show it to you.  To love and have passion for weddings sometimes is not good enough so they need to have at least years of experience.  

3. Ask for at least 3 Testimonials from other Brides with photos, videos, phone numbers and emails.

4. Make sure that all photos and videos are from them and not from other vendors, wedding planners, or from internet. 

5. Ask if they belong to some association in Canada, USA or here in Mexico, there is an association of wedding coordinators in the area (ACIBEP) that helps, control and keep updated all wedding planners in the area.  Call to their association and ask for referrals too.  

In the area we know each other and we get along pretty well so you can ask to different vendors about their experience when working with them.

Also in this forum you can find a lot of reliable wedding coordinators:

http://www.bestdestinationwedding.com/products/category/wedding-coordinators-travel-agents

The above not only applies to wedding planners it may apply to all vendors.

Hope it helps and good luck!

Hey Jersey Bride!

Welcome to the forum!   A wedding coordinator is a great way to start!  Like Yazmin mentioned, it is super important that you click with whoever you are working with!  Skype is the easiest way to communicate and get a proper feel for the person in terms of personality, professionalism, and style.  Experience is KEY, so make sure you choose someone that has been in the area some time and knows the ins and outs of doing business here.  Make sure they have a professional website with lots of current examples of their work and current testimonials.  If you have a chance to come down here and meet them in person, even better!  They can also help you set up some site visits to narrow down your location choices. 

Happy Planning!

Sofia

Lori's Office Assistant

Thank you very helpful!

Hi!

First impressions are everything, so a skype meeting is a great way to interview your candidates as it's closest thing to meeting in person. It's a good way to see if personalities click and your instincts will tell you right away it it's a fit or not.

Thanks to forums and websites, you can check reviews, testimonials and pictures before deciding who to reach out to. In our experience, most of our past brides are happy to help too so you can also PM them, or ask the planner for some contacts.

We can't agree enough that experience is key. An established company will have built solid relationships with vendors and will also know what to watch out for. Very important.

In addition to all of the legal/formal questions, which are very important as Yazmin says, ask each and every question that runs through your mind, no matter how silly or insignificant you might feel it is... you need to feel 100% comfortable and certain that you are going to get everything you want out of your planner and wedding day!

Enjoy the process!