Questions to Ask Every Wedding Vendor

Most wedding budget shocks aren’t the sticker price — they’re the things nobody mentioned until the invoice arrived. A good vendor will answer all of these happily; a vendor who dodges them is telling you something. This is a neutral checklist that works across photographers, videographers, caterers, florists, makeup artists and bridal boutiques. We don’t rank vendors or name a “best” one — that’s your call, made with the right questions.

Before you book: the essentials

What exactly is included? Get the full scope in writing — hours of coverage, number of outfits or looks, number of edited photos, deliverables and anything that costs extra.
Are you available on my date, and is it confirmed? A verbal “should be fine” is not a booking.
Who actually works my wedding? For studios and agencies, the person you meet may not be the one who turns up. Ask for the named crew.

Price and the “++” question

Is this price nett or “++”? On venue and catering quotes, “++” adds about 20% — a 10% service charge plus 9% GST. A S$1,500++ table is really about S$1,800. Always compare nett to nett. (See how much a wedding costs.)
What triggers extra charges? Overtime, travel, early call times, extra locations, rush editing, public-holiday surcharges.
What’s the deposit, and what does each payment secure? Get the full payment schedule and the due dates in writing.

The contract: what to pin down

Put every verbal promise in the written contract. At minimum, confirm:

Checklist card: nett price, deposit, extras, named crew and backup, cancellation terms, delivery timeline

Put every one of these in the written contract before you pay. A good vendor answers all of them.

Cancellation and postponement terms — what you lose, and whether a date change is allowed and at what cost.
Backup plan — what happens if your photographer, makeup artist or solemniser falls ill. For a civil marriage, remember your solemniser must accept the invitation through the Our Marriage Journey portal; keep a backup in mind.
Delivery timeline — when you receive photos, the video, or the final product, and in what format.
Liability and insurance — who covers loss or damage.

Questions by vendor type

Photographer / videographer: style and full galleries (not just highlights), hours, number of edited images, same-day-edit logistics, turnaround time.
Caterer / banquet: nett per-table or per-head price, menu tasting, minimum tables, corkage, halal status (and whether it is MUIS-certified if that matters to you — a venue or caterer is only “halal” when it is on the MUIS certified list).
Florist / decor: what the quote covers versus the mood-board, substitutions if a flower is out of season, setup and teardown.
Makeup artist: trial included or extra, touch-ups during the day, travel to your getting-ready location.
Bridal boutique: rent vs buy, number of fittings, alteration costs, collection and return dates.

Red flags

Reluctance to give a nett price or a written scope.
“We’ll sort the details later” on anything that costs money.
No clear cancellation or backup terms.
Pressure to pay a large deposit immediately to “hold” a date.