Choosing your wedding planner  is an important decision– one of the most important in your wedding planning journey, a decision that could make or break your big day. So, it reasons that being “a little picky” might be a good thing for one of the most important days of your life. Every (decent) planner will offer at least one gratis initial consultation in person, via phone, or on Skype, so you can get a sense of their personality.

So, when you’re talking to a potential candidate, ask the following five questions to get some important insight as to how they work:

1. How much time will it take to plan my wedding?

A professional wedding planner will have a very clear understanding of wedding timelines, as well as important milestones. They will be able to explain the way their planning process works, and explain when payments are due and when decisions must be finalized.

2. Will my contracts be with the planner, or with the individual vendors?

It’s important to know at the outset, because you’ll want to ask with whom you’re contracted for the actual day. Unless you’re on a basic package that does not account for that, it is important to have a plan to get in touch with those vendors (such as photography or catering) if something unexpected crops up.

3. Will the wedding planner be on-site for the event?

Sometimes larger wedding companies can have many events happening simultaneously, and will just assign an account executive to you wedding. If you have been working with them already, then you won’t be surprised. However, if you want to work with the owner of the company directly, then make sure to make that request upfront.

4. Can you guarantee to stay within my budget?

You might think that the obvious choice is “Yes!” But that’s not always the case. A planner can only give you a reasonable “guestimate” of you wedding budget. Until you know the exact prices charged by the vendors, it can be a bit of a guessing game. A good wedding planner, however, will keep you appraised of prices and warn you when certain choices could place you over budget.

5. What will your references tell me about the wedding you planned for them?

This is one of the tricky interview questions that most wedding planners get. Successful planners will inform you of all the wonderful weddings and “save-the-day” moments that they pulled out of their hat. Just make sure that their stories match up to what happened when you actually talk to the references.