Choosing a wedding consultant is rarely easy due to the fact that many couples will only ever hire one in their lifetime.
Even if you are marrying for a second, third, or even forth time, hiring a wedding consultant is still not something you have a wealth of experience with.
To help you hire a consultant that will be right for your wedding ask all potential candidates the following five questions.

1. Can they conform to the budget that you have planned? While some consultants may be able to advise on potential changes to your budget, for example, you may have grossly under-budgeted for your photography costs; a common mistake; hiring a consultant that has their own ideas of how much you should be spending on various aspects of your wedding will do you no favors.
   They will ultimately end up planning a wedding completely different to what you wanted.
   
2. Will the consultant take the reigns and plan your wedding down to the very last detail? While you may think that a consultant that answers yes to this question is the one for you, having someone else plan every last detail may leave you losing some of the aspects of your wedding unique to you.
   While this is not a reason to discount a particular candidate, it should lead to further discussion.
   Be firm about what you want the consultant to take control of and what you want to leave to yourselves.
   This will help ensure you have a truly original wedding day.
   
3. Does the consultant have any preferred wedding vendors? A consultant with preferred wedding vendors can be a good thing.
   If they regularly supply these vendors with business they may be able to negotiate special discounted rates for your wedding leaving you with breathing space to spend the cash you saved elsewhere, like on your honeymoon.
   However, it is important to ascertain the nature of the relationship between vendor and consultant.
   Does the consultant get a commission from sending the vendor business? Are the vendors they recommend the best for you or are they simply recommending them to get a kickback? These are all additional questions to ask your potential wedding consultants.
   
4. Will the consultant liaise with the vendors for you? This is an important role of any wedding consultant.
   The most helpful wedding consultants will not only meet with vendors for you and convey your wedding vision across to them but they will also look through the various vendor contracts you will need to sign and recognise any potential pitfalls immediately.
   
5. Is the consultant up to date with the current trends in the wedding industry? While hiring a consultant that is an expert on traditional wedding etiquette undoubtedly has its uses, the last thing you want is for your wedding to look like it belongs in the nineteenth century.
   A more flexible consultant will ultimately provide you with a more modern wedding.
   Make sure your vendor knows what the current wedding trends are.
   Why not arm yourself with information from wedding magazines and blogs before you interview a potential consultant to bring yourself up to speed with the current wedding crazes beforehand?