Sending out wedding questionnaires to your brides and grooms before their wedding day is one of the most important things that you, as their wedding photographer, can do! It’s up to you, as the hired professional, to make sure that you are completely prepared and “in the know” on everything for one of the most important days of your clients’ lives. They’ve spent a ton of time putting this event together and it’s your job to help make sure that their day runs as smoothly as possible and to provide them with a positive and memorable experience along with stunning images. The easiest way to make sure that this happens is by simply sending out a questionnaire for them to fill out in advance so that you’re filled in on all of the details for the day! I’m here to make sure that you’re well equipped to create your own questionnaire for your clients or you can check out my free wedding photography questionnaire at the bottom that you can download and use yourself!

Table Of Contents

What is a Wedding Photography Questionnaire?

Why Do I Need a Wedding Photography Questionnaire?

When to Send a Wedding Photography Questionnaire

What Questions Should a Wedding Photographer Ask?

Free Wedding Photography Questionnaire

What is a Wedding Photography Questionnaire?

A wedding photography questionnaire is a specific list of questions pertaining to a wedding day that a wedding photographer will create and send to their clients prior to the wedding. This questionnaire usually collects information such as event times, family shot list, wedding vendor information, and several other important details. This type of questionnaire is also commonly referred to as “Wedding Day Questionnaire,” “Pre-wedding Questionnaire,” “Wedding Planner Questionnaire,” or “Pre-wedding Survey.”

Why Do I Need a Wedding Photography Questionnaire?

There are quite a few reasons as to why you should be sending out a wedding photography questionnaire to your clients. But, here are a few of the highlights:

1. Time saver

Preparing for a wedding can be extremely time-consuming. There’s no need to drag out the process by constantly going back and forth with emails to gather more information that you forgot to ask for in the previous email. Take the process down to only a fraction of you and your client’s time by taking a moment to write out questions to gather information that you frequently need when photographing a wedding.

2. Easier timeline creation and scheduling

By having all of your firm times for the day listed out in one space, it’ll be easier to create a wedding day timeline and schedule the allotted amount of times for portraits for your clients rather than scrambling through email after email trying to remember when they said that dinner was being served.

3. Convenience

We’ve already kinda touched on how the questionnaire is convenient. But, just to reiterate, all the important information that you’ll need for the day will be in one spot for you to find it when needed! You can easily print it out to take with you on the wedding day to refer back to for names of family members, bridal party, and timeline information.

4. Eliminates stress (on all ends)

By having your bride and groom fill out a detailed questionnaire, filling you in on everything that you need to know, both parties will feel more secure when it comes time for their special day. Your clients know that you have all the details of the day, which makes you prepared and on top of it, which will relieve a ton of stress and eliminate their worries knowing that everything is in good hands!

5. Reduces mistakes

When you’re provided with all of the information upfront, i.e. shot lists, important details, etc. You’ll know all of the shots that you’ll need to capture on their wedding day that may not already be a part of your typical wedding day shot list so that you can provide them with a unique gallery containing all of the moments that mattered the most to them. Filling all of this information out ahead of time, your clients will have more time to consider these important moments, what they’d like to see in their gallery, and be able to provide you with all the correct information without mistakes, i.e. firm times for events and addresses for venue locations.

6. Keeps you informed

Sending out the questionnaire will keep you informed and up-to-date on any last minute changes that may have happened. It’s important to stay in-the-loop on all the details of a wedding day because, well, it’s your job to make sure you’re there to photograph these details!

OVERALL

Sending out a wedding photography questionnaire creates a better client experience! And that’s what we all want, right? To provide our clients with the best of the best?

When To Send A Wedding Photography Questionnaire

I like to send out my questionnaire to my bride and groom approximately 30 days prior to the wedding date. This way most, if not all, of the information that I’ll be asking for will be finalized. 30 days is still ample amount of time to be able to create a firm timeline, if needed, or make any adjustments to a timeline that has already been created if any last minute changes have arisen. It’s still also far enough out that the bride and groom won’t be bombarded by all the last minute details and will have the time to sit down together to fill out the questionnaire and provide all the correct information.

What questions should a wedding photographer ask?

Every wedding photographer adds their own little flair to their questionnaire based off experiences and things that they deem important. Here are a few of some of the most common questions that wedding photographers ask on their wedding photography questionnaire that you should be including in yours!

1. Client’s parents names

2. Partner’s parents names

3. Are there any special circumstances in your family that I should be aware of?

4. Provide a list of family groupings for immediate family portraits

5. Are there any additional groupings that you would like me to get?

6. Please list your (client’s) bridal party by name and role

7. Please list partner’s bridal party by name and role

8. Would you like getting ready photos?

9. Would you like photos of your partner getting ready?

10. Would you like to have a first look?

11. How long will the ceremony be?

12. Will you be having any type of special or religious ceremony?

13. Will you be having an announced or special entrance?

14. Will you be having a cocktail hour?

15. Will you be having any special dances?

16. Are there any photography restrictions at the ceremony?

17. Are there any must take photo ideas or details that I should know of?

18. Where are you (client)v getting ready? Provide address.

19. Where is your partner getting ready? Provide address.

20. Please list addresses of ceremony and reception locations.

21. What time will you (client) arrive at the ceremony location?

22. Will you be doing any type of formal exit from your reception?

23. Please provide travel time between locations.

24. Can you provide me with a rough timeline of the wedding day? Any events with firm times?

25. Who are your vendors? Florist, venues, wedding planner, hair and makeup, etc. Please provide Instagram, website, and email.

26. What are your colors for your wedding?

27. Client’s cell number

28. Partner’s cell number

29. Emergency contact

30. Client’s Instagram handles

31. Is there anything unique or special that you’re incorporating into your wedding?

Now you that know what a wedding photography questionnaire is, why you should use one, when to send them, and what to ask, you’re ready to make your own and create a better experience for all of your wedding clients! If you’re thinking to yourself, “Agh, I really want to make one, but I don’t have the time.” That’s okay! I got you!

Download my free wedding photography questionnaire that I personally use for my own clients!