Wedding Photography Questionnaire + 3 Bonus FREE Templates

wedding photography questionnaire

Do you usually send a wedding photography questionnaire to a couple before signing a wedding photography contract? You'd better ask them all the necessary questions in advance in order to know all the essential details about the wedding. I will guide you on how to conduct a wedding photography consultation efficiently and you can download my free photography questionnaire templates.

What is a Wedding Photography Questionnaire?

A wedding photography questionnaire is a list of questions concerning the information about a wedding photoshoot and ceremony that is sent by a photographer to his/her clients. Sometimes it is referred to as a wedding planners questionnaire, pre wedding questionnaire or pre-wedding survey.

Free Photography Questionnaire Templates

If you don't feel like making up your own personal wedding photography client questionnaire or you don't have enough time to do it, I’ve designed three free photography questionnaire templates with all the necessary information to make the process of questioning a bride and groom easier.

Questions to Ask Bride and Groom

If you are wondering what sorts of questions a photographer should ask a wedding client, the list may be pretty long. Naturally, you are supposed to collect the bride and groom's contact information to be able to reach them, get the wedding schedule, and learn all the details. If you include additional questions, you may use a document in the future - for example, blog posts or sales process. It's up to you to decide which questions to ask, but don't forget to take into consideration the wedding traditions of a couple's ethnic background and your own preferences. I have created the questions for wedding photographer which he/she can look through and select the most appropriate ones. The list is certainly not short, but if clients complete the wedding photography questionnaire, you and your team will be 100 percent prepared for such a momentous event!

Here is a list of 46 questions that add up to the perfect wedding questionnaire for bride and groom:

Wedding date.
Groom’s name (for same-sex weddings, name of first bride).
Bride’s name (for same-sex weddings, name of second groom).
Phone number of the groom.
Phone number of the bride.
When and where will Bridal Preparation take place?
When and where will Groom Preparation will take place?
What is the approximate time you want a photographer to arrive for preparations?
Are you going to do a first look? If yes, where and when it will be happening?
How can I reach your wedding coordinator? What is his/her name?
Do you have a wedding planner? Could you give his/her name and phone number?
Could you provide me with names and contact info of the venue owner?
Could you provide me with names and contact info of vendors, caterers, videographers, florists, cake and makeup artists, designers and all other people involved in the wedding preparation process?
Could you list the order of events at the reception?
Will there be a cocktail hour? If so, when?
Is your wedding a religious one?
How long does it take to get from the location of Bridal Preparation to the ceremony place? What type of transport will be used?
Where does the ceremony take place?
What is the name of the person who conducts the ceremony?
When exactly does the ceremony begin and end?
Will there be a receiving line after the ceremony?
Will there be a formal exit from the ceremony? What kind?
Where does the reception take place?
How much time does it take to get from the location of the ceremony to the reception?
When is the photographer supposed to arrive at the reception?
Are there any wedding rules, time limits or peculiar religious traditions that should be mentioned?
Is there a hashtag for your wedding?
What are the theme and the main colors of your wedding?
How many guests do you expect at the reception?
What are the names of the groomsmen and bridesmaids?
Are there any “must-have” shots you wish to get?
Where do you wish for the photos of the couple to be taken? Do you have any ideas?
When is couple and group shooting supposed to start?
What are the groom's parents’ names? What is their relationship status?
What are the bride's parents’ names? What is their relationship status?
Are there any specific family situations that shouldn’t be mentioned? For instance, deaths, divorces, etc.
When is it more suitable to take family portraits – before or immediately after the ceremony? (Before is advisable)
What kind of family group photos do you wish to have?
Would you like a photo booth to be set up at the wedding party?
When will the cake cutting, dinner, speeches and first dance begin?
Will you have a sit-down dinner, family style, appetizers, or only desserts?
Do you plan to provide both the first and second photographers with food?
Will there be page boys or flower girls? What are their names?
Are you going to toss a bouquet and/or a garter?
When will you leave for the honeymoon? When will you return?
Do you have any extra information you would like to share with the photographer?

Wedding Questionnaire Tips

Needless to say, if you prepare a couple questionnaire in the proper way, the outcome will be positive. I would like to give you a piece of advice on how to simplify the whole process of questioning.

1. Follow Up

When you receive a finished couple questionnaire from the clients, take your time to examine their answers and note down if something is unclear. Maybe you misunderstood or didn't catch the meaning and you need to clarify particular details. You'd better contact the couple once again to clear everything up and do it in advance.

It might be a good idea to arrange a final meeting with the clients in order to do a wedding photography consultation checklist and make sure that nothing has changed. Very often last-minute changes or additions may be made and a couple may forget to inform you about them because of their wedding preparation bustle.

Keep up with all the changes to avoid unexpected surprises during a wedding, so that everything will go smoothly. As a photographer, you should only concentrate on taking pictures and not on worrying about the changes in plans.

2. Ask for Extra Information

Don't forget to ask a couple whether there are any additional facts that should be mentioned or if some important issues weren't discussed. Listen to the clients, and take into account their wishes and preferences. Look at the wedding photography questionnaire PDF for all the essential aspects that should be covered, for instance, arrival time, poses ideas, and some extra tips.

Learn more about the couple's love history: they may have identical tattoos or some symbol or element that represents their relationship. Such details can give you inspiration for incredible photos. If you feature these details in wedding shots, it will be a sign that you are a keen and professional photographer who can produce remarkable images that leave people speechless and attract more clients!

3. Establish a Deadline

When a bride and groom receive a wedding photography questionnaire, they will ask you when they have to have it filled in. Never reply with anything like “As soon as possible!” or “Whenever you can!” They are likely to forget about it because a couple has tons of other arrangements they have to take care of. Tell them a specific date on which they need to submit a finished questionnaire and note it down in your personal organizer.

A few days before the established date, send the couple a letter or text via e-mail or messenger to remind them about the upcoming deadline.

4. Don’t Copy Random Questions

It is recommended not to include all the questions for wedding photographer you may find, but look through them carefully and choose the most suitable ones or use them as a basis for creating your own. Every couple needs a certain approach; therefore, the questions for new clients should differ. The questions should match your client's aims and your shooting style. A couple questionnaire should, first of all, simplify the wedding photography process.

5. Be Open to Compromises

Every now and then a bride and groom can’t find time to fill in a wedding photography questionnaire. In this case, meet them halfway and offer to answer the questions on the phone. Even if they don't find the time to answer all of the questions on the list, at least you will have some idea about the most crucial aspects of their wedding and you will all be satisfied.

Why Do You Need It?

If you deal with wedding photoshoots on a regular basis, the usage of such a questionnaire will prove to the clients that you are a real professional photographer and will help establish effective communication with them.

Why Do You Need a Wedding Photography Client Questionnaire?

No more stress and worries
Easier scheduling
Convenience
Saves time
Eliminates mistakes
Helps you keep details in mind

1. No more stress and worries

Preparations before wedding photoshoots are usually very nerve-wracking, which can negatively affect your mood. You may be preoccupied with what wedding photography styles to offer, what props to take, etc. But when you have compiled and processed a wedding ceremony questionnaire, you can finally relax. You may think about the photoshoot but not about the small details that you might have missed.

2. Easier scheduling

It happens very often that there are some changes in a wedding timeline that you may not be aware of. As a result, it may lead to confusion and ruin your plans, not to mention the couple’s. Making up a list of questions to ask bride and groom before wedding will help you avoid problems with the schedule. Knowing the exact wedding plan, you will be able to arrange your work effectively.

3. Convenience

With a wedding questionnaire for couples, you will always have access to all the necessary information. You may rewrite some of important information (time schedule and must-have photos) in a notebook or copy it onto a phone to have it at the ready if you need to look something up. I also recommend writing a wedding photography checklist.

4. Saves Time

Wedding preparations are usually extremely time-consuming. If you have all the vital information at once in a wedding photography questionnaire, you won't need to waste precious time searching for updates and specific details in numerous emails from different clients.

5. Eliminates mistakes

When a bride and groom fill in a wedding photography questionnaire, they are more likely to provide the correct information without making any mistakes, for instance, with the schedule or an address.

6. Helps you keep details in mind

A wedding is an event full of different but very important details. In case you talk about the details with a couple orally, it is possible that you accidentally might forget to write down an essential piece of information or put it down incorrectly.

However, if you use a professional and unique wedding photography questionnaire, you get a chance to have productive communication with your clients. Hopefully, all the previously mentioned tips will come in handy for your wedding photography and help you to develop as a photographer.