The wedding photography questionnaire template
Everything you need to know before the day, in the order couples can answer it. Paste it into HoneyBook, Dubsado, Studio Ninja, Táve or a Google Form.
The basics
- 1Your names, and what you’d like us to call you on the day
- 2Wedding date
- 3Best phone number for each of you on the day
- 4Your planner or coordinator’s name and number, if you have one
Locations and timings
- 1Where are you getting ready? (Addresses for each of you)
- 2Ceremony venue and start time
- 3Reception venue, if different, and how long the drive is
- 4When are you hoping to do couple portraits? (We’ll suggest golden hour if we can)
- 5When do speeches, the first dance and any exit happen?
People
- 1Who is in your wedding party? (Names and roles)
- 2Who is officiating?
- 3Anyone doing a reading or a performance?
- 4Any other vendors we should know? (Videographer, florist, band)
Family photos
- 1Please fill in your family photo list here: [your Family Photo List link]. It takes about ten minutes, you can add photos of anyone we won’t recognise, and it orders the shots for you.
- 2Who is a confident friend or relative who knows both families and could help gather people?
Must-haves
- 1Any shots that really matter to you? (A grandparent, an heirloom, a surprise)
- 2Anything you’d like us to avoid photographing?
- 3Is anyone camera-shy or should be photographed carefully?
Logistics
- 1Will there be a meal for the photographer, and when?
- 2Any restrictions at the venue on flash, movement or the ceremony?
- 3Is anything unplugged? (No phones during the ceremony)
- 4What’s your plan B if it rains?
Why the family photos question is a link
“Who do you want in your family photos?” is the question couples answer worst, and the one you most need right. You get a paragraph of nicknames back, and decode it at 2pm on a gravel path.
Family Photo List gives you one link per couple. They add names, roles and photos, the shots are ordered so the fewest people move, chairs and keep-apart pairs are flagged, and you can see who hasn’t started yet.
When to send it
Six to eight weeks before the wedding, with a reminder at four and two weeks. Send the family photo link early: it’s the part couples need to talk to their families about. For the family section on its own, see the family formals questions to ask couples.
Questions
What should be on a wedding photography questionnaire?
Contact details, locations and timings, the wedding party and vendors, family photos, must-have and avoid shots, and logistics like meals, venue rules and a rain plan.
When should photographers send the questionnaire?
Usually 6 to 8 weeks before the wedding, with a reminder at 4 and 2 weeks. The family photo list often needs the longest, so send that part early.