So get this: It’s the day of your brides wedding, you show up with all your gear ready to go, and you have NO idea what’s going on except a loose timeline put together by the venue coordinator (which really only goes over the reception events).
That’s it.
… I meannnn, if you’re anything like me, going in with that little of information gives me ANXIETY!!!
That’s why a Wedding Day Questionnaire is best tool you can have to send to your brides before their wedding day.
And I’m going to give you a couple reasons on why this resource can literally make you the best photographer you can be for your client’s big day!
We aren’t mind readers. We are photographers.
And sometimes, brides think that we can read their mind. But really, if they don’t tell us certain things, we will utterly fail at giving them a gallery that’s tailored to exactly what they want. And that’s on us for not getting that important information.
SO, don’t be that photographer that under-delivers. Give them everything they want and MORE, and a great way to find out exactly what they want is through the questionnaire you send them a couple weeks before their wedding.
That means – in your questionnaire, make sure you set the expectations of telling them to be SUPER specific with each answer. Make sure they go into every little detail about exactly what they want.
This includes FAMILY PHOTO COMBINATIONS!!!! Oh my word, this is HUGE!
Family photos can be so chaotic without a helpful list created by the bride and the groom – and the opportunity for them to create that list is given in the questionnaire. Another reason why this is a tool you NEED as a wedding photographer
This makes sure you are all aligned on the same page as far as what they expect in their gallery, and also makes things run smoother on the day of.
Knowing me and how much I have on my plate, I know I won’t be able to keep track of who needs their questionnaire sent when (especially when it’s 40 days out).
SOOO instead of setting alerts and keeping track on calendars on when to send my questionnaires to my clients, I have an automated workflow within Honeybook (which is like the BEST client management system ever! And you can get your first year 50% off if you use my referral link here!!!!) that I use to send it to them automatically, putting me at ease to work on other things in the meantime (like editing, am I right???).
Once the email and questionnaire is all set up within Honeybook, I start a new workflow to send to them 40 days out from their project date (or their wedding day). Then it’s off my plate – easy peasy!
The reason I recommend 40 days is because it’s a little over 1 month.
Sometimes, 1 month isn’t enough time for our brides. Keep in mind: they have over 1,000 other things on their plate with just a month out until their wedding. SO, giving them that extra 10 days to do it and have them thinking about it is a good thing to make sure you get exactly what you need.
This is THE most important part of the questionnaire (duh), and honestly, it can vary with every photographer.
Since this is your business, you know what you need to be successful. And, you should formulate your questions to match who you are as a photographer.
Example: if you’re more of a documentary style wedding photographer, make sure you’re aware of all the important details they would like captured without too much direction. And, this questionnaire is also a great opportunity to educate your clients on good lighting in rooms for their pictures (natural light > fluorescent light) so you don’t have to direct too much and can focus more on capturing the moments as they unfold.
But the main thing you want to remember is that you need to get all the information you can!
Ask all of the mundane stuff like addresses and timelines, etc., But also ask some tough questions, like if there are any sensitive situations you should be aware of (divorces, deceased family members, drama, etc.).
No one really thinks about that stuff, but it’s SUPER important to ask to make sure you are aware of all situations on the big day! It would be awful to make an awkward situation more awkward because of your ignorance to what’s going on!
If you’re reading this and this is the first time you’ve ever heard about sending a questionnaire or have no idea where to start with even creating one, then I’ve got some good news for you!
I actually have a template that I use for my questionnaire that you can have to use for your brides, or for inspiration to create your own!
You can follow the link here to learn more, or follow the button below to learn how to get your hands on it! 🙂