For Photographers: The Wedding Day Questionnaire

For Photographers

January 13, 2015

If there was ONE thing I would say that all wedding photographers should be doing to make the wedding day run more smoothly for them, it would be client questionnaires! (And maybe carb loading the night before….or having band aids at all times. Band aids can be crucial on wedding days.) In all seriousness though, implementing a questionnaire has been one of the best things I ever did for myself and for my clients! And this is something that I think would benefit ALL wedding vendors, not just photographers.

 Trump National Golf Club Wedding_0062

Here’s why:

  • The questionnaire helps ensure I’m on the same page with each of my couples. After I get a completed questionnaire back from a client, I go over it and then set up a time to have a conference call with them to discuss anything I might have had a question about. That way, on the wedding day, we’re both on the same page regarding our game plan (family formals, etc).
  • All of the important info is in one place. Specifically, I like having all of the family shots I know I need to get, as well as any other random tidbits of info all in one place in my bag on the wedding day for me to reference. Since we photograph between 20-30 weddings every year, it can be kind of tricky to remember some of the finer details from week to week, but printing a copy of the questionnaire and keeping it with me makes this a breeze!
  • I never forget to ask things. In the days before I had an online questionnaire, I used to call my clients and ask them a lot of the questions on the questionnaire. The problem with that was, it was super disorganized and sometimes I would forget to ask a certain question and have to email back anyway. Having a questionnaire is easier because everything is in the same place! And I can’t forget to ask any of the questions! Thank you computers. And Al Gore, for making internet.
  • I feel more prepared. For me, preparation is the key to success. I like being able to look at the questionnaire and timeline the night before and being able to think up a game plan in my head for how I envision myself photographing the day. Maybe that’s weird, but it helps me!
  • It helps me manage expectations. One of the biggest components to making your clients happy, is managing their expectations. Using the questionnaire to gauge their expectations will help you have certain conversations in advance. For example, if your client booked a wedding collection that has 7 hours and they also answered YES they will be having a sparkler exit at midnight (And their ceremony is at four!) you’ll definitely want to have a chat with them about adding hours to their package ahead of time. That way you can handle any potentially awkward situations ahead of time, such as if they forgot how many hours were in their collection, etc.

While the content of everyone’s questionnaire will be different based on how they run their business, how they shoot, etc, I think there are some important things to have on your questionnaire. Here are a few of the ones I consider really important:

  • Time and place of the wedding. Duh
  • Driving distance between locations (getting ready, ceremony, reception, etc). This helps me determine whether or not the timeline that I’ve been given is realistic. If I think it isn’t, I’ll bring it up with the couple so we can make changes before the big day.
  • Vendor names and contact info. I share the images with the vendors so the couple doesn’t have to worry about it. Asking for their wedding vendors with the questionnaire works really well for me because they’re already working on something for you anyway! I keep this information for submissions and for sharing after the wedding.
  • Bride and Groom’s phone numbers. I also ask for an alternate wedding day contact so I can bug that person instead of the couple if I end up needing to get in touch with someone.
  • When the reception decor will be set up. This also helps me determine what suggestions to make about the timeline if necessary. I photograph the space before guests are allowed in, so making sure there is time for this on the timeline is key.
  • Whether or not there will be an exit. If the couple has only booked us for eight hours, normally coverage will last until about an hour or so into dancing. So if they say on the questionnaire there will be an exit, I will ask them if they’d like to add time to their package if those photographs are important to them.
  • Are there any surprises or special traditions happening (Also, are there any special family situations I should be sensitive to?). These are important to be aware of ahead of time so you don’t miss anything or create any awkward situations with family who might not get along.

Like most things in relation to my business, my questionnaire is constantly evolving. I re-evaluate the questions all the time. Sometimes I’ll add new ones or change the wording on the old ones if I think it makes sense to, or if I see the need for a new question to add to the list. When I’m ready to send my questionnaire, I use Pixifi, which is an online studio management software (check it out!! You’ll thank me, I promise!). I love Pixifi because I can very easily create templates for the questionnaires and sending them is simple as well. Before I was using Pixifi, I did a PDF that clients would print out and mail back or fill out and scan back to me. Pixifi is a lot easier, but there are all kinds of ways to do a questionnaire, including Google Forms and other things! You can do questionnaires a million different types of ways. The key is to find something that works for you.

If you’re not doing a questionnaire, try it out for a few weddings and see if it helps you feel better prepared! If you are doing a questionnaire, tell me…what questions are YOU asking that you feel are super important? I’d love to hear your best ones in the comments!

 

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  1. Alicia Lacey says:

    I never thought to include when the reception will be ready to go, but that makes so much sense!! Thanks for sharing what you include 🙂

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