Why do you receive a questionnaire before your wedding? And what will it ask you?

The wedding questionnaire is something I send out a month before your wedding day. Yes, it has quite a few questions on it, but this blog post is here to let you know what to expect, and why filling it out is so important!

The first questions are just the basics of what you would like your gallery to be called, eg. Danielle and Jonathan, or Dani and Jon. Then there are questions about the date of the wedding and what time I will be arriving and leaving. These are just in case, somehow, in an alternate universe, the wrong date or time have been written on every email we've ever exchanged and on your contract! It might sound silly, but very occasionally, you hear a horror story of the date, time, or even year of the wedding being wrong. Photographers are nothing if not thorough, so these questions are just for peice of mind for both myself and the couple, to make sure that we are going to be in the right place at the right time!

The most important questions on the questionnaire, are regarding the timeline of the day, and the list of formal photograph groups that you would like.

The timeline is definitely the most important, because without it, I won't know what time anything is happening. I need to know how long your ceremony is, to make sure we have enough time for your group photos, to make sure we have enough time for your couples photos, and then your cake cut, and your speeches. I need to know that we have a bit of wiggle room at the end of the day, so that if things are running a little bit late, we can still fit in everything you want photos of. By the time your questionnaire gets sent to you, you will probably know what your timeline is. If this all sounds a bit overwhelming, don't panic! I can help you plan your timeline, and give you a good idea of how long each part of the day will take. You will have received my Faye's Photos Wedding Guide when you first booked me as your photographer, and that has lots of examples of timelines, to help you plan. As an example, an 8 hours coverage timeline might look something like this:

11.30: Getting ready and details photos

1.00: Ceremony

1.30: Cocktail hour/family photos

2.30: Couples photos

3.00: Bridal party photos

3.30: Entrance into reception

3.45: Dinner

5.00: Speeches, cake cut

6.00: First dance

6.30: Dancing!

7.30: Photographer leaves

The list of 'formal group photos' is the other most important part of the questionnaire. I always suggest that you have one big group photo of everyone present at the wedding. That way, everyone is in at least one photo on the day. Then, I suggest you pick your top 10, must-have groups. Think about which photos are going to end up printed and in frames, and who are the most important people sharing the day with you that you would like photos of. This part of the day has the potential to be a bit stressful and to get a bit boring. Each group photo is going to take 60-90 seconds to find everyone, arrange them and take 10 or so photos to get one with everyone's eyes open. 10 photos, is already going to take 15-20 minutes, and after that, couples start getting 'photo fatigue', when they just get really fed up of photos and want to start chatting and enjoying their day. You can always have a back up list of groups for if you are feeling good and are making good time. You can always get more informal photos later on in the day. So, have a really good think about this section of the questionnaire.

Next come the questions about your ceremony and if there are any rules I need to be aware of (this is mostly for church weddings), and if there is a special exit planned (sparklers, confetti, etc). Are you having a classic car that you would like photos with? Are you having any sort of surprise on the day? TELL ME ALL ABOUT IT! Let your guests be surprised, not your photographer! Photographers don't like surprises! If we are surprised, we might not be in the right place at the right time to capture your moment. We might have the wrong lens on, or the wrong camera settings. We might have popped to the toilet! If your photographer knows about your surprise, then we can be prepared to capture everything as it happens, and your guests will still enjoy whatever surprise you have in store for them.

The next section of the questionnaire is quite a bit one. It's all about your other suppliers and vendors. It asks for details of everything from your outfits, to your ring designers, where you got your flowers and shoes, who made your cake. If you have decided to share your photos on my blog and social media, then this information is especially important, as I need to give credit to everyone who has contributed to making your day look so beautiful. Even if a friend or relative has made your cake, let me know, because it's such a lovely thing to do and that person deserves a mention on the blog. If you have chosen not to have your photos on the blog or social media, then this information doesn't need to be filled out in the questionnaire.

The last questions are just regarding if there is anything else I need to know about on the wedding day. I ask if there are any potentially awkward situations that I should know about regarding divorce, death or family drama. I'm not asking this to be nosy! I'm asking this, so that I don't spend the day referring to your stepmum as your Mum, or trying to get your friend and her ex in a photo together. You can see how that might be a bit awkward! These questions are in place so that there is no awkwardness on the wedding day!

The more I know, the more I can help your wedding day run smooth and drama-free! And, it will help me to capture all of the moments and people who mean the most to you. After all, your photos are going to last forever, so together, we can make sure they are absolutely perfect!

I can't wait to work with you someday soon, and now, when you receive your questionnaire, you'll know exactly what to do!