#WeddingWednesday: The Client Questionnaire Part 1

A wedding day is exciting, yet there is so much happening that it is easy to feel overwhelmed and out of control. As I’ve written about before, it’s important to make up a wedding day timeline to have a schedule for the day’s events. However, before you go about making up this timeline, you need to gather all of the relevant information from the couple in order to make the wedding day as seamless as possible. When I meet with my clients for a wedding consultation, I give them a wedding client questionnaire to fill out. On this document, I gather information on the venue, the wedding, the bridal party, must-haves, things to avoid, and many other things that give me “insider information” in order to help the day run as smoothly as possible. [caption id="attachment_3429" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Credit: Kylie Nicholson[/caption] Things I include in my wedding client questionnaire:

1. Information on the Venue

I ask for the venue name, location, and contact information. If there is a coordinator at the venue, I ask for this too. Always ask if the venue has restrictions on photography, either with locations, or flash, for example.

2. Day-of Coordinator

The Day-of Coordinator will be your best friend. She or he will help keep the day running smoothly, so your job can be to focus on taking photos. Always ask for his or her name and contact information. I always like to reach out and make contact with the coordinator ahead of time, as it helps make the day run smoother.

3. Getting Ready Information

The bride and groom may be getting ready at a location different from the venue, as well as locations different from each other. I always get the addresses of each, as well as the times they plan to be there so that  I can make sure to plan out photographing each location as a part of the day.

4. Wedding Schedule/ Timeline

If the couple has already worked with a planner to make up a loose timeline, I ask for this so that I can look at it and make sure that we have enough time for photos. I often work with the couple and planner to make a timeline that gives buffer room for photos, and allows us to shoot at optimal times for lighting.

5. People

I ask for the names of the parents and close family members of the bride and groom, as well as the wedding party. I like to know who all the “important” people are going into the day, so I know who to focus on photographing, but also simply what names to learn before I show up on the wedding day.   [caption id="attachment_3428" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Credit: Kylie Nicholson[/caption] Stay tuned for the second half of my client questionnaire next week! [caption id="attachment_3425" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Credit: Kylie Nicholson[/caption] Photographically yours, Kylie