Have you ever shown up to a wedding and realized there was a first look you didn’t know about…
Or that the bridal party was way bigger than you expected…
Or that there was heirloom jewelry you would have photographed differently if you had known?

If I’m being honest, learning how to show up fully prepared changed everything for me — not just in how I photograph weddings, but in the experience I give my couples.

That’s exactly why I send a pre-wedding questionnaire to every couple I work with. It helps me show up calm, organized, and fully ready to document what actually matters to them — not just what I assume matters.

Because when you know what’s important ahead of time, you can focus on creativity, connection, and experience instead of reacting in the moment. It also helps me build timelines that actually work in real life, which I talk more about in my Northern Michigan wedding timeline planning guide.

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Why a Pre-Wedding Questionnaire Matters So Much

A strong pre-wedding questionnaire helps you:

Avoid unexpected surprises
Understand your couple’s priorities
Build timelines that work for real wedding days
Show professionalism and care
Build trust before the wedding day even starts

The biggest thing it does, though, is help your couple feel taken care of.

And when couples feel taken care of, they relax. When they relax, real moments happen.

If you want a starting point without having to build your own from scratch, you can download my free pre-wedding questionnaire template and customize it to fit your workflow and client experience.

What I Always Include in My Pre-Wedding Questionnaire

Wedding Day Logistics

You need to know:

Ceremony and reception locations
Getting ready locations
Ceremony time
Dinner timing
Planner or coordinator contact
VIP point person for family photos and logistics

This information becomes the foundation for how you move through the entire day. It also helps you anticipate lighting, travel time, and portrait opportunities, especially when working at venues like those I talk about in my Best Northern Michigan wedding venues guide.

What Actually Matters to Your Couple

This is one of the most important sections of my questionnaire, and it goes way beyond just checking boxes.

I’m not trying to control how the day looks.
I’m trying to understand what matters most to my couple.

I love when couples are inspired. I love when they care about design, details, and trends that feel true to them. What I want to know ahead of time are the things I would never automatically know without asking.

Things like:

Heirloom jewelry
Handmade or custom details
Family traditions
Private vows or letters
Surprise moments
Sentimental items or gifts
Anything emotionally meaningful to them

I’m already going to photograph the core moments of a wedding day. What this section helps me do is make sure I don’t miss the moments that are uniquely meaningful to them.

My Honest Thoughts on Photo Lists

My Honest Thoughts on Wedding Photo Lists

I want to clarify something here, because there are two very different types of “photo lists.”

Family photo lists are essential.
Those help portraits run smoothly, stay organized, and keep the timeline on track. I absolutely want and need those.

What I don’t find helpful are long general wedding day photo lists like:
“Make sure you photograph my dress hanging.”
“Make sure you photograph the arch.”
“Make sure you photograph us walking down the aisle.”

Those are moments and details I’m already watching for and documenting naturally.

What I do want couples to tell me are the things I wouldn’t already know:
Meaningful heirlooms
Special family relationships
Sentimental details
Private moments they’re planning
Anything emotionally important or unique to them

Inside my questionnaire, I guide couples through how to think about this difference so they feel confident sharing what matters most — without feeling like they have to micromanage their wedding photography coverage.

First Looks and Emotional Moments

Ask about:

First looks (partner, parent, wedding party)
Letter readings
Private vows
Gift exchanges
Any meaningful planned moments

These moments shape your timeline and your storytelling.

Vendor Team Information

I always ask for vendor business names and contact emails because:

It helps communication leading up to the wedding
It makes photo delivery easier after the wedding
It helps build vendor relationships
It helps create referral opportunities

Strong vendor relationships are one of the most underrated parts of building a sustainable wedding photography business, which I talk about more in How to build a successful photography business in 2025.

How This Makes Wedding Days Feel Better (Not Just Run Better)

When you have the right information ahead of time:

You avoid rushing portraits
You prepare for lighting and location changes
You stay calm
Your couple stays calm

And honestly, that changes everything.

Early in my career, I showed up to wedding days feeling prepared because I understood how most wedding timelines flowed. And most of the time, that was true.

But there were moments where I realized there were meaningful details or plans I didn’t know about ahead of time. Nothing catastrophic happened, but I remember thinking how much better I could serve my couples if I had that information earlier.

That realization is what led me to make a pre-wedding questionnaire a core part of my process. It completely changed how prepared I feel walking into a wedding day, and more importantly, it changed how supported and taken care of my couples feel too.

And honestly, it just makes me feel better walking into a wedding day knowing I’ve done everything I can to take care of my couples and their experience.

Some of my favorite wedding days — including ones at venues like the one featured in my Bayview weddings at Gallagher Farms wedding blog — ran smoothly because we had all of this information ahead of time.

Preparation creates space for presence. And presence is where the best photos live.

Download My Free Pre-Wedding Questionnaire Template

If you’re a wedding photographer and want smoother, more organized, more intentional wedding days, I created this for you.

Download my free pre-wedding questionnaire template

This is the exact questionnaire structure I send my couples months before their wedding. The download is formatted for you to customize and use in your own workflow, whether you deliver it through your CRM, client system, or another delivery method.

Use it. Customize it. Make it yours.

Final Thoughts

You don’t have to show up guessing.
You don’t have to learn everything the hard way.

The more prepared you are, the more confident you feel.
The more confident you feel, the better experience you give your couples.
And that is what builds a business that lasts.

If you want more education and real-world wedding photography advice, you might also love How to start a wedding photography business in 2025.

Keep building what you love.
Leah