WHAT TO ASK
BEFORE THE
WEDDING.
A free wedding questionnaire for photographers and filmmakers. Find out who matters, where to be, and what needs a little more planning before you pack the cameras.
Get the questionnaire ↓
Six shared sections, plus photography and film add-ons. Copy a section, download the editable text, or print it. Free to adapt for your own wedding business. No signup.
Less homework.
Better answers.
Prefill what you already know. Remove questions that do not fit the wedding or your booked coverage. If the planner has a timeline and vendor sheet, ask for those links instead of another round of data entry.
Send it while there is time to act.
Four to six weeks before the wedding is a useful starting point for a final-details questionnaire. Adjust for your planning process, then leave time for a call and a written recap. Mark unresolved details for a follow-up instead of making the couple guess.
This page is a template to copy into your own private form or document. It does not collect the couple’s answers here.
Give them permission to leave a gap.
We are putting together the photo and film plan for your wedding. Share what you know, leave anything undecided marked TBC, and link to your timeline or vendor list instead of retyping it. We will go through any gaps together on our planning call. If something is sensitive, tell us privately rather than putting it in a shared document.
The people, before the plans.
A useful questionnaire tells you who matters and what to watch for. Lead with that before asking for addresses.
Let the couple skip anything personal. You need enough context to work thoughtfully, not their family history.
- What names would you like us to use for each of you? Please include pronunciation if it would help.
- When you look back at this day, which three people, moments, or feelings do you most want to remember?
- Who should we make a point of spending time with on camera? Tell us their names, their connection to you, and where we are likely to find them.
- Is there anything we should handle quietly, avoid asking about, or know before bringing people together? You can share this privately on our planning call instead.
One map of the day.
Ask for the latest timeline first. Have the couple fill the gaps rather than type the whole day twice.
Confirm travel, parking, and venue access with the planner or venue. A map's driving estimate rarely includes loading gear and finding the right entrance.
- What is your wedding date, and who is coordinating the day? Please share their name and the best number to reach them during the wedding.
- Where will the day take place? For each stop, include the venue name, street address, and any entrance, parking, or access instructions.
- Can you share a link to the latest timeline? Who owns updates, and when do you expect the final version?
- What time should we plan around for the ceremony, the meal, and the last event you want covered? Flag any times that are still being decided.
- How will you and your guests move between locations? Are there shuttles, walking routes, or venue access windows we need to allow for?
Where we start. What comes first.
Two getting-ready rooms across town can change the whole coverage plan. Find out while there is still time to adjust it.
Use these answers to confirm the plan against the coverage already booked. Additional time or crew should be discussed and agreed separately.
- For each of you, where will you be before the ceremony, who will be with you, and when do you expect to be ready to leave?
- Would you like to see each other before the ceremony? If so, what would you like that time to feel like, and has a place been chosen?
- Are there private moments, gifts, letters, or meaningful objects you would like documented? Let us know what should stay a surprise and who is arranging it.
- What would help you feel comfortable being photographed or filmed? Tell us about anything you would rather skip or keep off camera.
Know the moments before they happen.
The important detail is often a cue, not a time. Knowing who walks where can matter more than knowing that the ceremony starts at four.
Ask the officiant or venue to confirm camera, movement, lighting, and audio rules directly. The couple should not have to interpret the technical requirements.
- Who is leading the ceremony, and how can we contact them before the wedding?
- What is the expected running order? Please flag entrances, readings, cultural or religious observances, and anything a guest might not expect.
- Will any part of the ceremony be especially personal or a surprise? Who can give us a quiet heads-up before it happens?
- What is the weather backup, and who will decide whether the ceremony moves? Are there any venue rules we should confirm before the day?
The family photos, without roll call chaos.
Keep this block if you photograph weddings. Filmmakers can use a shorter version to coordinate around the photographer's portrait time.
Build a short list of exact combinations. Ask a person who knows the family to gather people while you keep photographing.
- Which group photographs matter most? Write each combination on its own line using people's names, not only their relationship to you.
- Who can help find those people and bring each group together? Please share their name and day-of number, and check that they are happy to help.
- Does anyone need a seated portrait, step-free access, a shorter wait, or an earlier photograph before leaving? Share only what will help us make the plan comfortable.
- How much time would you like for photographs of the two of you, and when would you prefer to return to your guests? Are there locations you have already discussed with us?
Dinner, speeches, and the unexpected.
A speech that starts while the crew is in another room is hard to recover. Give the person running the room a clear way to find you.
Confirm a meal window and a heads-up before key events with the coordinator. Do not rely on the couple to manage this on the day.
- Who is running the reception announcements and schedule? Please include the coordinator and DJ or band contact, if they are different people.
- Which events are planned, and in what order? Include the people involved in speeches, dances, performances, or surprises, and who will cue each one.
- Are there any details or people at the reception we might otherwise miss? Tell us where to look and whether anything has a short window to be captured.
- When and where can the photo and film team eat? Will the crew be within reach of the room, and who can alert us before the next key moment?
- What should the end of coverage look like? If you are planning an exit or a final event, is its timing confirmed with the venue and within your booked hours?
Make room for the voices.
Keep this block for film coverage. It gives you the information needed to prepare audio and story coverage without asking the couple to choose equipment.
Arrange sound-system access with the venue or DJ yourself. A microphone being present does not guarantee a usable recording feed.
- Which voices would mean the most to hear in your film years from now? Think about vows, a reading, a toast, or a quiet conversation.
- Would you like any words recorded privately, such as reading a letter or sharing a short message? We can discuss a comfortable time and place together.
- Who is providing sound for the ceremony and speeches? Please share their contact so we can coordinate recording arrangements ahead of time.
- Are there any parts of the day you would prefer not to have recorded, or people who have asked to stay out of the film? Let us know how to recognize them discreetly.
Close the gaps together.
Use the answers to build the plan, then talk through what is still open. A completed form does not replace a conversation.
After the planning call, send a short written recap of arrival times, locations, priority moments, and open decisions. Confirm changes with the people affected.
- Who are the key vendors we will work alongside? A shared vendor list or planner's contact sheet is perfect. Add credit links only if you have them handy.
- Are there any privacy preferences we should discuss before sharing images or film publicly? We will confirm these alongside the permissions in our agreement.
- What is still undecided, who is handling it, and when should we check back?
- What have we not asked that would help us look after you and your guests on the day?
The answers belong with the plan.
Bower brings questionnaires, conversations, contracts, and payments into the same Project. When the timeline changes, the wedding already has a home.
See how Bower works or get the inquiry and follow-up emails.
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