We use a questionnaire to create our master timeline and shot list, based on our 200+ weddings over nearly a decade. Here, we use bullet points instead of checkboxes, but we use checkboxes and text boxes on our actual questionnaire, which is part of our Pixieset client management system.
Before we begin, here's a sample wedding day timeline at a glance. Note: Our timeline and shot list spreadsheet is much more detailed; this is the screenshot version!
9 am Drone Footage & Equipment Set-Up
10 am Bridal Hair & Make-up / Bridal Details
11 am Groom Details
11:15 am Bridal Candids in Robes or PJs
11:30 am Groom Getting Ready
12 pm Bride Getting Ready
1 pm Bride & Groom Separate Portraits
1:30 pm First Looks & Portraits Together
2:30 pm Ceremony / Reception Details & Guests Arriving
3:30 pm Ceremony
4:30 pm Portraits / Cocktail Hour
5:30 pm Reception Introductions, Dinner, Couple's Golden Hour Photos, Table Photos
7 pm First Dances, Toast Speeches, Cake-Cutting
8 pm Open Dancing
10 pm Couple's Send-Off
Alright, now for the questionnaire!
General Questions
Couple's First Names & Married Last Name:
Wedding Date & Time of Ceremony:
Ceremony location & address:
Will your wedding be indoors or outdoors?
- All Indoors
- All Outdoors, Uncovered
- Indoor Ceremony, Outdoor Reception
- Outdoor Ceremony, Indoor Reception
- Outdoor Ceremony, Outdoor Reception under a Tent
- Other:
If some or all of your wedding will take place outdoors (uncovered), what is the plan in case of inclement weather?
What are your wedding colors? How would you describe your overall wedding vibe?
How many guests do you estimate you will you have?
Who is in your wedding party?
Are there any difficult family circumstances that would be helpful for us to know about in advance (people who won't want to be in photos together, recent divorces / deaths, sensitive situations, etc.)?
Will there be cell phone reception at all locations? If not, how will communications be handled?
If you are working with a planner/coordinator, please provide their name, business name, email address, cell phone number and Instagram handle:
What other wedding vendors will be servicing your wedding? Please provide their their business names and Instagram "@" handles, if you have them (if not, just their names is fine, so we know who we are working with):
The questions below address a "typical American" Wedding, from the Bride's hair & make-up / details and candid shots in robes, to the Bride getting dressed / Bridal portraits, then the Groom's details / candids / getting ready / portraits, followed by a Couple's first look & Couple's / wedding party / family portraits, pre-Ceremony details & guests arriving, the Ceremony, formal portraits / cocktail hour, and the Reception. Will you be doing anything differently than what we've listed (i.e. a Chinese Tea Ceremony the same morning as the Wedding, a cocktail hour before the Ceremony, etc.)? If so, please describe the event so we know what to expect, including the start and end times, if you know them at this time. And, you can simply skip any questions below that don't pertain to your Wedding.
End of Bridal Hair / Make-up, & Details
Tips:
- If you want the end of hair & make-up & Bridal details captured, we recommend scheduling 1 hour for the end of hair & make-up / details.
- Hair & make-up always runs late, so tell your hair & make-up artists that you need it done by at least 30 minutes before you really need it done. ;)
- The Bride should be the last person in the Bridal Party to get hair and make-up done, so she is the one in the chair when we arrive.
- Have all the dresses you want captured already hanging out of their bags and on nice hangers (not clear plastic ones), and all the details you want captured all together in one location (i.e. on a nightstand or chair). We also recommend having the engagement ring and both wedding bands (Bride's and Groom's) with the Bride, so we can include all three rings in details shots.
- If you want bouquets and florals included in your Bridal details shots at this time, be sure to have your florist deliver the Bouquets to your hair & make-up location by the time we begin coverage. You can also request they leave a few loose florals for us to include in your Bridal flat-lays. (If you can't have bouquets delivered to your hair & make-up location, that's okay, we will capture close-ups of the bouquets later during portraits.)
If you want Bridal Hair & Make-up / Details captured, what is your hair & make-up location & address (if different than the Ceremony location)? What is the travel time between locations (if different locations)?
If you would like us to capture Bridal Hair & Make-up / Details, what would you like us to capture?
- Bridal Hair & Make-up
- Wedding Dress
- Bridesmaids' Dresses
- Hairpiece and/or Veil
- Bouquet(s)
- Engagement & Wedding Rings / Ring Box(es)
- Jewelry
- Shoes
- Garter
- Perfume
- Vows
- Invitation Suite
- Heirlooms
- Other
Groom details
Tips:
- If you want Groom details captured, we recommend scheduling 15 minutes for the Groom's details shots.
- Keep one area of the room clean and free of clutter (ideally near a window) for clean shots.
- If you want us to capture the Groom's details in a flat-lay, the Groom should be wearing his pants and shirt but not his details.
- Have all the details you want captured all together in one location (i.e. on a nightstand or chair).
- If you want the boutonnière included in your Groom detail shots, have your florist deliver boutonnières to the Groom's location before we begin coverage there!
- As we're capturing Groom details, the Groomsmen & Dad(s) should be getting ready so they can help the Groom get ready next.
Where will the Groom be?
If you would like us to capture Groom Details, what would you like us to capture?
- Boutonnière(s)
- Vows
- Cufflinks
- Tie
- Watch
- Shoes
- Cologne
- Flask / Bottle / Liquor glass
- Jacket
- Other
Bridal Candids
Tips:
- We recommend scheduling 15 minutes for these fun candid moments between the end of hair & make-up / details and getting dressed, if you want everything captured.
- Wait to give the Bridesmaids their gifts and have everyone wait on champagne until hair & make-up / details are finished so we can capture these fun moments!
- Make sure everyone is wearing their matching robes or PJs by our coverage start time!
If you want Bridal Candids captured before you get dressed, where will we capture these (at the hair & make-up location, or at the Ceremony location)? If we are changing locations, what is the drive time in between?
If you would like us to capture Bridal Candids, what would you like us to capture?
- Candid moments with Bride & Bridesmaids (laughter on the bed or couch)
- Bride giving gifts to Bridesmaids & Bridesmaids opening gifts
- Champagne pop / pour / cheers with Bride & Bridesmaids
- Candid moments / gift-giving / hugs with Bride & MOB
- Candid moments / gift-giving / hugs with Bride & MOG
Groom Getting Ready & Candids
Tips:
- We recommend scheduling 30 minutes for these moments if you want everything captured.
- Wait to give the Groomsmen their gifts until we are there to capture this fun moment!
- Make sure the Dad(s) and Groomsmen are fully ready for photos (including boutonnières) before we start.
- Have drinks nearby if you want us to capture a cheers!
If you would like us to capture the Groom getting ready & candids, what would you like us to capture?
- Groom giving gifts / Groomsmen opening gifts
- Groomsmen helping Groom put on shoes, cufflinks, watch, cologne
- FOG helping Groom with tie
- Candid moment & portrait with Groom & FOB
- BM helping Groom with jacket & boutonnière
- Candid moment & portrait with Groom & BM
- FOB helping Groom with pocket square
- Candid moment & portrait with Groom & FOB
- Close-up Groom portraits
- Full-length Groom portrait
- Groomsmen's "first look" at Groom & candid moments
- Groom pouring drinks / handing out drinks to Groomsmen / cheers
- Candid moment & portrait with Groom & Ring Bearer
- Other
Bride Getting Dressed
Tips:
- If you want the Bride's getting dressed captured, we recommend scheduling 1 hour for the Bride's dressing time.
- Don't put on your jewelry or perfume before getting dressed so we can capture these moments.
- Tell your Bridesmaids to help keep a portion of the dressing room clean (ideally near a window) for the Bride's getting ready photos.
If you would like us to capture the Bride getting dressed, where will the Bride be getting dressed?
If you would like us to capture Bride getting dressed, what would you like us to capture?
- Bride alone with dress hanging (about to get dressed)
- MOB helping Bride into the dress (we'll capture when the dress covers the chest)
- MOB, MOG & MOH helping with the back of the dress
- Candid moment & portrait with Bride & MOB
- Candid moment & portrait with Bride & MOG
- Candid moment & portrait with Bride & MOH
- First look with Bride & Bridesmaids
- Moms & Bridesmaids helping with Bride's jewelry, shoes, garter, perfume & veil
- MOB handing Bride the bouquet
- Bride's first look in the mirror
- Candid moments & portraits with Bride & Bridesmaids
- Bridesmaids fanning out the Bride's train
- Full-length Bridal portraits
- Close-up Bridal portrait
- Bride's first look with FOB
- Candid moments & portrait with Bride & FOB
- Candid moment & portrait with Bride & Parents
- Candid moment & portrait with Bride & Flower girls
- Other
Pre-Ceremony Portraits with Bride & Groom Separately
Tip: We recommend scheduling 30 minutes with each the Bride and Groom for separate portraits.
If you would like us to capture portraits with the Bride and Groom separately, where would you like these portraits captured for each the Bride and the Groom?
If you would like us to capture portraits with the Bride and Groom separately, what Bridal portraits would you like us to capture?
- Bride's bouquet close-up
- Bride close-up (front)
- Bride full-length (front)
- Bride full-length (back)
- Bride's hair close-up (back)
- Bride with Bridesmaids full-length formals
- Bride with Bridesmaids close-up formals
- Bride with Bridesmaids bouquets close-up
- Bride with Bridesmaids close-up candids
- Bride with Bridesmaids full-length candids
- Bride with each Bridesmaid individually formals & candids
- Bride with Flower Girl(s) formals & candids
- Bride with Immediate Family (if yes, please provide list of pre-ceremony family portraits with Bride)
- Other
Example List of Pre-Ceremony Family Portraits with Bride
(with Relationships and Names)
- Bride with Bride's Parents: Peggy & Jeff
- Bride with Bride's Immediate Family: Peggy, Jeff, Eli & April
- Bride with Bride's Siblings: Eli & April
- etc.
List of Pre-Ceremony Family Portraits with Bride:
If you would like us to capture portraits with the Bride and Groom separately, what Groom portraits would you like us to capture?
- Groom's boutonnière close-up
- Groom's details close-ups
- Groom close-up
- Groom full-length
- Groom with Groomsmen full-length formals
- Groom with Groomsmen close-up formals
- Groom with Groomsmen socks close-up
- Groom with Groomsmen close-up candids
- Groom with Groomsmen full-length candids
- Groom with each Groomsman individually formals & candids
- Groom with Ring Bearer formals & candids
- First Look with Groom & MOG
- Groom with Immediate Family (if yes, please provide list of pre-ceremony family portraits with Groom)
- Other
Example List of Pre-Ceremony Family Portraits with Groom
(with Relationships and Names)
- Groom with Groom's Parents: Betty & Danny Sr.
- Groom with Groom's Immediate Family: Betty, Danny Sr., Chris, Danny Jr., David, Michael, Jenny Ellen
- Groom with Groom's Siblings: Chris, Danny Jr., David, Michael, Jenny Ellen
- etc.
List of Pre-Ceremony Family Portraits with Groom:
Couple's First Look & Pre-Ceremony Portraits Together
Tip: We recommend scheduling 1 hour for the couple's first look & pre-ceremony portraits together.
If you would like us to capture a first look with the Bride and Groom before the Ceremony, where would you like this captured?
If you want to do a Couple's First Look, is there anything special you'd like to do during or after the first look?
- Praying Together
- Exchanging Gifts
- Saying Private Vows To Each Other
- Other
If you would like us to capture portraits with the Couple together with after the first look, what portraits would you like us to capture?
- Couple's Portraits (formal)
- Couple's Portraits (candid)
- Couple with Wedding Party formals
- Couple with Wedding Party candids
- Couple with Groomsmen formal
- Couple with Groomsmen candid
- Bride with Groomsmen formal
- Bride with Groomsmen candid
- Couple with Bridesmaids formal
- Couple with Bridesmaids candid
- Groom with Bridesmaids formal
- Groom with Bridesmaids candid
- Couple with Immediate Family (if yes, please provide list of pre-ceremony family portraits with Couple)
- Other
Example List of Pre-Ceremony Family Portraits with Couple
(with Relationships and Names)
- Couple with Bride's Parents: Peggy & Jeff
- Couple with Bride's Immediate Family: Peggy, Jeff, Eli, April
- Couple with Groom's Parents: Betty & Danny Sr.
- Couple with Groom's Immediate Family: Betty, Danny Sr., Chris, Danny Jr., David, Michael, Jenny Ellen
- Couple with both sets of Parents: Peggy, Jeff, Betty, Daniel Sr.
- Couple with both Families: Peggy, Jeff, Eli, April, Betty, Danny Sr., Chris, Danny Jr., David, Michael, Jenny Ellen
- Couple with all Siblings (candid): Eli, April, Chris, Danny Jr., David, Michael, Jenny Ellen
- etc.
List of Pre-Ceremony Family Portraits with Couple:
Pre-Ceremony Details & Guests Arriving
Tip: We recommend scheduling 1 hour before the Ceremony for touching up / taking a break etc. for you and your wedding party & immediate family while we capture details, set up & capture guests arriving. This time also doubles as buffer time in case anything earlier in the day ran late.
Do you want Ceremony & Reception details captured, untouched by guests?
Do you want us to capture candids of your guests as they arrive to the Ceremony site?
Ceremony
Tips:
- For your just-married kiss, kiss long - and then kiss a 2nd time!
- If it's important to you to have your "just-married kiss" photo without the officiant in the shot, during planning, ask your officiant to step completely outside the frame of the arch (if you have an arch) before announcing you as husband and wife!
Are there any rules or photographic restrictions we need to be aware of for your Ceremony (i.e. don't stand behind altar, no flash photography, don't pass in front of the last pew of guests, etc.)?
About how long will your Ceremony be?
Will you be saying personally written vows during the Ceremony, or the vows provided by the Officiant?
Will there be anything "out of the ordinary" or any surprises for us to pay special attention to during or right after your Ceremony?
- Unity ceremony (tree planting, sand pouring, knot tying, painting together, etc.)
- Additional speaker or song
- Jumping the broom
- Guests throwing flower petals or blowing bubbles during the Couple's exit
- A kiss at the end of the aisle after the Couple's exit
- A candid portrait of the Couple at the end of the aisle with all the guests behind looking at the camera
- Other
If you checked something above, feel free to provide further details if you'd like. Or, if there's anything else we should be aware of for your Ceremony or immediately afterwards, you can let us know here:
Cocktail Hour & After-Ceremony Portraits
What is your plan for this hour?
- Have portraits taken at the Ceremony site
- Join Cocktail Hour
- Have portraits taken at the Ceremony site, then join Cocktail Hour if there's time
- Have portraits taken at the Ceremony site, then take more Couple's photos around the venue if there's time
- Other
After-Ceremony Portraits
Tips:
- At the end of the Ceremony, we recommend having your officiant announce for family members to stay at the Ceremony site instead of going to Cocktail Hour.
- Provide a list of the portraits you want taken after the Ceremony below, including relationship groups and names of family members for family portraits.
- Each portrait takes a few minutes to set up and capture, so we recommend planning no more than 10-15 portraits during this hour if possible. You can also take the time during dinner to take photos with each table of guests during the Reception.
- Give a family member your list and have them get each next group ready while we are capturing the portrait prior, and the portraits will go by much faster!
- Have appetizers and drinks brought to you during this time! ;)
Example List of After-Ceremony Portraits
(with Relationships and Names)
- Couple at arch: Full-length, close-up, hands with rings, re-enact kiss
- Couple with Wedding Party, Flower Girls & Ring Bearer at arch: formal & candid
- Family Portraits at Arch
- Couple with Bride's Grandparents: Virginia, Arne, Helen, Wilson
- Couple with Groom's Grandparents: Ellen, Ed
- Couple with both immediate families + spouses & children + grandparents: (Bride's side:) Peggy, Jeff, Eli, Shasta, Andy, Ally, April, Shane, Jack, Ben, Helen, Wilson, Arne, Virginia, (+ Groom's side:) Betty, Danny Sr., Chris, Tricia, Vincent, Christina, Alex, Danny Jr., Gabriel, Megan, David, Michael, Karen, Victoria, Daniel, Isaac, Belen, Jenny Ellen, David, Julia, Bryce, Ellen, Ed
- Couple with Bride's immediate family + spouses & children + grandparents: Peggy, Jeff, Eli, Shasta, Andy, Ally, April, Shane, Jack, Ben, Helen, Wilson, Arne, Virginia
- Couple with Bride's immediate family + paternal (Jones) extended family (aunts, uncles, cousins, spouses & children): Peggy, Jeff, Eli, Shasta, Andy, Ally, April, Shane, Jack, Ben, Helen, Wilson, Kasey, Charlie, Brendan, Erin, William, Lori, Kyle M., Carter, Cate, Kevin, Janine, Sheila, Larry, Autumn, KayLinn
- Couple with Bride's immediate family + maternal (Vlasek) extended family (aunts, uncles, cousins, spouses & children): Peggy, Jeff, Eli, Shasta, Andy, Ally, April, Shane, Jack, Ben, Arne, Virginia, Tim, Don, Vanessa, Tierra, Amber, Carl, Kyle V.
- Couple with Groom's immediate family + spouses & children + grandparents: Betty, Danny Sr., Chris, Tricia, Vincent, Christina, Alex, Danny Jr., Gabriel, Megan, David, Michael, Karen, Victoria, Daniel, Isaac, Belen, Jenny Ellen, David, Julia, Bryce, Ellen, Ed
- Couple with Groom's immediate family + paternal (Reynolds) extended family (aunts, uncles, cousins): (list of names)
- Couple with Groom's immediate family + maternal (Daniels) extended family (aunts, uncles, cousins): (list of names)
- etc.
List of After-Ceremony Portraits:
RECEPTION
What is your reception location & address (if different than the Ceremony site)?
What time does your Reception start?
Will you / your wedding party be introduced and making entrances at the start of the Reception? If so, who will be announced, and where will you be entering from?
What is the order of events for your Reception (and times if you have them)?
What will be your dinner style?
- Served
- Buffet
- Family Style
- Other
Note: Please schedule at least one full hour for dinner. This will give us time to take our 30-minute dinner break and still capture your table photos and/or do a sunset sneak-away couple's session (for weddings with a late sunset time).
If you want "table photos", how would you like to do these?
- "Table Dash" - DJ plays a song and couple runs to each table for a quick portrait before the song ends
- DJ announces for each table to come to the sweetheart table for a portrait
- Couple goes to each table for a visit and table portrait
- Other
How many tables will there be?
What time is sunset for your wedding date and location (you can use Google to search, for example, "August 6 2024 sunset time Camino CA")?
Would you like to have a golden hour Couple's "sneak-away" session (if your wedding has a late enough sunset)?
Who will be giving speeches?
What special dances will you do?
Do you have any other surprises planned during your Reception or anything out of the ordinary that we should know about in advance, or anything else you want us to know about your Reception not already mentioned?
Additional Information
What image(s) from your Wedding day do you think you would most likely want to print and hang in your home?
Do you have any "must-have" photographs that were not already mentioned, or any "must-haves" you want to mention again?
If we are doing video: For your wedding film(s), do you have any "must-have" moments that you want us to include?
If we are doing video: You get to choose the song(s) for any film(s) of 2 minutes or more! Here are the number of songs we can use for each type of film:
2 Minutes: 1 song
3 to 5 Minutes: 1-2 songs
6 to 8 Minutes: 2-3 songs
9 to 12 Minutes: 3-4 songs
13 to 15 Minutes: 4-5 songs
16 to 20 Minutes: 5-6 songs
21 to 25 Minutes: 7-8 songs
Wedding Documentary Film: 3 songs
If we are doing video: Please give us the title(s) & artist(s) of the song or songs that you would like us to use, and indicate which film you would like us to use each song for, if you are getting multiple films. Please list the songs in order from most to least favorite; if the total length of the songs exceeds the length of the film, we may leave out or use only parts of a song or song(s). For a Wedding Documentary Film, we recommend including at least one upbeat song we can use for the dancing portion. (Note: If you do not choose your songs prior to the wedding date, we cannot guarantee the fastest turnaround time for your film(s)!)
Is there any additional information you would like to include, or any questions you have for us?
and that's it!
We'll create a master timeline and shot list using our couple's answers. And, our couples get to book a planning call with me (Rachel) to discuss all the details of the day!
Once we get the coordinator's final timeline, we'll make sure everything lines up for the perfect day!
Happy Wedding Planning!
