We're getting close now!
With just a few weeks to go until your wedding day, it's finally time to start planning all of the little details that will help everything run seamlessly.
This questionnaire allows me to gather all the important information about your day, from timings and locations to family photographs and any special moments you'd like me to be aware of. The more information you can provide, the better prepared I can be to capture your wedding beautifully and ensure nothing important is missed.
Please complete this questionnaire only after your final meeting with your venue or wedding planner. By this stage, most of the details of your day should be confirmed, meaning we can work from the most accurate information possible and avoid any major changes later on.
Using your answers, I'll create a personalised photography timeline and run sheet for the day. This helps me plan ahead, work efficiently and ensure everything runs as smoothly as possible, allowing you to relax and enjoy every moment.
You'll also find a few helpful tips throughout the questionnaire, designed to help you get the most from your wedding photography and answer some of the questions couples often have during the final stages of planning.
If you're unsure about anything whilst completing the questionnaire, please don't hesitate to get in touch. And don't be afraid to include plenty of detail, I love hearing all about your plans and getting excited alongside you.
I can't wait to see everything come together and capture your day.
Arabella x
A FEW TIPS FROM ME
I usually begin by photographing your dress/ suit, shoes, jewellery and other meaningful details before moving on to the natural moments happening around you. To make this as quick and stress-free as possible, it would be incredibly helpful if all of your accessories could be gathered together in one place before I arrive.
If you'd like detail photographs, you may also want to include items such as your wedding invitations, vow books, perfume, heirloom jewellery or any other special keepsakes that are meaningful to you.
If your florist is available to provide loose flower heads or spare blooms, these can be a lovely addition to your detail photographs too.
I know wedding mornings can be wonderfully busy and full of excitement, but if possible, try to keep one area of the room relatively clear of bags, packaging, drinks and anything you wouldn't like to appear in your photographs.
If you can nominate a bridesmaid, family member or trusted friend to help keep things organised, it makes a huge difference and allows me to create beautiful, clean images of those special moments.
And please don't worry — I'm always happy to move things around and help tidy spaces if needed!
Family photographs are incredibly important, and I always recommend including the people who matter most to you.
However, it's worth remembering that each group photograph takes time to organise, gather and photograph. A list of over 10 combinations can easily take 45 minutes or more, which is valuable time that could otherwise be spent celebrating with your guests.
My advice is to keep your formal group photographs focused on your closest family and the people you'll most want to look back on in years to come. This allows us to create the important images whilst leaving plenty of time for you to enjoy your drinks reception and spend time with your guests.
One of the best gifts you can give yourselves is asking guests to put their phones and cameras away during the ceremony.
Not only does this allow everyone to be fully present in the moment, but it also means your photographs won't be filled with phones and tablets held up in the aisle as you walk towards one another.
Your guests can relax and enjoy the moment, knowing that everything is being professionally documented for you.
Some of my favourite photographs are often taken just before sunset.
If the weather and timeline allow, I may gently suggest sneaking away for 10–15 minutes during the evening to make the most of the beautiful golden light. Not only does this create some incredibly romantic images, but it also gives you both a rare chance to pause, take it all in and enjoy a few quiet moments together amongst the excitement of the day.
These portraits are always relaxed, natural and completely unforced. Think of it less as a photoshoot and more as a short walk together whilst I capture the magic unfolding around you.
One of the most common things couples tell me after their wedding is just how quickly the day passes.
Whilst it's lovely to spend time with your guests, don't forget to spend time with each other too. Some of the most meaningful moments happen in the quieter in-between parts of the day, whether that's walking between locations, sharing a drink together after the ceremony or simply taking a moment to pause and soak everything in.
Those are often the moments that end up meaning the most when you look back on your photographs.
The timeline, the flowers, the dress and all the little details are important, but the thing you'll remember most is how the day felt.
Take a moment every now and then to pause, look around and soak it all in. Spend time with your favourite people, laugh, dance, hug your loved ones and enjoy every second.
The day will pass far more quickly than you imagine, and those genuine moments are the ones I can't wait to capture for you.
Before You Begin
I've divided the first part of this questionnaire into Partner 1 and Partner 2 sections.
For couples who have booked two photographers, both preparation sections can be completed and photographed.
If you have booked photography with me only, please use the Partner 1 section for the person whose preparations will be covered on the wedding morning, as I can only photograph one preparation location at a time.
Thank you so much for taking the time to complete your questionnaire.
Reading through your plans is one of my favourite parts of the process, and I genuinely love seeing all of the little details come together as your wedding day approaches. It helps me understand what's most important to you and allows me to prepare thoroughly so that you can relax and enjoy every moment.
Over the next few weeks, I'll review everything you've submitted and begin creating my run sheet for the day. If I have any questions or need any additional information, I'll be in touch.
In the meantime, try to enjoy these final weeks of planning. The countdown is officially on!
Before you know it, you'll be surrounded by your favourite people, celebrating one of the most special days of your lives, and I cannot wait to be there to capture it all.
See you very soon,
Arabella x