For planners · Client workflow
What Questions Should a Wedding Planner Intake Form Include?
Use a wedding planner intake form to establish fit, scope and next decisions without asking clients to complete a full planning questionnaire too early.
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Ask only what establishes fit and the next conversation
An intake form should tell you whether the wedding, service scope and timing fit your practice. It is not the full creative or logistical questionnaire. Collect stable facts, client priorities and decision-makers; leave changing detail for the later planning stages.
| Question group | Ask now | Do not ask yet |
|---|---|---|
| Contact and decision makers | names, contact route, who approves | every guest contact |
| Event frame | date or range, location, guest range, format | final timeline |
| Service fit | requested service and planning status | a full vendor brief |
| Budget conversation | stated range and funding decision-makers | a definitive category allocation |
| Priorities | three priorities, access or cultural needs | every visual preference |
Give each answer a destination
Before adding a question, name the record or conversation it will create. If the answer will not change fit, scope or the next meeting, do not ask it in intake. This prevents duplicate entry and makes the form easier to complete.
Worked example
A fictional enquiry says “June 2028, 120 guests, two locations, full planning, one partner is the main contact.” The intake flags that the desired date range is viable, a venue has not been selected, and a parent will join budget decisions. The planner invites the couple to a consultation with those three points prepared. Floral colours, menu choices and final transport are not requested yet because they cannot be acted on.
Move from intake to planning without copying answers
Confirm the key facts at booking, then use a staged questionnaire system for details that become useful later. Keep a written communication charter so clients know how information and approvals will be handled.
Cakd Business and Agency include questionnaires and decisions. An intake form and fit assessment remain a planner-designed process, not a claim of automated qualification.