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A wedding photography workflow in CoreHue

Weddings are booked months ahead, cost couples a lot, and run on trust. Couples want to feel looked after from the first email, and you want every detail pinned down well before the day. Here's a wedding photography workflow in CoreHue for the whole run: inquiry, proposal, signed contract and deposit, the details, then the gallery and film.

How a wedding usually flows​

Most wedding photographers talk to a couple before taking their date. So the path looks like this:

  1. The couple inquires.
  2. You reply with a proposal: coverage options, the contract and a payment schedule.
  3. They choose, sign and pay the deposit. The date is theirs.
  4. A few weeks out, you gather the timeline and family photo list.
  5. The balance is paid before the day.
  6. You deliver the photos and the film, then run the album selection.

Each step below maps to one part of CoreHue, with links to the detail.

1. Let couples inquire​

Create an inquiry service under Bookings → Services, choose Add service, and pick Inquiry. Couples send their date and details, and nothing is booked until you say so. On the Details tab, set the price to Starting at, which is the honest answer for a wedding, and write a description covering hours, second shooter and albums. See Setting up an inquiry service.

Already have a website you love? Add a contact form to it too. Contact forms work on every plan, and each submission creates a lead in your contacts.

2. Put your offer into items​

Add your coverage blocks, second shooter, engagement session and album options to Templates → Items once. Every proposal and invoice can pull from that list, so your wording stays the same for every couple. See Saving reusable items.

3. Get your contract ready​

Start from one of your contract templates and make it yours: coverage, cancellation and rescheduling, illness or equipment failure, image usage, and when the balance is due. Use variables for names, dates and fees, and add client fields for things only the couple knows, like the name of their coordinator. Writing a photography contract has a section-by-section checklist.

4. Reply with one proposal​

From the inquiry, create a proposal that does everything in one send:

  • Client choices for your two or three coverage levels, so the couple picks one
  • Add-on rows for extras like a second shooter or an engagement session
  • Your wedding contract, attached in the Contract section
  • Payment set to Payment schedule, with the deposit as the first row and the balance due a few weeks before the date
  • Create a booking switched on, so the wedding lands in your calendar on its own

See Offering options and add-ons in a proposal and Adding a contract and payment schedule to a proposal. Sending proposals needs Plus or Pro. On Free you can build and save them as drafts.

5. The couple accepts, signs and pays​

When the couple accepts, their choices lock in, and the contract and invoice are created. They sign, then pay the deposit by card or bank transfer. Only then is the booking created, already confirmed. You don't have to chase anything in between. See What happens when a client accepts.

Their contract waits at Signed for your counter-signature. It never holds up the booking, but do it soon, because they can't download their copy until you have. See Counter-signing and completing a contract.

6. Gather the day's details​

About three or four weeks before the wedding, send a questionnaire from the booking: the timeline, every address, family photo groupings with names, and the moments they'd hate to miss. Set a close date about ten days before the wedding so you have time to plan, and turn on questionnaire reminders so nobody has to chase. Writing questionnaires clients actually answer has the questions.

Keep the questionnaire as a template, and next season it takes a minute.

7. Let reminders collect the balance​

With a payment schedule, the invoice chases each payment on its own date. Turn on invoice reminders and CoreHue can nudge the couple 7 days before the balance is due, on the day, and after if it's late. Reminders always ask for the payment that's currently due, not the whole total. Reminders are on Plus and Pro.

8. Deliver the photos and the film​

After the wedding, create a gallery from the couple's contact so it's linked to them, and organize it into chapters like Getting ready, Ceremony, Portraits and Reception. See Creating a gallery and Organizing photos into chapters.

If you shoot video, or work with a filmmaker, add the highlight film right alongside the photos. Gallery video is on Plus (up to 1 hour of video in total, HD) and Pro (up to 4 hours, up to 4K). Couples can watch it in the gallery and download it if you allow downloads. See Delivering video in your galleries.

Give the couple a private Client password so they see everything, and let guests in with the gallery password if you want to share it more widely. See Giving your client private access. Delivering photos and videos your clients love covers the rest.

9. Run the album selection​

Create a selection request so the couple knows exactly how many photos to pick. The ready-made Album picks request starts with a 40-photo limit, which you can change. They star their picks, add notes and send them back to you. See Running an album or retouching selection.

A few tips​

  • Connect Google Calendar so wedding dates block your other services automatically. See Connecting Google Calendar.
  • Everything about the couple lives on their contact page: messages, proposal, contract, invoices, questionnaire answers and gallery. See Everything on a contact's page.
  • Save your best proposal as a pattern. Duplicate last season's proposal rather than starting from scratch.

Frequently asked questions​

Can couples book a wedding date directly without an inquiry?​

Yes, with a direct booking service, but most wedding photographers prefer to talk first. Inquiry services let you check the date and the fit before sending a proposal. See Inquiry, direct booking or mini session?.

Can I take a deposit and the balance on one invoice?​

Yes. A payment schedule splits one invoice into up to 12 payments, each with its own due date. The couple pays the deposit now and the rest on schedule. See Splitting an invoice into a payment schedule.

Yes. Publish a gallery with a small chapter of favorites, then add the rest later. Or keep chapters hidden from visitors until they're ready. See Hiding chapters from visitors.

Which plan do I need for this workflow?​

Sending proposals, reminders and gallery video all need Plus or Pro. Pro adds 4K video, more video time and RAW uploads. See Choosing between Free, Plus and Pro.

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