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For photographers and wedding vendors

Find the couple in the pile of pitches.

An inquiry from a couple is a booking worth thousands, and they’re usually writing to three photographers at once. The one who answers first, warmly and with dates, tends to get the job.

Your form also collects directory listings, styled-shoot “opportunities”, fake copyright notices and a wedding scam that has been doing the rounds for years. Ascue sends the couples through and holds the rest for a weekly look. When it can’t tell, it asks you.

Start free Check one of your messages

Free for 50 messages a month. No CAPTCHA, no code, and it works with the form you already have.

What a photographer's form collects.

The business description

Wedding and elopement photography in Colorado

Sample messages, each run through Ascue's free checker with the description above on October 16, 2026. The stamps are what it answered.

  • From
    Emily & Marcus
    Subject
    September wedding at Piney River Ranch

    “Hi Sam! We're getting married at Piney River Ranch on September 12 next year, about 80 guests. Are you available that day, and do your packages include a second shooter?”

    Lead 99%

    Delivered to your inbox right away.

    A couple with a date, a venue and a question about packages. Delivered right away, with the couple as Reply-To.

  • From
    Wedding Vendor Directory
    Subject
    Featured listing for your studio

    “Hi there, love your portfolio! I run a wedding vendor directory with 40K monthly visitors and I'd like to offer you a featured listing for $29 a month. Want me to send the details?”

    Pitch 100%

    Held in the Pitch folder and listed in your weekly digest.

    It opens with a compliment and talks about weddings, and it’s still someone selling ad space. Held for the weekly digest.

  • From
    Margaret Ellis
    Subject
    My daughter's wedding

    “Hello, I need a photographer for my daughter's wedding on June 6. I am deaf so I can only communicate by email. My wedding planner will send a cashier's check for the full amount and you can forward the extra to the planner for the flowers.”

    Ask me 59%

    Delivered to your inbox marked "Ascue wasn't sure". One click confirms or corrects it.

    A well-known overpayment scam, written to read like a real booking. Ascue wasn’t sure, so it’s delivered marked that way and you make the call. The tell: a check for more than the price, and money passed on to someone else.

  • From
    Image Rights Team
    Subject
    Your photos are being used without permission

    “Your photos are being used on other websites without your permission. I've compiled a list of the infringing pages with screenshots here: photo-rights-report.example/download. Please take action quickly.”

    Spam 80%

    Blocked, and kept for 30 days in case it's needed.

    A phishing message built to worry photographers into clicking. Blocked as spam and kept for 30 days.

Why your inbox is harder than most.

  1. 01

    The pitches are flattering.

    Directories, publications, styled shoots and editing services open with “love your work” and talk about weddings. Keyword rules can’t tell them from a couple.

  2. 02

    Scams target photographers by name.

    Overpayment schemes and fake copyright notices are written for creative businesses. The overpayment ones read like real bookings, so no filter catches every one.

  3. 03

    Couples write to several vendors at once.

    A slow reply loses the booking. Every pitch you read first is time the couple is spending with someone else’s reply.

Couples first. Everyone else on Monday.

  • It asks what the writer wants. To book you, or to sell to you. A couple asking about packages wants to book. A directory asking about your listing wants to sell.
  • When it isn’t sure, it asks you. Borderline messages, like the scam above, arrive marked “Ascue wasn’t sure” with one-click buttons to confirm or correct them.
  • Pitches wait for the weekly digest. Directories, publications and vendors are listed in one email on Monday. Or have them delivered tagged “Pitch” instead.
  • Nothing is thrown away. Anything held stays in your dashboard for 30 days, and releasing it takes one click.

Paste one from your own form.

Put your own business in the description box and see what Ascue makes of a message that annoyed you this week. Or load one of the samples above.

0 / 5,000
Or try:
0 / 200

One sentence helps. "Can you help us rank higher on Google?" is a lead for an SEO agency and a pitch to a plumber.

Free, no sign-up. What you paste here isn't stored.

Ascue's answer shows up here: lead, pitch, spam or Ask me, how sure it is, and why.

Questions photographers ask.

Where most start

Solo $9/mo

1 site, 2,000 checks a month. Separate sites for weddings and portraits? Pro covers five.

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Will Ascue catch wedding overpayment scams?

Some, not all. The one above came back as Ask me, so it was delivered marked unsure. Others read exactly like a booking and get through, because Ascue would rather deliver a scam than hold a real couple. Be wary of any booking paid by check for more than your price.

My site is on Squarespace or another website builder. Will it work?

If your form emails you when someone fills it in, and lets you choose the address, yes: point it at your Ascue address. Squarespace has a step-by-step guide in the docs. For anything else, check your form's notification settings. How email forwarding works.

Will couples notice anything?

No. They fill in your usual form and see your usual thank-you page. There’s no CAPTCHA.

Does it work for florists, planners, venues and videographers?

Yes. Ascue reads a one-line description of your business with every message, so “Wedding florals and event design in Nashville” is all it needs.

Try it on your own form.

Sign up, point your form's notification email at Ascue, and see what it makes of a week of real messages. Free for your first 50 messages a month, no card needed.

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