If you’ve landed on this page, I think it’s safe for me to assume you’re considering how the many details and activities you’ve planned for your wedding are going to fit into just one day. Perhaps you’re even feeling overwhelmed and concerned about how to schedule everything in. Never fear, you can have a wedding day that flows beautifully and includes all of the elements you’ve planned. It all comes down to your Wedding Day Run Sheet.

But let’s back up, what is a wedding day run sheet and why do you need one?

A Wedding Day Run Sheet sets out the who, where, when and what of your wedding day. Also called a Wedding Day Timeline or schedule, it’s the document that brings all of the individual elements of the wedding together and helps to keep things on track throughout the day. Setting the scene for a wedding day that flows naturally, your run sheet should also include time buffers to ensure you, your guests and your vendors never feel rushed or short of time.

Don’t they have wedding timeline templates for that?

Because you’re planning a day that’s unique to the two of you, a cookie cutter wedding day timeline won’t cut it. It’s also unlikely that someone else’s timeline will do the job either. Instead, your wedding day timeline should be a collaboration between yourselves, your suppliers and your venue. But don’t stress, get started with my guide to ‘building’ your wedding day run sheet. Or, contact us! We’re experts at piecing together wedding days and all the logistics that surround them.

Start with the times that have already been established

Many of the essential ‘activities’ on a wedding day will need to occur at a set time. For example, when guests must arrive for your ceremony, the ceremony start time, sunset photos, and the time that guests must depart the reception by. There may also be set times for when your venue opens for set up, or that vendors must be packed up and bumped out by.

Next add in your unique wedding details

This is where you consider the unique details, logistics and formalities of your day. Think about everything that must occur from start to finish and slot those items around the fixed times. This will include things like:

• Getting ready
• A first look if you are having one
• Travelling to your ceremony and reception
• Post ceremony photography
• Reception formalities, dancing etc.

Then, collaborate with your vendors

With your day sketched out, your vendors will now be able to advise you on how their service works with the set timings and other elements planned throughout the day. Knowing the ceremony start time and what time the venue opens allows your musicians to advise you when they will arrive to set up. Likewise your makeup artist can work backwards from the time you will depart for your ceremony and advise on how long they need to prepare you and your wedding party for your big day. During this stage you’ll find yourself changing times and potentially even rescheduling some activities. This is one of the reasons that many couples hire a Wedding Coordinator to help them in the weeks leading up to their big day. A Wedding Coordinator will use their knowledge of many weddings to help you create a schedule that never feels overwhelming and that all of your vendors feel 100% confident with too. But if you are doing this yourselves, ask your vendors and your venue for help. They’re experts at what they do and will be able to give you advice on timings.

Here’s an example wedding day ‘flow’ to help you get started with planning the timing of your wedding day:

• Wake up, eat breakfast and chill with the wedding party
• Wedding party hair, makeup, get dressed
• Venue set up and styling by vendors
• Wedding party preparation photos 
• Travel to ceremony
• Guests arrive
• First Look
• Ceremony
• Best wishes and post-ceremony photos
• Cocktail hour & games
• Reception entrance (guests)
• Reception entrance (wedding party)
• Entree
• Speeches
• Main meal
• More speeches
• Cut the cake/dessert
• First dance
• Dance floor open
• Couple exit
• Guests depart
• Vendors bump out

Who gets a copy of the wedding day run sheet?

Remember I said the wedding day run sheet sets out the who, where, when and what of your wedding day? For this reason, everyone who needs to know where to be when, should get a copy. This will include your:

• Wedding Coordinator
• Wedding Venue
• Wedding Vendors
• Wedding Party
• Emcee
• Family with a role to play on the day

Hire a Wedding Coordinator

One of the things I enjoy most about being a Wedding Coordinator is creating timelines. I also find that it’s an excellent way to build a good working relationship with the venue and other vendors I’ll be working with at the wedding. Meaning, if the thought of adding ‘create wedding day run sheet’ to your wedding planning schedule makes you want to groan (cry or scream), let’s talk. We coordinate weddings all over Australia and we’d love to be part of your wedding day too.