How to Share Your Wedding Timeline with Vendors
Five steps for sharing the right section of your wedding run sheet with each vendor - what to include, when to filter, and when to send.
Share the wedding timeline with vendors as a PDF once the run sheet is locked. Send a live link if vendor arrival times are still being confirmed or the ceremony schedule may shift. Most couples send the full run sheet to everyone when each person needs only the rows that apply to their role.
Couples hire an average of 13 wedding professionals.1 Sending all 13 the same document produces a page most of them will not read completely - which means the photographer does not see their family-photo window and the caterer misses the speech timing they need to plan dinner service. Filtering to each vendor's relevant rows before you send removes that problem at the source.
Full run sheet filtered by vendor role before sending. Each vendor receives only the rows where their column has content.
Step 1: Choose the format
Use a PDF when the ceremony timing is locked and vendor arrival windows are all confirmed. A PDF prints cleanly, works without a signal, and cannot be accidentally edited by the recipient.
Use a live link when the run sheet is still being updated - a vendor has not confirmed their arrival time, or the ceremony start is subject to a venue confirmation. A change to any row reaches every vendor with the link without a resend.
Managing Matrimony recommends sending the run sheet as both: a PDF for printing and a live link for last-minute edits.2 Set a freeze date - usually ten days before the wedding - after which any change goes out as a clearly dated replacement document.
Step 2: Filter by vendor role
PlannedBy's run sheet template covers nine columns: a primary column with every row for the day-of coordinator, plus one per vendor type - photographer, videographer, hair and makeup, celebrant, florist, caterer, DJ, and transport. A vendor receives only the rows where their column has content.
The coordinator holds the full schedule. The florist receives their delivery window and room access time. The DJ receives dinner-end timing, first-dance cue, and the send-off. The photographer receives the bridal party arrival, the family-photo window, and the end of formal shots. Sending the full 60-row document to every vendor adds noise for people who only need four rows of it.
| Who receives | Which version |
|---|---|
| Day-of coordinator | Full run sheet |
| Each paid vendor | Their filtered rows only |
| MC, bridal party, parents | Full run sheet |
| Backup contact | Full run sheet |
Who receives each version. The coordinator and bridal party hold the full run sheet; each vendor receives only the rows relevant to their role.
Managing Matrimony identifies the full list: every paid vendor - photographer, videographer, florist, DJ, celebrant, coordinator, caterer, bar - plus the MC, bridal party, parents, and one trusted family member as a backup contact.2
Step 3: Include three things in each send
Whatever the vendor's role, every send must contain:
The three must-include items for every vendor send. Arrival time is the one that causes problems on the day when it is missing.
Arrival time and access point. The arrival time in the run sheet is not the ceremony start - most vendors are on site one to four hours before that. The access point is which entrance to use: front door, loading bay, side gate, or a code for the car park.
Day-of contact name and mobile. One number that works for the whole day. Vendors who need to reach someone on the morning will call whoever they have in their phone. If that number is the couple, the morning becomes a helpdesk shift for them.
Venue-specific access requirement. Parking codes, lift access, refrigerated storage for flowers, power outlet requirements for the band. These are the questions vendors ask on the morning if they were not told before it.
Step 4: Send 48 to 72 hours before the wedding
Sending the run sheet a week before gives vendors time to ask questions the answers to which are not yet confirmed. Sending it the night before gives them no time to act on anything.
The 48-to-72-hour window sits in the right place: close enough that the timing is accurate, far enough that each vendor can review their section and raise anything before the morning.
The four contact points: initial send at six weeks, finalise at ten days, main send at 48 hours before the wedding, confirmation call on the morning.
Use a clear subject line. A vendor managing two weddings the same weekend needs to find the right document fast. "Run sheet - [Names] - [Date] - [Venue]" with a short note on what changed from any previous draft - "Final version. Ceremony moved to 3:30pm, all times updated" - is more useful than a silent resend.
Step 5: Confirm on the morning of the wedding
The morning call is 90 seconds per vendor arriving in the next two hours. It is not a check on whether they are coming - it is a verbal confirmation of the access point and the day-of contact name.
Three things to confirm with each vendor:
- Arrival time and which entrance they are using
- The name and mobile of the day-of contact
- Any last-minute change since the 48-hour send
Vendors who received their filtered section 48 hours out already have this information. The morning call confirms they have read it and know where to go. Keep a copy of the vendor contact list on your phone before the morning starts - some vendors will have a question faster to answer from the list than from hunting through booking emails.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a wedding timeline and a run sheet?
They are the same document with different names. In Australia, the word is run sheet. In the US, the same document is a wedding day timeline. Both cover the minute-by-minute schedule of the day for vendor coordination.2
When should vendors receive the run sheet?
48 to 72 hours before the wedding. That is close enough that the timing is accurate and far enough that vendors can review their section and raise any questions before the morning.
Do all vendors receive the full run sheet?
No. Each paid vendor receives the rows relevant to their role. The day-of coordinator, MC, bridal party, and a backup contact each receive the full run sheet.
What format is best for the vendor send?
PDF for the final version - it prints well and cannot be accidentally edited. A live link alongside it means any last-minute change reaches every vendor with the link without a resend. Managing Matrimony recommends both.2
Does the venue coordinator need a copy?
Yes. The venue coordinator manages access, catering timing, and room transitions. They typically ask for the run sheet at the final walk-through or when you confirm final numbers.
What changes as the wedding gets closer
The run sheet you have twelve months before the wedding is a skeleton: ceremony time confirmed, most arrival windows TBC, supplier contact details partially filled. The document firms up as each vendor confirms their setup requirements.
Keep one live version and update it in place. Once it reaches the freeze date, any change goes out to every vendor it affects as a clearly dated replacement. A vendor holding two versions of the run sheet needs to know which one is current, and that is easier when the replacement includes the send date and a line on what changed from the previous draft.
The PlannedBy run sheet template holds one live version that every vendor can access via the same link. An update after the initial PDF send reaches them through that link without a separate email to 13 inboxes.