How to Write a Wedding Itinerary for Guests and Vendors
A wedding itinerary for guests covers two time slots and a venue address. The version for vendors is a full run sheet. Here is how to write each.
If you are writing a wedding itinerary to share with guests, two time slots and a venue address cover it. If you are writing one for vendors, they need call times, setup windows, the full schedule, and a day-of contact. The same document cannot serve both audiences, and trying to make it do so usually means vendors do not know when to arrive and guests receive more detail than they will use.
What does a guest wedding itinerary include?
The guest-facing wedding itinerary answers three questions: when to arrive, where to go, and what happens when. Most guests only need to read it once.
A typical guest itinerary covers:
- Ceremony time and exact address - the suburb is not enough on a day when people are navigating and parking at the same time
- Reception time and address - if the venues differ, note the travel time between them; guests should not have to guess
- Parking instructions - a car park address or a note about street parking saves more phone calls on the day than any other item on the list
- Dress code - if the invitation wording does not make it obvious
- What to do on arrival - find a seat, wait in the garden, follow the signs inside; a single sentence answers the question before it is asked
Keep it short enough to read in thirty seconds. Guests who arrive late will not read instructions while walking in. Guests who are early will not need a reminder once they can see the venue.
If you are sharing the itinerary digitally, a link to the wedding portal covers all of this and updates automatically when anything changes. A change to the ceremony start time reaches everyone with the link at once rather than going out as a corrected card.
What does a vendor run sheet need?
The vendor run sheet is a different document with a different job. Where the guest version answers "when and where", the vendor version answers "what I need to do at each point in the day".
A vendor run sheet covers:
- Call time - when each vendor arrives on site, not the ceremony start time; these differ by hours for most vendors
- Setup window - when they can access the space and for how long before it needs to be cleared
- The full schedule in 10-minute increments during transitions, with wider blocks for the ceremony and the main reception sections
- A day-of contact - one name and one mobile number that works for the whole day
- Vendor-specific notes - photographer access restrictions, caterer meal service cue, DJ setlist handoff, florist access to the cool room
The 2026 Real Weddings Study found that couples hire an average of 13 vendors for their wedding.1 Each vendor has their own setup window, their own equipment, and at least one question they will ask at some point during the day. A run sheet built around their specific role answers most of those questions before they arise.
PlannedBy's run sheet template works across nine columns: a primary sheet with every row for the coordinator, plus one column per vendor type - photographer, videographer, hair and makeup, celebrant, florist, caterer, DJ, and transport. The template filter keeps a row for a vendor only where their column has content. The coordinator holds the primary sheet; each vendor receives only the rows that apply to their own role.
Who receives each document?
| Document | Who receives it |
|---|---|
| Guest itinerary | All guests on the RSVP list |
| Primary run sheet | Day-of coordinator |
| Filtered run sheet | Each paid vendor, their rows only |
| Copy of the run sheet | MC, bridal party, parents |
| Backup copy | One trusted family member |
Managing Matrimony puts the distribution in plain terms: every paid vendor - photographer, videographer, florist, DJ, celebrant, coordinator, caterer, bar - plus the MC, bridal party, and parents, and one trusted family member as a backup contact for the day.2
That list is different from the guest itinerary list. Vendors do not need the dress code note. Guests do not need to know what time the florist is delivering the centrepieces. Keeping the two documents separate means each audience receives only what they actually need on the day.
What format handles last-minute changes?
Both documents will change as the day gets closer. A vendor confirms their arrival time two weeks before the wedding. The florist calls with a setup window that shifts the schedule by forty-five minutes. The reception venue updates its access hours.
Managing Matrimony recommends sending the run sheet as both a PDF for printing and a live link for last-minute edits.2 The guest itinerary works the same way: a printed card is harder to update than a link, and finding out on the morning of the wedding that a vendor has the wrong ceremony time is the kind of problem a live link prevents.
Set a freeze date for the run sheet - usually ten days before the wedding. After that, any change goes out to all vendors as a replacement, clearly dated and noted with what changed.
Frequently asked questions
Is a wedding itinerary the same as a run sheet?
They serve different readers. A wedding itinerary is the guest-facing document with ceremony and reception times. A run sheet is the coordinator and vendor version with minute-by-minute timing, call times, and setup windows. Both cover the same day from different angles.
How far in advance should guests receive the itinerary?
Send it with or shortly after the final RSVP deadline, usually six to eight weeks before the wedding. That gives guests time to arrange travel without getting it so early they lose it before it matters.
Do all vendors need the same level of detail?
No. The day-of coordinator needs the full schedule including every transition. The florist mainly needs their delivery window and the day-of contact number. Sending everyone a 60-row document adds noise for people who only need four rows of it.
What if there is no day-of coordinator?
Assign one person as the single point of contact for vendors on the day and make sure every vendor has their mobile number. That person does not need to manage the event - they just need to be reachable so vendors are not calling different people for the same answer.
Does the venue receive a copy of the run sheet?
Yes. The venue coordinator manages access, catering timing, and room transitions. They typically want the run sheet well in advance. Ask for their preferred format when you confirm your final numbers.
What changes as the wedding gets closer
The run sheet you draft twelve months out will look different from the one you send vendors ten days before the wedding.
Early versions hold placeholders - ceremony time confirmed, photographer TBC, florist delivery TBC. The document firms up as each vendor is booked and their setup requirements come in. Keep one live version and update it in place rather than managing parallel copies with different information.
The guest itinerary is usually stable once the venue is locked and the ceremony time is set. The run sheet stays a working document until close to the day. Once it is final, send it once as the final version, clearly dated, with a note on any changes from the previous draft.