Creating your wedding-day timeline
By Lizzy Waterson, Elizabeth Jean Weddings
A timeline is like a recipe for any good event. A wedding planner will live and breathe timelines and will be one of your most used tools on the wedding day.
I want to share with you my best tips, tried and tested methods, and advice from over 12 years experience for creating an epic and functional timeline.
1. Start with your key times
Think of these as your non-negotiables, such as the ceremony times, catering service (hot food can only rest or stay hot for so long), the venue curfew times, as well as suppliers booked for a shorter time, like the entertainment.
2. Work backwards
Once you have a good foundation of your key times you can start to piece your entire timeline around these. It can be easier to work backwards and you can think of it like a jigsaw puzzle of key moments and logistics.
3. Check in with each supplier
As your suppliers how much time they’ll need, and when. This will include hire companies, set-up crew, floral stylist and beverage service team.
4. Be flexible
Seriously, I mean flexible.
It is important to allow a buffer on each task and know that things may not go to plan every single minute. There needs to be room for movement throughout the event, and this is where an Event Manager or Coordinator comes in handy – they are like the timekeepers, that is their jam.
5. Consider how long things take, and be realistic
By this I mean moving 120 people is not a 2-minute job. Cutting the wedding cake and serving all at 7.30pm will not happen. Five-minute speeches will turn into 10 minutes. Things take time.
6. Create a master timeline
This will be your absolute best friend on any event day. Your master timeline will include every single detail, down to the minute, and include each supplier's tasks, timeframe and duties. It will also need to include each supplier's contact details.
7. Give each supplier a copy
This will make sure everyone is on the same page and running to the same time schedule.
8. Start your timeline early
Think of it like a mind map. A place to update plans and details as they change (and trust me they will). Programmes like Word Doc or Excel are a great place to start. It does not have to be fancy; it must serve a purpose.
You can think of the timeline as a map of the entire event. It is like a bible, a holy grail piece of work that will help to create a seamless event. Do not be afraid of including as much detail as you can into a timeline as it is better to be safe than sorry. Your master timeline can be a great place to include floor plans or detailed images and references, too.
www.elizabethjeanweddings.co.nz