But first… who is on your wedding planning team? It’s not just your wedding planner and venue coordinator! It’s anybody who will be doing something to pull your wedding dreams to life on the day of your wedding. This will include your Maid of Honour, Best Man, parents, celebrant/solemniser, key suppliers (such as your photographer, videographer, MC) and of course, your wedding planner and venue coordinator.
Wondering what information to communicate with them? Well, take a look at our detailed list below of exactly what they need to know and how much detail to share.
Who needs this information?
Anybody who will be bringing your wedding plans to life on the wedding day should receive the same set of information. Here’s a list of who you should include:
- Maid of Honour
- Best Man
- Both sets of parents
- Celebrant/solemniser (will likely not need any details about the reception)
- Photographer
- Videographer
- MC
- Wedding Planner (who will communicate with all other suppliers)
- Venue Coordinator (who will communicate with any venue staff, such as caterers, bar staff and wait staff)
What format should this information be in?
As with all wedding planning, you should choose a system that works best for you and your plans. You could go digital and include all your information in spreadsheets or Google Docs if that works for you. Many couples feel more comfortable printing a wedding planning folder or binder for each person on the list above.
Choose the option that fits your planning style! If in doubt, do both a digital option which can be emailed out and a physical copy for those who aren’t very tech savvy.
What should you communicate?
This is where the fun starts! Take a look at our detailed list below of every single detail you could possibly want to communicate:
Who to call
You and your partner shouldn’t be receiving phonecalls on the morning of your wedding. If a supplier has a question or if somebody needs to know where to setup, there will always be other people to call. On your list of who to call, include the name of the person, their role, phone number and a photo.
Include:
- Wedding planner
- Venue coordinator
- Maid of Honour (who will have a contact list for all the bridesmaids)
- Best Man (who will have a contact list for all the groomsmen)
- Both sets of parents
- Celebrant/solemniser
Detailed schedules of everything
While working with your wedding planner, venue coordinator, hairstylist, makeup artist and celebrant/solemniser, you will create a timeline for each part of the day.
Include a detailed schedule of every element of the day, starting with your getting ready timeline all the way through to the moment the venue will serve the last drinks.
Getting ready timelines
As part of your schedules, include a specific list of the times that everybody needs to be getting ready. Include the names of each bridesmaid and who will be having hair and makeup done at which times. This level of detail will help to keep you all on track, which will ultimately mean your wedding will start on time, having an overall positive knock-on effect on the flow of the day.
Don’t forget about the gents! They may not be having hair and makeup, but there will be a timeline they should follow too so they can get to the ceremony venue on time.
Supplier arrival times and phone numbers
Create a spreadsheet or table which will include a list of every single supplier that needs to be there on your wedding day. Write the name of the supplier, what they do, who they should report to and their phone number (in case they don’t arrive on time).
A copy of your vows
Your celebrant/solemniser will have suggestions of who should have a copy of your vows, but we recommend including an extra copy in your printed folder or binder. You just never know if you’ll need it!
Copies of any legal documents
Again, your celebrant/solemniser will probably have a plan for when to hand over legal documents (and it may very well be at your rehearsal or some other time before the Big Day). If you’re able to include any copies of legal documents in your printed binder, do it.
Detailed decor list
The people setting up your decor will need to know exactly where to find each element, how to set it all up and what to do with the decor after the wedding.
Here’s what to include in their plan:
- Photos of the individual elements
- Photos of what everything should look like once set up
- Decor packed in boxes according to area (ie Table One), with the above photos printed and stuck on the box
- A list of where each item is coming from (boxes delivered by decor suppliers or family members)
- A list of what to do with each item after the wedding (boxes packed as they arrived and given to decor team, or boxes packed by decor type and given to family members)
Photo shot list
To make sure you don’t miss out on any photos, print a detailed photo list for each part of the day. If you require help facilitating photos at any point (such as family photos), include the names and contact details of those facilitating.
Speech order list
Write out a list of exactly who is delivering a speech and when they are doing so. Include the timeframe you have shared with your speech-givers (ie 3 minutes per speech). If anybody requires any special elements, such as a screen for photos or a mic stand, add that information.
Venue layout
You know that to-scale diagram you’ve created of your wedding reception venue? Print that out, along with the exact location for each table, the photobooth area, gifts table and so on.
