The Art of the Timeline

How can you anticipate and prevent snafus during your weddings and events? Create a solid timeline with a strong foundation and collaborative efforts.The bride’s immediate family shows up 45 minutes late to the ceremony, dinner service is running twice as long as expected, and one vendor didn’t seem to read your timeline—these are among the countless scenarios that throw off the wedding-day timeline. What should be focused on in the process to prevent these mishaps and guarantee your hard work is useful and utilized by the vendor team?1. Establish the foundationWhile building the shell of the timeline, there are key components to consider. Brit Bertino, Brit Bertino Event Excellence, Las Vegas, says the most efficient way to build the timeline is to “start with the ceremony time and work backwards into building the setup, arrivals, and elements leading up to the ceremony.” Once the ceremony time has been established, reinforce to all involved—including the couple—that this will be the actual start time. Reverend Clint Hufft, a celebrity officiant in Los Angeles, says, “A trend recently has been the notion of the start time of the ceremony being 30 minutes or so later than the time listed on the invitation.” Why? The couple may be worried a close relative or important guest is likely to be late and is trying to avoid starting the ceremony late or in their absence.While a faux start time may seem like a perfect solution, Hufft offers a useful approach to maneuver around potential late guests while maintaining the integrity of the day—advise the couple to reach out to those guests and say, “You mean the world to me, I am so honored you will be there for my wedding day. I was wondering if you could be there early to help with ….” By honoring the guests and giving them a task, they have a reason to be there early and the ceremony is much more likely to start as noted.2. Collaborate and listenMany planners require the vendor team to acknowledge and approve the timeline prior to execution. What is the best way to guarantee this? Begin building the shell of the timeline immediately in the planning process. Tommy Waters, owner of the Renaissance, Richmond, Va., encourages planners to “be transparent with the timeline from the very beginning—and share it with your vendors!” This strategy places the team on the same page from the start. As new vendors are added to the team, they are introduced immediately to the flow of the wedding day and will begin to work through how this translates to their center of focus. Emphasize the need for preliminary and ongoing feedback.Utilize the key vendors as a resource in developing the preliminary schedule by asking as many questions as possible:• What will make their load-in difficult or time-consuming?• Does the caterer have the appropriate amount of time allotted for dinner service?• How does this change if courses or wine pours are added?• What does the florist need to set up successfully and efficiently?• Does the photographer have a special time of day they like to capture photos, such as sunset or golden hour?• It may be even as simple as asking, “How do you normally operate?”If the planner is able to figure out what the preference is first, then she or he can help revise as needed, and the vendor may be more likely to stick to the timeline since the vendor was part of its development.Andrea Eppolito, of Andrea Eppolito Events in Las Vegas, finds that each vendor likely has his or her own agenda and initially may not see the big picture or your expectations. “Don’t assume everyone will know what you want based on your perception of industry standards. If you have an expectation, note it clearly, and review your timeline with your team,” she says. In sharing the timeline early and collaboratively, everyone is on the same page, while potential mishaps may be caught and avoided, allowing less need to put out fires on the wedding day.3. Add the final touchesFind a system for organizing the timeline that is useful to the team. Dee Gaubert, No Worries Event Planning, Los Angeles, says, “A mistake in the beginning, for me, was including too much information. Find a working template that is concise and readable. Consider keeping your team's production separate.”In addition to a production schedule and timeline, treat the document as a general reference sheet for the vendor team by including other key elements. Gaubert suggests, including a call sheet—with vendor contact information and roles. Eppolito suggests keeping “a photo of the couple and vendor social media handles. The photos help partners and their employees identify the couple, while the social media handles help ensure that everyone is credited when the work is shared.” WPM__Summer Snyder, CWP™, Weddings by Nancy,La Crosse, Wis.Digital Timeline ToolsThe following tools may be useful resources for establishing your timelines:Timeline Genius (www.timelinegenius.com): Has customizable timeline templates and vendor contact “Rolodex”, pay per timeline or annual unlimited subscription, web-based with client access options.Aisle Planner (www.aisleplanner.com): Full planning features including checklists, budgets, timelines, guest list management, design boards, and more; business Management/CRM tools; subscription; based packages; web-based with client and vendor access options.All Seated (www.allseated.com): 3D custom floor plans, design tools, guest list management and timelines, and custom reports; free under 10 events/year or subscription-based packages; web-based with client and vendor access options. 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