The secret to making sure your wedding day runs like clockwork

Part of why planning a wedding is such a big job is the number of people involved and the sheer amount of moving parts that go into such a big event. Most of us have never planned anything like it before, and the thought of it all can be quite overwhelming.

I know for our wedding day, I wanted to slow time down. Now that we’ve been to over a hundred of them, I know the best way to make it feel like that is to have a good plan in place. For things to go smoothly on the day, the more organised you are, the more you can enjoy the celebration. A seamless timeline and clear communication will keep things humming along so you can relax and enjoy the ride.

Part of our planning process with all of our couples is our wedding details form. This is a fairly detailed run sheet that means on the day everything is taken care of. Extending this run sheet idea further to encompass your whole day means you won’t be checking the time throughout the day, everything should just fall into place.

“To stay on track, your secret weapon is always going to be a really good run sheet.”

Basically, the run sheet is a long list of everything that needs to happen on the day with the timings. You'll most likely need to include the few days before as well, and the day after if you're planning any after-events.

Below is an idea of the kinds of things to include. Also, include the approximate time and the location. It can be very helpful to list the phone numbers of the main contact person, including your MC, the caterer, photographer, etc. in case of any delays.

Your bridesmaids and groomsmen are your go to team on the day. If they have a copy of this run sheet on their phone, you can ask your best man or best woman to jump into action should anything need fixing on the day. This means you can focus on the important bits.

We also ask our couples to include a family photos list along with 2 family photo organisers.

The list means we can get these photos done quickly and you don’t have to think about it on the day. The organizers are there because no one can yell at family like family. When we coral people it can be like herding cats, where as your nominated organiser will know everyone’s name and be able to keep it ticking along.

It's one more job to do, but a great plan will help you create a memorable day with as little stress as possible.

Here is an example guideline of things that might follow:

Ceremony

1. Guests arrive
2. Brides arrival
3. Ceremony begins
4. Ceremony finishes
5. Champagne served
6. Group Photos
7. Wedding party photos
8. Couple portraits

Reception

1. Guests seated
2. Bride and groom arrive
3. Entrée served
4. Speeches
5. Dinner
6. Cake cutting
7. First dance
8. Dancing
9. Bride and groom leave