How to write a wedding day run sheet
What a wedding run sheet needs to contain, who needs a copy, and the timings people most often get wrong on the day.
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A run sheet is the single document that tells everyone working on your wedding what happens when. It is not the order of service, which is for guests — it is the operational version, and by the final fortnight every supplier will ask you for one.
What it needs to contain
- A time, a duration and a location for every item — not just a time. Durations are what reveal a clash.
- Who is responsible for each item, by name, including which of your people is the contact if a supplier cannot reach you.
- Supplier arrival and set-up windows, which usually start hours before guests see anything.
- The moments that need a cue: entrances, speeches, cake, first dance, last song, carriages.
- Contact numbers for every supplier and for the two or three people who can make a decision on your behalf.
Timings people most often get wrong
- Group photographs. Ten groups takes far longer than people expect; agree the exact list with your photographer beforehand and have someone who knows the families call names.
- The gap between ceremony and reception. Guests with nothing to do and nowhere to sit is the most common complaint on the day.
- Speeches. Allow more than you think, and decide in advance whether they run before or after the meal — caterers have strong views because it affects service.
- Turnaround, if the ceremony and reception share a room. It is often 45 minutes to an hour, and guests have to be somewhere else.
Frequently asked
What is a wedding run sheet?+
An operational schedule of the wedding day covering every item, its time, duration, location and the person responsible — including supplier set-up windows guests never see. It is what suppliers and coordinators work from.
Who needs a copy of the wedding run sheet?+
Every supplier, your venue coordinator, the wedding party, and whoever is making decisions on the day if you have not hired a coordinator. Give them a link that updates rather than a file that goes stale.
When should you write the run sheet?+
Draft it about a month before, once the ceremony time and supplier bookings are fixed, then refine it in the final fortnight as suppliers confirm arrival times.