Man, I love the formspring page.  I like being able to help people out, even when they’re not my clients. Have a question for me? Ask HERE!

Q. When do you recommend sending the wedding day timeline to my vendors? and confirmations? I’ve been told sending it too soon and they can get it mixed up with another wedding.

A. This is a great question and this is how I handle it with my clients:

About 6 weeks prior to their wedding, the couple & I create the Timeline of the entire day. Once this Timeline is finished, I send the DRAFT of it to the photographer, venue/catering manager, and band/DJ asking if they have any problems with it or anything they need to add to it?

Most of the time, the vendors aren’t thinking about my clients wedding that far out, but my draft gives them a chance to see if anything is conflicting with the way that they work. Then as the wedding gets closer, my clients and I keep adding to the details of the Timeline. I do NOT cc vendors on these revisions as it’s just too much too soon for them.

If my client’s wedding is on a Saturday, I send ALL paperwork (timeline, vendor contact info, floorplans) via email to all vendors the Friday one week before (8 days out). I also ask every vendor to confirm with me via email and I keep track of it in a spreadsheet. If a vendor has not confirmed with me by Wednesday of the week of the wedding, I re-send the email and call them to follow up.

You’re right about vendors getting things mixed up with other weddings–the simpler things are made for them, the better they perform. I DON’T send multiple drafts of things to vendors for just that reason.

Long story short: while vendors working weddings with me know the general plan of what is going on (when to arrive, etc), they don’t get final paperwork until 1 week prior to the wedding.

Good luck!