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What to tell your wedding suppliers before the wedding day
There is a point in wedding planning where every supplier seems to ask you for information at once.
Timings. Contact names. Addresses. Song choices. Table plans. Final numbers. Dietary requirements. Access details. Somebody wants a postcode and somebody else wants to know whether there is a tablecloth on the cake table.
It is very easy to respond by sending everybody the same enormous master document and hoping they find the bit that applies to them.
You can do that, but the most useful information is usually much simpler.
Give suppliers the final venue details, not just the venue name
A venue name is a start. A full address or postcode is better. Supplier access information is better still.
Large hotels and country houses may have a separate delivery entrance. Rural venues may use a postcode that gets you close but not necessarily to the right gate. City venues may have restrictions on where people can unload.
If the venue has given you specific supplier instructions, pass them on.
A sentence such as "Use the service entrance from X Road and ask for Sarah at reception" is infinitely more useful than a screenshot of the venue's homepage.
Tell people the timings that affect their job
Your violinist probably does not need to know what time hair and makeup starts. Your cake maker probably does not need the exact order of the signing music.
Send each supplier the times that change what they need to do.
For entertainment, that normally means:
- expected arrival/setup window;
- ceremony start time;
- drinks reception timing;
- wedding breakfast or speeches if they affect performance times;
- evening start and finish;
- any room changes.
If the ceremony moves from 1.00pm to 2.00pm, definitely tell me. If the flowers are now arriving fifteen minutes earlier, I can probably survive without an update.
Say who is in charge on the day
You should not spend your wedding answering supplier phone calls.
Give suppliers a venue contact, planner, coordinator or trusted person who can deal with practical questions. Make sure that person knows they have been nominated for the job.
This is especially useful if the venue has several weddings or events running and a supplier needs to know which entrance, room or setup area to use.
Flag unusual access or setup issues
If there are three flights of stairs and no lift, say so.
If the performance is outside with no nearby power, say so.
If the ceremony is on an island reachable only by a small boat, definitely say so.
Most practical problems are perfectly manageable when they are known about. They become irritating when discovered while carrying equipment in formal clothes ten minutes before guests arrive.
Tell entertainment suppliers about the important musical moments
For me, the obvious ones are the entrance, signing and exit during a ceremony, plus any requested songs during the reception.
If you want a surprise piece for somebody, label it clearly as a surprise. If a particular song must not be played because it has an unfortunate family association, that is useful information too.
You do not need to dictate every piece in a two-hour drinks reception unless you genuinely want to. A strong list of favourites, definite must-plays and definite no-thanks choices gives much more room to read the atmosphere.
Share changes once, clearly
Wedding plans evolve. That is completely normal.
The problem comes when suppliers have version 4, version 7 and "FINAL-final-actually-final.pdf" in their inbox and nobody is sure which one is current.
When something significant changes, send a short message saying exactly what changed and what the new arrangement is.
Do not make people compare two spreadsheets to find the difference.
You do not have to project-manage the whole day yourself
Good suppliers will ask for the information they need. A good venue or coordinator will also help tie the moving parts together.
Your job is not to spend the final week acting as an unpaid logistics department.
Give people accurate information, make sure there is a sensible contact on the day and flag anything unusual early.
That is normally enough to let everybody arrive, set up and get on with the thing you actually booked them to do.
