Make a vendor arrival matrix, not just a wedding timeline

Track where each team enters, what it needs, and who receives it so setup does not depend on hallway phone calls.

A guest-facing timeline says when the ceremony starts. An arrival matrix says how the day becomes possible. It gives every supplier the same access information and exposes conflicts between loading, parking, room readiness, and early guest arrivals.

One row per vendor or delivery

• Company, on-site lead, mobile number, vehicle count, arrival and departure windows, and whether the booked hours differ from venue access.
• Entrance, loading route, parking location, elevator or stairs, door codes, and the person authorized to admit the team.
• Setup location, power or water needs, worktable requirements, storage, refrigeration, and any venue representative who must unlock them.
• Dependencies: what must be finished before this team begins, and what cannot start until this team leaves.
• Meals, final payment or gratuity handling, teardown time, pickup, and where returned or personal items go.

Include rental trucks, florist, cake, caterer, bar, entertainment, photo and video, officiant, beauty team, transportation, and anyone dropping personal items. Separate repeated trips, such as a rental delivery and late-night collection, into distinct rows.

Test the matrix

Sort a copy by arrival time. Look for two large vehicles at one dock, décor arriving before tables, cake crossing a crowded ceremony route, or vendors scheduled after their contact has left. Walk the route with the venue if carts, ramps, or elevators matter.

Ownership and timing

The coordinator requests details four to six weeks out, resolves gaps with the venue, and issues one final version a week before. Each vendor confirms its own row rather than silently accepting a generic call time. On the day, one named contact answers access questions and records any agreed change for everyone affected.

Add a weather column or note wherever arrival depends on an outdoor route. A tent, ceremony arch, or shuttle may need a different entrance after the backup is activated. Record that alternate route now, while the venue can approve it, rather than sending a driver around the building in the rain.

A wedplan.ai guide on the Vendor coordination board. More planning guides.