When the planner marks a wedding as final, a Google Docs run sheet is filled from the planning sheet with every timing and contact, saved as a PDF, and each vendor is emailed a version with only their own arrival, setup area and contact.
Typical results
≈120 hrs/yr
Saved across about 40 weddings a year
≈8
Vendors per wedding, each sent only their own details
1 source
Every version built from the same planning sheet
Figures reflect typical results for this kind of automation.
The challenge
The run sheet for each wedding is rebuilt by hand from the planning sheet, then cut into separate versions for the caterer, band, photographer, florist and others. That takes about three and a half hours per wedding. When a timing changes late, some vendors get the update and some don't, and the planner fields calls on the day.
Before and after
Hours to build a run sheet and vendor versions
−86%Day-of calls from vendors checking times
−67%Wrong times sent to vendors per season
−80%The automation
When the planner marks a wedding as final in the planning sheet, Make fills a run sheet template in Google Docs with the ceremony time, vendor arrival and setup windows, speeches, first dance, last song and venue contacts. The full run sheet is saved as a PDF in the wedding's Google Drive folder. Each vendor is then emailed a version that shows only their own arrival time, setup area and on-site contact, so nobody works from someone else's schedule.
How it works
- 01
Wedding marked final
The planner sets the wedding's status to final in the planning sheet once timings and vendors are confirmed.
- 02
Run sheet template filled
A Google Docs template is filled with the ceremony time, vendor arrival and setup windows, speeches, first dance, last song and venue contacts.
- 03
PDF saved to the folder
The full run sheet is saved as a PDF in the wedding's folder in Google Drive, named with the date and version.
- 04
Vendor versions emailed
Each vendor gets an email with a version that shows only their own arrival time, setup area and on-site contact.
- 05
Changes resend the latest
If timings change and the wedding is marked final again, a new version replaces the old one and affected vendors get the update.
Starts from
- Final planning sheet
Delivers
- Full run sheet PDF
- Vendor-only versions
- Saved to wedding folder
The impact
Each run sheet takes about 30 minutes of checking instead of three and a half hours, which adds up to roughly 120 hours a year across 40 weddings. Vendors arrive with the right times, and day-of calls asking for details drop from about six to two.
Questions about this automation
What happens if the timings change after the run sheet is sent?
The planner updates the planning sheet and marks the wedding final again. A new version is generated with the date and version number in the file name, the old PDF is kept for reference, and only vendors whose times or details changed get the updated email.
Can the run sheet use our own design?
Yes. The template is a regular Google Docs file in the planner's own layout, fonts and logo, with placeholders where timings and contacts go. The vendor version is a second, shorter template, so the planner can change the wording or layout of either one without touching the automation.
What do we need to have in place?
A planning sheet with one row per timeline item and a vendor list with email addresses and setup areas, which most planners already keep in some form. Simple automations like this are usually live within days, and the first wedding is run alongside the manual run sheet to compare.