So you have spent months planning an upcoming event, or in some cases, a wedding.
Now you are feeling stressed and worried because what if everything doesn’t run smoothly or on time? What if something is missing or that Pinterest idea you spent a month making doesn’t even get used? Well, the easiest way to ensure all of this is to make sure you have a great TIMELINE!
No, no, we are not talking about your Facebook Timeline. But, an event timeline that covers every detail you could imagine for your event or wedding.
Think of your most prized possession, your go-to, your sidekick—on your event or wedding day—this will be your TIMELINE!
Here are some of Toni’s Timeline Tips:
1. Start to finish- This tip seems obvious, but it is not always followed! Your timeline needs to start when set up or prep begins for your event or wedding. It needs to conclude at the very end of your event or wedding; most often this is tear down. And it must include everything in between!
2. Details to details …and then more details – You want to include EVERYTHING. I can tell you first hand that an event or wedding day is hectic, so it’s easy for someone to forget something small or overlook a detail. If there is something you think you may forget, then make sure it is on your timeline! Whether it’s food options, the number of labeled boxes or bins with décor that should present, or who is bringing what at what time, make sure it is there not to forget!
3. Names to numbers – On your timeline, you will have the names of who is arriving when, who is bringing what, or what is going where. But, what happens when Sally doesn’t show up with the cake, or someone has a question for the DJ, or you can’t quite remember where that table is going? You will need to double check with people, in which case, it is best to have names and contact information [usually phone numbers] for everyone mentioned on the timeline. This includes vendors, a venue coordinator, certain family or friends, and most importantly YOU! All of this easy to find in one place.
5. Easy to follow – I cannot stress this enough. I’ve seen timelines [with every detail possible] that make perfect sense to the person who made them, but through the eyes of someone else, it looks like confusion on a page. Confusion leads to questions and questions lead to room for error. To avoid all of this, make sure your timeline is clearly formatted, easy to read, and organized. Use a program you are familiar with. Remember, the straighter forward, the better!
Hopefully these tips convince you to spend a little more time on your event timeline and a little less time on your Facebook Timeline ;-)