How to… the Run Sheet edition
Have you been asked to provide a run sheet? Was your initial reaction to nod and say “sure thing” while internally you were panic yelling “WTF IS A RUN SHEET?!” I got you.
Firstly, what is a Run Sheet? You can think of it as the ultimate guide for everyone involved in your wedding or event. The Run Sheet makes sure that everyone knows exactly what to do, where to be, at what time, all day / days long.
What needs to go in a run sheet? Short answer, everything. You want to list out every single step that anyone needs to take to get your event ready and to make sure it runs smoothly, and make sure every step has an ‘owner’ so that if it isn’t done, or is delayed, anyone looking at your sheet knows exactly who to talk to.
I always include 2 sheets on my run sheets and I would encourage you to do the same. Sheet 1 is going to be your Master Contact List. Here you’ll list out everyone involved in the set up and running of the event, what their role is and their best contact number (please ask for and include mobile numbers, as especially if your event is on a weekend, often office numbers aren’t manned!). If the run sheet is for a wedding, I would also recommend including the names your bridal party, and at least one contact number for each side of the party.
I also like to include on your master sheet 1 the addresses of the venue/s and details on parking and truck access details so that your suppliers have one port of information on the morning to know exactly how to get to you.
Let’s look at sheet 2, which is the nitty gritty of your Run Sheet itself. This is where you’ll list out the what, when, where and who in a step by step format. I like to set up my run sheets with the column headings ‘Time’, ‘Location’, ‘Activity’, ‘Responsibility’, and ‘Notes’. Once you have that set up, you can use these columns to work your way from the start of the day to the end, including everything from the hire company arriving with the tables and chairs, to the limo driver arriving at the specified location, to the times of your entrance, speeches, and cake. My motto is always ‘the more info the better’ with run sheets, as you want to make it clear, simple and easy to follow for everyone working with you on the day.
I recommend starting to capture the info early for your run sheet - by around 8 weeks out you should have the shell of your sheet, and this gives you time to go back and forth between venue and suppliers to make sure that you’re allocating enough time for the set up required and that there aren’t going to be any clashes with suppliers (for example you don’t want to have planed for your dance floor to be going in while your lighting team are up ladders working on the roof above it). Starting these conversations early means you have plenty of time to troubleshoot, tweak and make sure the day runs smoothly.
I genuinely can’t overstate enough how much I ADORE a well put together run sheet. As your on the day coordinator, your Run Sheets is my VERY BEST FRIEND and I’ll work closely with you at our briefing meeting to make sure you have everything captured in there ahead of the day. As your full service wedding or event planner, Run Sheets are something you won’t even have to worry about because I do it all for you.
Interested in chatting more about on the day coordination or about my ALL INCLUSIVE planning options? You can book a free consult call with me here, and we’ll talk about what package is right for you.