Start with the total you can comfortably commit. Include only contributions that have actually been agreed. Hold a reserve before dividing the rest among vendors. In our free starter, the example reserve is 10%; change it to fit your circumstances.
For a $20,000 total with a 10% reserve, you have $18,000 to allocate and $2,000 held aside. The reserve is not a separate bill and should not be counted twice.
Ask vendors for the total, including applicable taxes, travel, setup, breakdown, and service charges. Record an estimate until a quote is confirmed. Once booked, replace the estimate with the confirmed total and track payments separately.
A $2,400 photographer with a $600 deposit is a $2,400 commitment and a $1,800 unpaid balance. Your budget should show all three numbers clearly.
When the plan exceeds your available budget, revisit your priorities before booking another supplier. A simpler choice made early is easier than undoing a commitment later.
Use one row for each person, including children and plus-ones. A household row may be convenient for invitations, but it makes meal and seat counts ambiguous.
Separate pending, accepted, and declined replies. Set an RSVP deadline that leaves enough time before your venue’s final headcount deadline. Ask the venue when it needs numbers instead of assuming a standard date.
Use consistent table names. “1” and “Table one” may look equivalent to you but count as different tables in a tool. Add table assignments only when you have a venue layout and agreed capacity.
Collect dietary and access needs privately, with a clear reason for asking. Share only the details each supplier needs. A printed seating plan does not need to display private guest notes.
Before sending a handoff, check that accepted guest totals, meal totals, and table totals reconcile. Mark the export with a date so everyone knows which version is current.
Start with fixed times: venue access, ceremony, meal service, and venue departure. Work with suppliers to fill in setup, travel, photography, and handover times.
Give each event a point person and a location. “Flowers arrive at 11:00” becomes useful when someone knows who receives them and where they go.
Build in food, water, travel, and transition time. Ask your photographer how long group photos need and assign someone who knows your guests to gather people. Don’t expect the couple to coordinate every handoff.
Confirm a weather decision time and who makes that call with the venue. Send the final timeline to your suppliers, ask them to flag conflicts, and keep a clearly dated copy with your point person.
The day-of kit includes editable handoff sheets and messages to support that process. Its example timings are not a schedule recommendation; replace them with your team’s confirmed plan.