Day-of texts to vendors: final timeline and last-minute changes
Send vendors their own texts at three points: the final timeline a week out, load-in details the day before, and any change on the day. Put each vendor's company in the text, ask for "Reply OK" on changes, and tick off who answered. Never put vendors and guests in one thread. Pick a text below.
Every text says their name.
Pasting this into one message with several people in To still makes a group. Send it to one person at a time.
Only for vendors who gave you their number for these texts. A green check here means the text and its length are fine, not that you have permission.
Send it one-by-one from your iPhone with BatchrunnerBatchrunner opens Messages; you tap Send for each person.
Free for up to 10 people per send.
The short answer
A planner's day-of texts go to vendors, not guests: the final timeline about a week out, load-in details the day before, and short change notices on the day. Each vendor gets their own text with their company name in it, so the florist never sees the caterer's number or replies. On changes, ask for "Reply OK" and tick off who has answered; call anyone who hasn't.
Not legal advice. This page is for planners texting vendors they've booked and who expect day-of texts. Guest texts are the couple's side and have their own page; if you text guests for the couple, do it with the couple's OK.
Vendor texts (6, counted)
Tap a text in the writer at the top to load it, or copy one from this table and change the names, places and times to yours. Counts use an 8-letter first name ("Jonathan") and "Northwind" for {company}; "Room for a name" is the longest first name that keeps the text in one SMS. Keep straight apostrophes: a curly one from smart punctuation switches the text to Unicode, 70 characters per SMS.
| ID | Use | Text | Count (8-letter name) |
|---|---|---|---|
| planner-final | One week: final timeline | Hi {firstName}, final timeline for the Lee wedding Sat Jun 6 is in your email. {company} load-in is 1:30pm, dock door B, Rosewood Hall. - Dana | 139 chars · 1 SMS · room for a 29-letter name |
| planner-loadin | Day before: load-in | Hi {firstName}, tomorrow: {company} load-in 1:30pm at Rosewood Hall, dock door B. Day-of contact: Dana 555-0100. Reply OK when read. | 129 chars · 1 SMS · room for a 39-letter name |
| planner-change | Change on the day | Hi {firstName}, change for Sat: ceremony starts 4:30 (was 4:00). {company} load-in now 2:00pm. Reply OK so I know you saw it. - Dana | 129 chars · 1 SMS · room for a 39-letter name |
| planner-late | Running late | Hi {firstName}, ceremony is running 15 min late. Dinner service moves to 6:45. No reply needed. - Dana | 99 chars · 1 SMS · room for a 69-letter name |
| planner-rain | Rain plan | Hi {firstName}, the rain plan is on for Sat: ceremony moves to the Rosewood ballroom. {company} setup spot is unchanged. - Dana | 124 chars · 1 SMS · room for a 44-letter name |
| planner-wrap | Load-out | Hi {firstName}, load-out opens at 11pm, dock door B. Thank you, {company} team, for a great day! - Dana | 100 chars · 1 SMS · room for a 68-letter name |
The vendor call sheet, by text
Send the timeline a week out, load-in details the day before, and changes as needed.
| When | Text | Who | Ask for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 days out | Final timeline (details by email) | Every vendor | Nothing; questions by reply |
| 1 day out | Load-in time, door, day-of contact | Every vendor | "Reply OK when read" |
| Day of, if needed | Change notice | Vendors the change affects | "Reply OK so I know you saw it" |
| Day of, if needed | Running late | Vendors on the clock (catering, music, photo) | No reply |
| End of night | Load-out | Every vendor | No reply |
Typical size. Our estimate is 8 to 15 vendors per event; we found no published count. One Send tap per vendor takes a minute or two.
"Reply OK" is your check, not tracking. Batchrunner's ledger records that you tapped Send for each vendor. It doesn't know whether the text arrived or was read. The replies in Messages are what tell you who saw the change. Call anyone who hasn't replied in 15 minutes.
{company} fills the vendor's business name. It comes from the Company field of each contact. Fill it in for every vendor before the event, or the text reads "Thank you, team." Keep {firstName} too: every text in this kit starts with it.
Never one thread for vendors and guests. A guest replying "where do I park?" shouldn't reach the DJ, and a vendor's "running behind" shouldn't reach 120 guests. Keep a vendor group per event, separate from any guest list.
Wedding guests are a different job. Save-the-dates, RSVPs and guest etiquette are on the wedding texts page, written for the couple.
Send it from your iPhone without a group chat
If you put everyone in one message, Messages starts a group: Apple says everyone in a group iMessage or group MMS sees all replies. To keep each vendor private, send one conversation per person.
- Free, in your browser. The text each person individually guide has a send list: paste names and numbers, and each row opens Messages for one person with the text filled in. You tap Send each time and tick them off.
- In Batchrunner, our iPhone app. In Batchrunner 2.2, include {firstName} to open one conversation per person; without a merge token, a batch can open as a group. Each vendor then gets their own text and replies come back only to you. A batch without a merge token opens one compose sheet for up to 40 people, and depending on Messages and carrier settings (Group Messaging, MMS), iOS may turn that into a group thread.
If someone on the list has no first name saved, add one before you send, or the text starts "Hi ,".
Before you send: permission and opt-out
The full rules are on texting customers: consent and opt-out basics. Not legal advice. For this job:
- Vendors you booked, about this event. They expect logistics texts. Don't add their numbers to promotions for your planning business.
- Guests' numbers belong to the couple. Text guests only with the couple's OK, and only about the event.
- If someone asks you to stop, stop, and use email or a call. Batchrunner doesn't read replies for you.
Ready to send to vendors who asked for these texts? Batchrunner, our iPhone app, opens Messages from your own number. In Batchrunner 2.2, include {firstName} to open one conversation per person; without a merge token, a batch can open as a group. You tap Send each time; a ledger marks each person sent, remaining or skipped. Free covers 10 people per send, 2 groups and 2 templates; Pro is $7.99/month or $39.99/year with a 3-day free trial. iPhone only, iOS 17 or later.
Get Batchrunner on the App StoreBatchrunner opens Messages; you tap Send for each recipient.
What Batchrunner does, and what it doesn't
You tap Send each time; it doesn't read replies or handle STOP.
| Batchrunner does | Batchrunner doesn't |
|---|---|
| Opens Messages from your own number, one person at a time when the message has {firstName} | Send by itself: you tap Send for every text |
| Fills {firstName}, {lastName} and {company} for each person | Fill other per-person details such as times, venues or amounts: split the list, or text those people yourself |
| Keeps a ledger of sent, remaining and skipped, and picks up where you stopped after a crash or lost signal | Know whether a text was delivered or read: the ledger records that you tapped Send |
| Recurring weekly or monthly reminders (Pro) that notify you at the time | Send on a schedule: when the reminder goes off, you open it and tap Send |
| Builds groups from your contacts, or from a CSV file on Pro | Read replies or handle STOP: you remove people who opt out |
Contacts stay on your phone and send through Messages from your own number; there's no Batchrunner server. Prices and limits are on Batchrunner for iPhone.
More texts for your job
Questions people ask
How do wedding planners send the day-of timeline to vendors? Email the full timeline about a week out, then text each vendor their own load-in time, door and the day-of contact the day before. On the day, send short change notices and ask for "Reply OK." Each vendor gets their own text, never a group.
Should I put all my vendors in one group chat? We wouldn't. In a group iMessage or group MMS, everyone sees every reply and number. One text per vendor keeps replies coming back only to you, and lets you tick off who has confirmed a change.
Questions people ask
How do wedding planners send the day-of timeline to vendors?
Email the full timeline about a week out, then text each vendor their own load-in time, door and the day-of contact the day before. On the day, send short change notices and ask for "Reply OK." Each vendor gets their own text, never a group.
Should I put all my vendors in one group chat?
We wouldn't. In a group iMessage or group MMS, everyone sees every reply and number. One text per vendor keeps replies coming back only to you, and lets you tick off who has confirmed a change.
Sources (2)
- WeddingWire forum: Shuttle etiquette, checked 2026-11-06
- Apple Support 118236: Send a group text message on your iPhone or iPad, checked 2026-11-04