Wedding security coordination checklist

This checklist is for couples, families, and wedding planners arranging security for a wedding or another private celebration. Planners often fill it in on a client’s behalf.

Start with the quick quote below. A few short questions, about 90 seconds, and you have a clean wedding security brief to send to us or share with your planner. We fit quietly into the day your planner and venue have already built.

The full planning checklist follows for a deeper pass on venues, guests, gifts, and the day’s timeline. Skip anything that doesn’t fit your day. It prints cleanly with your browser’s Print command (Ctrl+P, or Cmd+P on a Mac).

Quick quote

Get a quote in about 90 seconds

Full planning checklist (optional)

Venues and timeline

Ceremony venue, address, and start time
Reception venue, address, and timing, if different
After-party location and expected end time
Hotel where the couple, family, or guests are staying, and any suite or gift room that needs coverage
Getting-ready locations, if you want coverage before the ceremony
Your planner’s run of show or timeline, even in draft

Planner and venue contacts

Wedding planner or day-of coordinator: name and phone
Event manager at each venue
Venue security or building staff contact, if there is one
Contact at the house of worship, if the ceremony is held at one

House rules

Each venue’s rules for outside vendors, including security
Which entrances are in use, and when doors open
Where security staff can stand, and any areas that are off limits
Venue rules on armed personnel, if armed coverage is being considered (see armed vs. unarmed security)
Vendor load-in and load-out times

Guest access and the guest list

Whether you want guests checked against a list, and at which locations
The format of the guest list, and when the final version will be ready
A family member or planner who knows the guests by sight and can help at the door
What staff should do when someone isn’t on the list: ask them to wait, call the planner, or call a named family member
Plus-ones, children, and late RSVPs

People who should not attend

This is handled discreetly and on the family’s instructions, agreed before the day. If you would rather not put details in writing, share them on a call.

The name and a recent photo of anyone who should not attend
How you want it handled if they arrive, and which family member should be told
Whether a court order is involved. Security staff do not enforce court orders; if a legal matter comes up, the police are called
Guests who should be kept apart from one another

High-profile guests

Guests or family members with a public profile
Whether they bring their own security, and who leads it
Press or photographer interest you expect, and your wishes on photos and social media
Whether anyone needs a quiet entrance or a planned arrival

Gifts, cards, and valuables

Where the gift and card table will be, and when it is set up
Who takes cards and gifts at the end of the night, and where they go: a room, a vehicle, or home
Jewelry, heirlooms, or other valuables that need watching
Overnight coverage for a gift room or hotel suite, if needed

Transitions and transportation

Timing of each move: ceremony to reception, reception to after-party, after-party to hotel
Who travels with the couple or family, and in which vehicles
Guest shuttles, and where they load and unload
Whether a driver and vehicle for the couple should be part of the plan

Attire and visibility

Attire for security staff: suits or formal wear, or something less formal for a daytime or backyard event
A visible presence at the door, or staff at the edges of the room
Your photographer’s wishes about keeping security out of the photos
Cultural or religious customs that affect dress or conduct at the ceremony

Alcohol

The venue or caterer and its bartenders are responsible for alcohol service. Security helps quietly when a guest needs it.

Bar hours and last call
How you want a guest who has had too much handled, and which family member to involve
Rides home or a hotel shuttle for guests

Day-of point of contact

For a medical emergency or anything that needs police, staff call 911.

The one person who makes decisions for security on the day, usually the planner or a named family member
A backup, for when that person is busy during the ceremony or speeches
How the security lead reaches them: phone or text
Emergency contacts for the couple and both families

After you fill it in

Share the checklist with your planner, then bring it to the first call. From it, a provider can confirm availability and talk through staffing, hours, locations, and attire. Our wedding security page explains how we work with your planner and venue.