It is 2:15 PM at a fictional wedding in Austin. Sarah Chen is standing in the bridal suite of a limestone ranch house. The bride is ready, the bouquet is on the windowsill, and the photographer is still on the road.
Marcus was expected at 1:45 PM. First-look photos were planned for 2:00, with the ceremony fixed at 3:00. Sarah needs an arrival estimate and a workable portrait plan before she can tell the rest of the team what changes.
Confirm the arrival before changing the plan
Sarah opens Vendors and checks the saved arrival information, then calls Marcus. He reports a traffic delay and an estimated arrival of 2:25. The app record gives Sarah a starting point; the phone call supplies the current information.
The lead can review arrival check-ins and use a saved phone number to call. An arrival record does not establish that setup, lighting or sound checks are complete. Confirm readiness with the vendor before changing the next cue.
Open the Team Lead demo and choose Vendors from Run the day to explore the fictional arrival list.
Review the options before applying a recovery
Sarah and Marcus agree on the portraits that must happen before the ceremony and those that can wait until later. She checks which buffer and flexible blocks exist before the protected ceremony time. Minutes removed from dancing later that evening would not fix a ceremony delay now.
The lead reports the delay. Depending on the saved timeline, SmartRipple offers distinct plans such as Balanced recovery, Use the buffers and Trim, don't cut. The lead can recover manually or accept overtime instead. Fixed and locked moments stay protected, and any minutes that cannot be recovered remain visible.
SmartRipple is part of Day-Of access and works separately from premium Wedding Day Assistant conversations. It calculates possible schedule adjustments; it does not know that Marcus has arrived or decide which portraits the couple values most.
Sarah selects a plan, opens Review this plan, checks every proposed trim and chooses Apply recovery only after it fits the agreements she has made with the team.
Try the separate fictional SmartRipple example to compare plans, make manual changes and see unresolved minutes.
Telling the team
Applying a recovery and sending a message are separate decisions. Sarah reviews the timing update, chooses the relevant recipients and confirms the broadcast. She calls the next cue owner if the handoff needs an immediate answer.
Saved timeline changes update connected views. Broadcast delivery needs a connection. Where acknowledgement is requested, a response helps the lead check who has confirmed; it is separate from an activity's completion status.
The arrival
Marcus arrives and Sarah confirms he is ready. “First look starts in five,” she says. They work through the essential portraits and leave the additional groups for the agreed window later in the day.
Marcus keeps the shared timeline beside his personal photo priorities. Moving a shot higher in his own list does not reschedule the wedding. Marking a photo captured does not complete a timeline activity.
Previously saved timeline information and supported local edits remain available without a connection. Supported edits sync after reconnecting; check any sync warnings. Sending broadcasts, receiving new team updates and Assistant conversations require connectivity. Have a direct contact and printed backup for a critical handoff.
The part the guests do not see
When the ceremony begins, the guests see the couple walking toward each other. They do not see the call, the choices about portraits or the coordination that made the revised plan workable.
This story illustrates the process, not a guaranteed recovery time or a report from a customer wedding. The useful pattern is to confirm the facts, review the options and tell the people who need the changed instruction.