When setting up Sonas, it's recommended that you establish distinct timeline templates for the various kinds of events held at your venue. These templates serve as a reference point that each event can customise to their preferences. By using default timelines, you can avoid having to create a new plan from scratch for each event. You can create several timelines to represent different scenarios, such as an afternoon ceremony and dinner, an evening wedding, reception-only events, and so on. The timelines are intended to offer your team and clients a framework for how the event should proceed, providing them with a solid foundation for the day's celebrations that can be personalised to suit each event and preference.
Timelines are created under Company and can be used in multiple Venues. Each event can select a default timeline upon setup, alternatively, the event timeline can be created from scratch, see Timelines.
In this article, you'll learn how to create a new timeline and how to duplicate it to make other timelines that may have similarities, requiring only minor adjustments.
Step-by-step guide to create a new timeline:
Company > Timelines
Click the Actions menu in the top right hand corner and then + Add New Timeline.
Create a name for your timeline, e.g. Wedding with Ceremony, and then click Save.
Prior to adding your initial entry, it's important to note that there are three categories of new timeline entries that you should consider before getting started. By identifying these categories early on, you can enhance your planning process.
Fixed- this is a set time, such as 14:00.
Relative- this is a time that is relative to another event on the timeline, meaning it’s timing is defined as a set amount of minutes before the start of another event, or after a set amount of minutes from the start of the event. (Be sure to put in the relevant event first.)
Relative to Ceremony- this uses the ceremony time as defined in the Ceremony section of the event as the relevant event (see Ceremony Section). When this is used, the new entry is based off of the start time of the event’s ceremony.
You can use one, two or all three types when creating your timeline.
When you have a good idea of how you want to build your timeline, get started!
Click +Add New Entry to put in the first item on your timeline. 
Complete the entry information:
Name- How you want the timeline entry titled on the timeline.
Section- to assign a coordinating icon to the entry for visual appeal. Not limited to: a heart for ceremony (Bride arrival), a camera for suppliers (band arrival), a martini glass for drink order (cocktail hour), etc.
Notes- for generic notes related to the entry, there is an opportunity to add event specific notes later on in the event specific timeline, this is optional.
Type- They type of entry, as explained above, either fixed, relative or relative to ceremony.
Time- what time the entry begins at.
Duration- optional input of the length of the entry in minutes.
Relative:
Relative to- select the entry from the drop that this new entry is relative to. If you have not added it yet, please do that first, before creating the relative entry.
Minutes Before/After- select the number of minutes before or after the start of the relative entry that you want this entry to begin, negative minutes meaning before. (ie -60 means starting 60 minutes before, while 60 means starting 60 minutes after the start of the relative entry)
Duration- optional input of the length of the entry in minutes.
Relative to Ceremony:
Minutes Before/After- select the number of minutes before or after the start of the Ceremony that you want this entry to begin.
Duration- optional input of the length of the entry in minutes.
Click Save in the top right hand corner of the screen after each entry and when the template is completed.
Step-by-step guide to clone an existing timeline:
If you need to create multiple templates, you can save time by duplicating an existing template that already has many of the entries in place. By doing this, you can remove any irrelevant timeline entries for the new event template and quickly add any additional entries that are necessary.
Within the Timelines menu, click on the timeline you want to replicate.
Click the Actions menu in the top right hand corner and then Clone.
You will receive a pop up to confirm that you want to create an identical timeline, click OK.
Select your cloned timeline and edit the name to the new name. Click Save.
Proceed to edit and or delete existing entries, while adding needed new entries.
Click Save after each edit, deletion, or addition.
NOTE: Do not add in Ceremony to your default timeline. This will auto-populate the timeline in each event using the ceremony time provided in the ceremony section. (Event > Ceremony) Assuming the event type is wedding, twilight wedding or dry hire wedding.