If you are planning a wedding with only the bride, the groom and a witness (or 2) in attendance, it’s unlikely that you will be using wedding programs. However, if you are having a large wedding where guests are less likely to know the bridal party, or are incorporating cultural practices or traditions that many of your guests are unfamiliar with, you will probably want to have programs printed for your guests at the wedding ceremony.
Photo Credit: Monique Studios
Like programs handed to every audience member at a Broadway show, the wedding programs allow your guests to know the names of the cast, the music chosen and when to expect to hear it, the meaning of any special details of the ceremony, and the order of events.
You may have your wedding programs professionally printed or make them yourself. There are plenty of appropriate graphics, photos, print styles, and good quality paper stock that you can use. Your programs can be a simple or elaborate as you want.
Wedding programs can be as simple as:
• a listing of the order of ceremony events
Processional
Greeting
Readings
Prayers
Exchange of vows
Ring ceremony
Unity candle ceremony
Pronouncement of marriage
Recessional
• a listing of the members of the wedding party (can also include names of the officiant and parents of the couple)
But you can get more elaborate by including:
• a short sentence about each member of the wedding party, describing why they are important to you
• a special poem or prayer that has particular meaning to you
• explanations of religious or cultural practices in your ceremony, especially if guests are of another faith or culture
• photos of you and your groom
• requests for your guests to participate in specific parts of the ceremony, such as guests vow of support, blessing of the rings, candle ceremony communion, singing (including song lyrics), offering the sign of peace, and times when they should stand or kneel
Photo Credit: Faye Sommer Photography
• an explanation of the significance of the location, theme, first dance song, etc.
• special messages of thanks to parents, in-laws, and guests
• quotes or poems about love or marriage
• a memorial for those who have passed away
• any historical or personal significance about the venue
Photo Credit: Faye Sommer Photography
What Wedding Programs Do
Keeps Guests Informed
The basic purpose of a program is to keep your guests informed. Tells your guests who’s who. Tells them about the different parts and traditions that are happening in the ceremony. The simplest and most basic wedding program provides a list of all of the participants in your ceremony as well as an order of events for the ceremony itself. It is a lovely keepsake, and will help guide your guests through the ceremony.
Tells Your Story
You’ll have guests that know you, but have never met your partner, and vice versa. When you tell “your story” in your wedding program, your’ guests will gives them
Gives A Shout-Out
Wedding programs allow you to honor your bridal party and other attendants by showing off their names and wedding roles in print.
Serves As Double-Duty
Is your wedding reception at a different location than your ceremony? Include a map/directions in your wedding program. Will your ceremony be held outdoors? If it is warm, having wedding programs allows your guests to also use them as fans. Fan styled wedding programs are fun, but a typical bi-fold works just as well.
Gives Guests Something To Do
Most likely there will be some music for your guests to listen to before the ceremony begins (the prelude). But having a program gives them something else to do while they’re waiting (and keeps them from playing on their phones).
Make your wedding program fit in with your wedding (and your personalities). Choose font and graphic colors that coordinate with your wedding color scheme. If both have a great sense of humor, you can try a funny love quote like “Like salt and pepper, We belong together.”
Photo Credit: Childers Photography
Wedding programs don’t have to be something printed out for each guest either. You can have a poster sized program made and display it at the entrance to your wedding ceremony.
Photo Credit: Weddings From The Heart
It is also helpful to include the reception start time, as well as the address and directions to the reception site.
Many guests will keep wedding programs as a memento of the event so you may also want to include post ceremony information such as your new address, phone numbers, and new web contact information (if you want to share this info, of course).
Hearts, Joy, Love!
Jean
Looking for fun ideas, or need help with your wedding plans?
Weddings From The Heart can help. Contact me today at [email protected] or by phone or text at 937-581-3647!
