Wedding Programs

While not a requirment, wedding programs  serve quite a few purposes and add a special touch to the ceremony. They act as a guide to the guests, leading them through the ceremony  step by step by listing readings, poems,  quotes,  or religious rituals that might take place. They give them details about the bride and groom, such as where they met or how the proposal went. They introduce the bridal party  to guests and the bride and grooms reasons for including them in the wedding. Finally, programs make a great memento.

Remember that you can include as many or as few details as you wish in your wedding programs.  It all depends on the magnitude, the variety and breadth of intercultural rituals you expect to have, and the formality of the wedding. Some people won't even need a program. However, there are three main reasons to use programs:

• If you are having a very long wedding ceremony -- An hour long ceremony or more may cause guests to become ansy or to lose their focus, especially if they are not very religious or if they aren't very close to the bride and groom or the bridal party. A program prepares them and keeps them interested.
• If you are having a very religious ceremony -- Traditions vary from one religion to another. So, to keep everyone on the same page, especially those of a different faith, a program allows people grasp the greater meaning behind the different parts of the service.
• If you are having a very large wedding -- Not everyone will know the bride and groom or the attendants very well. Having a program describe the various people involved in the wedding will make them feel more like a part of the wedding.

If you are planning on more than a single-page program, which many people opt to make themselves, you should consider ordering the programs at the same time you order your wedding invitations.  This gives a sense of continuity to the wedding, and it saves time and money. This is usually the preferred choice for formal weddings too. If you don't order the programs with your invites, you should order them no less than six weeks ahead of the wedding. And, as with all printed materials, be sure to get a sample of what you'd like to order before committing to a particular vendor. Also, remember to reread the proof yourself AND have a second party check for errors as well. Once you send it back to the printer or stationer, that's the final draft and no matter what mistakes are made, the program will be printed anyway.

Creating the Program

Programs can be styled in a variety of ways. They may be a single sheet of paper, in the form of a tiny booklet, multiple pages, or a bi- or tri-fold design. It all depends on how much information you want or need to include in the ceremony.

Traditionally, the normal setup for a program goes as follows:

• Cover Page -- This is where you list the full names of the bride and groom, the date, the time, and the location of the wedding. It may even have a photo of the couple, a monogram, or a visual element that is representative of the wedding.

• Order of Events -- Depending on the amount of information you want to include, this portion may take up several pages. You may list more than just the order of the event, but the names of the songs, prayers, or readings that you use as well as the lyrics of special songs or even the words from some of the prayers or readings. If you wish, also give brief explanations of certain rituals, or why you chose to include particular elements of the ceremony. In some cases, you might mention when you want the audience to participate in the ceremony (singing, communion, kneeling, standing, etc.).

• Bridal Party -- This is where you list the names and titles of all people in your bridal party. The order which you should follow is shown below. Some people include a short sentence or two about who these people are and how they are significant to the bride and groom.

• Thanks -- This is usually the last page of the program which gives memorials (to deceased family members), thanks to those involved in the wedding, and the guests. Do not include vendors (unless they are friends of yours) or mention any thanks for gifts or money contributions. You may also choose to include information regarding the reception as well, such as directions to the location, first dance lyrics and meaning, and significance of the reception site.

Below you'll see an example of a simple wedding program, without the details included, of course. Basically, it's meant to give an idea of how to list and order each item on the page. This is just an example though. You can get as creative as you wish.

A Wedding Ceremony Uniting Jane Jenny Doe & Joe Jim Doeson July 21, 2007 at half past noon Church by the Sea Small Town, USA Program Order Prelude Greeting Reading Solo Prayer Invocation Wedding Message Solo Exchange of Vows Exchange of Rings Lighting of the Candles Announcement of Marriage Recessional Bridal Party Parents of the Bride Parents of the Groom Step Parents Grandparents of the Bride Grandmothers of the Groom Maid of Honor, then Matron of Honor Bridesmaids Junior, then Honorary Bridesmaid Flower Girl Best Man Groomsmen Ring Bearer Officiant Pianist Soloist Readers

Other useful guides concerning the wedding ceremony include: Ceremony Order, Ceremony Readings, Ceremony Music, Decorations, and Wedding Vows.

Trends in Wedding Programs

• Personalize it by creating a seasonal theme, color scheme to match your wedding decorations, or adding a unique element to it that will show up throughout the rest of the wedding.
• Add romantic poems  or love quotes  throughout the program to add a personal touch.
• Print the program on something fun. For summer, fans  are a big hit. Scrolls  are pretty all year round.
• Add a 3D element to them, such as a seashell  in summer, a pinecone  or paper snowflake in winter, or silk flower  in spring.
• Keep the programs tidy in a casual tin pail,  a wicker basket,  or neatly displayed on a table.

Related Guides
Thank You Cards	Invitations	Save-the-Dates	Place and Table Cards	Hiring a Calligrapher

External Links

• About.com -- A typical Catholic wedding program.
• Forever Wed -- Lots of articles and advice on programs.
• Love Poems and Quotes -- An alternative wording for programs.
• My Jewish Learning -- Contemporary innovations in the Jewish wedding.
• Paper Alchemy -- Free templates for programs, invites, menu cards, and other stationery for people who love DIY projects.
• Wedding Channel -- African-American wedding programs.
• Wedding Details -- Jewish lore and tradition and wedding programs.