Trying to figure out what goes in your wedding program can sometimes create more questions than you would think. And many times, the creation of the wedding program comes at a time when the bride has so many other things to worry about – such as bridal showers and last minute wedding details. You wouldn’t believe how many brides have reached out to me for wedding program designs a week or two before their wedding date. And many are asking me what goes in it! The basic answer is that you can put whatever you want in your wedding program! But I know that doesn’t help you much. So in an effort to get you thinking about your wedding program earlier and to help all my brides out there, here are some basic guidelines on what should be included:
The Details
Your Names
Wedding Date
Ceremony Location
Wedding Participants
Parents of the Bride
Parents of the Groom
Grandparents of the Bride
Grandparents of the Groom
Maid of Honor
Best Man
Bridesmaids
Groomsmen
Flower Girls/Ring Bearers
Officiant
Order of the Ceremony
The order of your ceremony is determined immensely by the type of ceremony you’re having. Work with your officiant on what to include. Here is an example:
Prelude (list music if you wish)
Processional (list music if you wish)
Opening Words
Readings
Wedding Vows
Exchange of Rings
Pronouncement
Blessing
Recessional (list music if you wish)
Explanation of Any Religious Ceremonies. If you’re having a religious ceremony and the majority of your guests are not of that religion, you may want to explain what exactly is going on. You could also include any non-religious but special aspects of your ceremony, such as jumping the broom or mixing of sand.
Dedications. Here’s where you can remember those who have passed away before your special day. Something as simple as “We would also like to acknowledge [insert name], who could not be here to share in our special day, but remains in our hearts.” would suffice.
Relationship Information. If you’re going with a larger wedding program format, you could have a little fun and include information about your wedding party such as how long you’ve know each person or where you met.
Wedding programs are a small way to add a personal touch to your ceremony. Work with a stationary designer from the beginning and you’ll get a uniformed look through all of your wedding stationary items.
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