A wedding program is an important part of the wedding ceremony, but it often gets overlooked and put off until the last second! There are understandably seemingly bigger issues to deal with, but an informative ceremony program is incredibly important. It helps guide guests through the ceremony, and give them the info they need to understand who is involved and what is going on.
We’ll go over what to include on your wedding ceremony program, but first, you’ll need to decide exactly what your program will look like. Traditionally, couples have handed out individual programs at their ceremony. However, in more recent years, many couples have chosen to forgo the individual programs. Instead, they’ll have a sign at the entrance of the ceremony space that tells guests any information they might be curious to know.
Of course, a wedding ceremony program sign won’t be able to include as much information as an individual program. This means that you’ll need to decide how much information you actually want to put on your program before choosing between paper programs or a sign.
Now, let’s look at the information you may wish to include on your wedding ceremony program.
The Wedding Party & Other Participating Guests
The names of the parents of the couple, maid of honor, best man, bridesmaids, groomsmen, flower girls, ring bearer, and the officiant can all be included on your program. If you’ve hired ceremony musicians, you may wish to include their names as well. Additionally, if you have anyone coming up to sing a song, read a passage, or do any sort of performance, their name should be listed, too. Basically, anyone who is involved in your ceremony should be listed.
The Order of Events
You may also wish to add the schedule of ceremony proceedings to the program. Everything from the welcoming to the ceremony to the couple walking back up the aisle can be included. At the end of this schedule, you might want to invite guests to move into the cocktail hour portion of the celebration.
The Wedding Day Schedule
Beyond the ceremony order of events, you may want to include your full wedding day schedule on your program. This will simply help guests remember what’s to come since they might not have checked your wedding website or invitation in a while.
Explanation of Certain Traditional Elements
If you’re including any cultural or religious traditions in your ceremony that some guests might not be familiar with, you may wish to give a short explanation of what they mean. This will give guests a better understanding of exactly what they are witnessing.
Sweet Anecdotes or a History of Your Relationship
This is by no means a necessity, but it allows you the opportunity to get a bit creative. Think of how you want to tell the story of your relationship to your guests. Maybe you’ll include a timeline, going from your first date to the day you got engaged to your wedding. You might also want to include a story from your relationship that is meaningful. Or, you can even each write a small excerpt about each other. Do whatever you feel best reflects you!
A Poem, Written Piece, Lyrics, or Work of Art
To add more personal touches to your wedding ceremony program, consider including passages or art that is meaningful to you. Think of songs that are important to you, religious texts, poems, or any other sentimental element you’d like to include. Depending on the design of the program, these elements could be added to the front or back of the program or sprinkled throughout the other information.
If you are in the process of planning your wedding, come to the next Georgia Bridal Show near you. You will have the chance to meet with professional wedding vendors of all talents who can help bring your vision to life!
Georgia wedding vendors, as well as other wedding professionals across the Southeast, can contact us about opportunities for exhibition and online marketing with Georgia Bridal Show.