I was drawn to clean, simple styles. I did not want a book, just one card printed on the front and back. Now I like longer, more playful versions. For example, I love these newspaper programs. Add your engagement picture and a top-of-the-fold feature on how you met to give your guests something to read before the ceremony begins. And wouldn’t it be fun to list your wedding party in the form of a news story? I might put the groomsmen in the police blotter (ha!) or the sports section.
Image via Style Me Pretty
Some Crucial Ceremony Program Tips
- Order programs 4-6 weeks in advance if you’re having them printed and don’t want to end up DIY them the night before because the shipment was lost. If you’re intentionally going the DIY route, good for you! Just don’t leave it till the night before. You really don’t want to make a late-night run to Staples on the eve of your wedding because you ran out of ink.
- If your ceremony is in a different location than your reception, make sure you designate someone to bring them the day of. This task will likely fall to a groomsman since they arrive first.
- Ask ushers to hand programs out as they greet guests rather than leaving them in a basket. It’s a small, but thoughtful, touch.
And because I found writing a program about as much fun as washing socks, here’s an easy guide to...
Wording Your Wedding Program
Your names and the date & location. That’s a no-brainer.
Order of the ceremony. Everyone’s ceremony will be different, but the meat of a wedding ceremony is the same.
Processional, "Uptown Girl" – Billy Joel
Opening Prayer
First Reading,
Read by Your Beautiful Friend
Second Reading,
Read by Another Amazing Person
Exchange of Vows
Blessing of Rings
Recessional,"The Way You Make Me Feel" – Michael Jackson
Your Wedding Party. Start by naming your celebrant, then your parents
and grandparents. List the bridal party before the groomsmen and call
the flower girl and ring bearer out on a separate line. You can list
each person’s relationship to you, or just their names.
Music. Don’t forget to credit the musicians, too. You can list them individually or as a group. For example,
Music. Don’t forget to credit the musicians, too. You can list them individually or as a group. For example,
Guitar - Bruce Springsteen
Vocals - Lady Gaga
Vocals - Lady Gaga
or
Music by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
Remembrance. It’s nice to list the names of relatives and loved ones who have passed. I simply said, “We also remember those who are no longer with us, but remain in our hearts,” then listed their names. I’m not one for long, sappy sentiments.
Thank you. Not wanting to oversaturate my program with drippy language, I tried to skip this part. MOB convinced me that was a bad decision. I came up with this: “Our sincere gratitude goes out to the friends and family members who traveled to be with us today. Your love and support will remain with us always.” Short and sweet!
Tell me about your programs. What design did you decide on?
I have two favorites from our wedding programs.
ReplyDeleteOne being where we listed the special parts of our wedding. Zach's family is Swedish so I wore silver and gold coins in my shoes (a Swedish sign of good luck), we had five candles on the altar for our five grandparents who have died, etc.
My other favorite was a last minute inspiration. Zach's uncle (an opera singer with a booming deep voice) read Shakespeare's Sonnet 116 (which has now become "the wedding sonnet" because it's so wedding-y)which has the line "(love) looks on tempests and is never shaken". A few nights before the wedding, Zach stayed up late illustrating a picture of a lighthouse in a storm, which he put a frame around and a banner in front of with that quote. Voila! That's the back page of our program!
Zach's a graphic designer, so from the Save the Dates all the way down to the cards we put on each guest's dinner plate, he was able to be really creative and design something that was perfectly "us".
That sounds amazing! Where are your wedding pics, girl? I want to see!
ReplyDeleteI would definitely recommend brides have someone hand out their programs. I've been to a few weddings where I know the bride spent a lot of time putting the program together but were forgotten about on wedding day. So disappointing!
ReplyDeleteOh gosh, I really need to get on that don't I? Soon! I'll make a wedding post soon. :)
ReplyDelete