Get With the Program
Your wedding program is not only a keepsake for your guests, it also lets them participate in and more fully enjoy your ceremony.
From the moment guests arrive, the program sets the tone with your theme, your colors, and the events that will take place during your wedding.
Information to include:
- On the front cover, you will want to include your name and the name of your fiance, the date, time and ceremony location. You may also want to include the overriding motif if you're incorporating one - such as a flower or a leaf.
- On the inside, list the order of events during the ceremony, including the titles of all musical selections (from the prelude to the recessional); the readings and names of the readers; and any traditions you're performing (i.e., lighting the unity candle, breaking the glass). Your officiant can help you list the different parts of the ceremony.
- On the back cover, list the members of your wedding party and their relationship to you. The back cover also is good place to list any "thank you" messages you'd like to make. For instance, you may wish to acknowledge your parents, the wedding coordinator and/or officiant. If you're including a memorial to a departed loved one, list it here.
- Some programs also have an insert sheet that lists your address, phone number and e-mail address. This information is especially important if you are moving to a new residence. Your guests will be able to include you in their address books without having to call your family or friends for the information.
Printing and assembly:
- Some invitation styles have a coordinating program. You will need to provide the information you want in the program to your invitation vendor. When picking the program's font and ink color, you should use the same font and ink color as you did for the invitation. Thus, the program complements or matches your invitation.
- You could layout your program on your home computer with simple word processing software. Do choose an elegant font for your type.
- For decoration, a ribbon (in your main wedding color or the same color as the ink) laced through the spine of the program and tied in a knot or a bow makes an elegant statement. Some couples even include subtle beading on the ribbon for added sparkle.
Distribution:
Ask a good friend or family member who you'd like to include in the wedding festivities to hand out programs. The programs can be placed in baskets decorated with your colors that are then held by one or two program distributors.
Often, two individuals hand out programs - one for each side of the church. They should be standing at the entrance from the time that the doors open until the doors close for the beginning of the processional.
