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Your wedding program (also called
The Order of Worship in some ceremonies) is a little personalized
guidebook for your guests. It will serve the same purpose as a
program at a theatre play, informing guests of what is happening
at any given moment. The style, colors and wording of the program
all help set the stage for your ceremony.
Programs can be custom printed by the same company that makes your
wedding invitations, or they can be printed out on a home
computer. If you choose to make your own programs, select a sturdy
paper that is compatible with your printer. Some ink jet printers
and laser printers require a special grade of paper in order to
prevent the dyes from running and the paper from bending. Look for
programs that have a pre-printed picture on the front that matches
the theme of your wedding. They will be blank on the inside, and
are ready for you to get creative with your wording! These papers
are usually sold in Church supply stores.
Programs can be as elaborate or as simple as you wish. Some
Churches require a certain order to the ceremony, and your program
must include whatever your Church deems necessary. Talk with
someone at your Church who is familiar with wedding programs and
ask what is acceptable and/or required.
You may want to make a miniature “book” that lists every last
detail, from the name of the florist down to every lyric in each
piece of music played at your wedding. This is fine if you want
it, but certainly not something you should feel obligated to do.
The basic program might look something like this:
Prelude (music played as your guests are being seated; usually 3
or 4 songs played back to back)
Processional (bridal party music, then music that the bride walks
down the aisle to)
Greeting/Opening prayer
First Reading
Rites of marriage
Exchange of vows
Blessing of Rings
Lighting of Unity Candle
Second Reading
Nuptials
Closing Prayer
Recessional
Obviously, this is a very brief list, and only a very basic idea
of what to include. Personalize the program with your specific
musical choices, and on the back of the program list the names of
the people in the wedding party, directions to the reception, and
a public “Thank You” to all of your guests. Choose a letter font
style that is elegant and easy to read. Allow for a few “errors”
and have extra program paper available. You may wish to print a
“practice run” using blank paper until you have selected what you
want. Experimentation is the key to creating a lovely program!
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