Below is a quick guide to wedding programs:

A wedding ceremony program was originally used to outline the rituals and order of the ceremony. Nowadays, they can really be in any form you’d like, from a short description of the ceremony to a complete rundown of every detail, the program could include a list the of the participants, or it can include an explanation on how the couple met, to credits for those involved such as the florist and musician etc. It is completely up to the bride and groom to decide on how brief or in depth they would like this wedding stationery piece to be.

Who gets a program? A program should be given to every guest but for eco friendly brides, it is completely acceptable to hand one out to each couple.

Who hands them out? Generally, the ushers will be responsible for handing out the programs as the guests arrive. If having your ushers hand these out is not an option, children can also be great for handing out the programs or they can be placed ahead of time at the entrance to the ceremony, or on the seating or pews.

Here is a guideline to follow for a traditional program which usually has four parts:

1. Introduction/Cover Page
2. Ceremony Order
3. Wedding Party
4. Closure or special notes

1. Generally the introduction/cover will include:

. Names of the Bride and Groom
. Date and Time of the ceremony
. Location, City, Province/State

2. The order of the ceremony will vary depending on the situation and could include:

. Wedding Processional or entrance of the bride and groom, and wedding party if applicable
. Music, literature, and poetry or wedding readings
. Wedding vows
. Lighting of the unity candle
. Exchange of wedding rings
. Signing of the wedding certificate or marriage license
. A blessing, benediction, or community commitment to support the marriage
. A first kiss as a married couple
. Recessional

3. The wedding party should be listed in this order: Use full names rather than nicknames and always use titles such as Miss, Ms. and Mr.

. Parents of the Bride
. Parents of the Groom
. Grandparents of the Bride (optional)
. Grandmothers of the Groom (optional)
. Maid of Honor / Matron of Honor
. Bridesmaids
. Junior Bridesmaid
. Flower Girl
. Best Man
. Groomsmen
. Ring Bearer
. Officiant
. Pianist (optional)
. Soloist (optional)

4. The final section is used for closure: It is recommended to thank your guests, thank those who are hosting the wedding, and/or honor a deceased friend or member of the family. You can end the program with a poem or quote. If needed, you can also include directions to the reception site.

We appreciate you taking the time to read through this article and we hope you find this information helpful! If you have any questions please send us an email at questions@invitationexpressions.com To view our weddings invitations click here.