Wedding Programs

Heres a quick guide to wedding program wording.

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 brief summary of each  member of the wedding party or an explanation on how the couple met, to credits for those involved including florists and arrangers. Wedding program wording in its most basic form is used to explain the details of your ceremony to your guests.

Each guest should receive a wedding program as they enter the ceremony. Always be sure to have extras on hand,you will surely need them. Generally, ushers will be responsible for handing out the programs. Children can also be great for handing out programs. Lacking ushers to pass out the wedding programs , they may be placed at the entrance to the ceremony, or on seating or pews.
A typical guideline to follow for the order of elements on a traditional program usually has four parts:

• Introduction 
• Ceremony order
• Wedding party
• Closure or special notes

Generally the introduction will include:

• Names of the bride and groom
• Day and date of the ceremony
• Time
• Location, city and state

The order of the ceremony will outline the various segments which could include:

• Prelude
• Seating
• Vows
• Readings
• Processional
• etc.

This section lists all participants in the wedding. Use full names rather than nicknames and always use titles such as Miss, Ms. and Mr.

The wedding party should be listed in this order:

• Parents of the Bride
• Parents of the Groom
• Grandparents of the Bride
• Grandmothers of the Groom
• Maid of Honor
• Matron of Honor
• Bridesmaids
• Junior Bridesmaid
• Honorary Bridesmaid
• Flower Girl
• Best Men
• Groomsmen
• Ring Bearer
• Officiant
• Pianist
• Soloist

As for the final section, used for closure or a special note:

• Thank your guests
• Thank those who are hosting the wedding
• Honor a deceased friend or member of the family
• End with a poem or quote
• Include directions to the reception

By using this guide as a basis for your wedding program wording, you can create both an attractive and informative wedding ceremony program that will be treasured by all. Be sure to ckeck HERE for more great info on wedding planning.