#ceremony programs

We’ve all heard it said that, “It’s in the details.” For some, that can be referencing the flowers and the dress, but for others it goes so far to encompass the text on the programs. This blog is for you, friends. Ceremony programs are not a necessity, but a wonderful detail that can add a touch of character to any wedding so we thought we would show you some of the most creative and even…

Last week, we took a look at the timeline both you and your designer should work to for creation and delivery of your wedding stationery. This week, we wanted to take a look at items you should start thinking about for your day-of stationery, and some fun ways to incorporate your style and designs throughout the big day itself.

Ceremony programs are a great way to commemorate your wedding day, whether you are having a religious or secular ceremony. The length of the program is dictated by how much information you are including. How large is your bridal party? Are you going to have each part of the ceremony listed? Will you be including your music selections? Trilogy Event Design Creative Director Francesca Staffieri has created everything from a 2-sided ceremony program to a booklet that includes all parts of the religious ceremony. One nice touch that we normally suggest to our couples is to include a "Thank you" for your family, friends, and guests on the last page.

Seating cards are usually a necessity as they will direct your guests to their assigned table. Depending upon how formal of a reception you are having, you may also have assigned seating at the table (indicated by using place cards).

Seating cards can be traditional, as pictured above, or you can riff off the theme of your wedding, such as having baseball tickets for a sports-themed wedding...

... or hang-tags around a mason jar or wine bottles.

Seating charts can be used to either showcase where the tables are in the reception area (see photo below of a table chart for a Please Touch Museum wedding where the tables were given candy bar names), or actually take the place of seating cards by telling your guests where to sit. If you do use a seating chart for your guests to find their tables, it would be wise to order two or three so that you don't have bottlenecking from people looking for their table number...

Further additions to your tablescape, could be table numbers or menus for each place-setting.

We've also had couples leave a card at each seat as a favor indicating a donation made in the guest's name to the couple's selected charity, or a Thank You card with a loving message by the couple to their guests.

There are other, less obvious ways, that you can work with your designer to keep the overlook look of your wedding cohesive, and add a fun touch that your guests will surely notice. If you've booked a monogram lighting package with a lighting company, let your designer know so that they can provide artwork for the light that fits with the other design elements you've used for your wedding...

If you are planning to give a favor for your guests that can be personalized, work with your designer to supply the design work to whomever you're ordering from so that you can incorporate your design elements (see photo of rally towel featuring owls Francesca designed for couple Abby & Jim, Temple University grads!)

From custom-designed photo-booth footers that will print on each photo to ceremony program fans and everything in between, Francesca at Trilogy Event Design can work with you to bring those added design elements that will showcase your story and personality on your wedding day!

For a free, 1-hour consultation with Francesca, email [email protected], call 800-941-2770, or use our online scheduler here.

Have a question about day-of stationery? Leave it in the comments below, and we'll be sure to answer.

Are Wedding Programs Necessary for Guests?

Some say, “Yes,” some say, “No.”

If you are on a tight budget, it may be something you may want to cut. Those who are short on time or money may wish to forgo this option, but remember that a simple wedding program doesn’t use much time or money.

“Your first step is to decide its style and your budget. You can choose from a variety of layouts, everything from a tri-fold (i.e., brochure…

Here's something a lil' different than the norm ;)

Honestly, there isn't really a wrong way to do a wedding ceremony program. The content will depend on the type of ceremony you're having, of course, but generally, it's a good idea to include the following:

Full names of bride and groom

Wedding date, city and state

Name of officiant

Timeline or basic order of ceremony so your guests may follow along

Members of the wedding party, and their relationship to the bride/groom (if preferred)

A brief "thank you" to both parents and to guests for attending

Honoring of any deceased loved ones (in a poem or prayer, for instance)

Map and directions to the cocktail hour or reception after the ceremony

When you lay out the order of ceremony, you'll want to include any songs, prayers and readings planned, and who will be leading them. You can choose to include the words to the verses and readings if you think that they're particularly relevant and you have the extra space on the program itself. Overall, it's important to make your guests feel like they're a part of the ceremony. Give them whatever information that you think is necessary in order for them to follow along and not get lost. Explain traditions, rituals and anything else that could be foreign to them. 

Now comes the fun part! Some of the best ceremony programs I've seen are simple and practical. They tell you what's happening and when, and cut out all of the extra fluff that isn't necessary. One of my favorites to this day is actually pictured below, and it starts out something like this:

7.15.11 - Los Angeles, California Sarah & Dale are getting married today! (You've probably figured that out by now) Here's how it's going to go: You will hear songs chosen by Sarah and Dale. Okay, probably more by Sarah, but nonetheless, it's good music. First will come our officiant, the lovely James Earl Jones (you can call him Jim) Next, Dale will walk his mom, Kathy, and Sarah's mom, Linda, to their seats. Dale's dad, Dale, will follow immediately after the moms are seated. Right around when the next song starts, you'll see the charming wedding party... Susie Jones Casey Mann Lindsay Apple Chris Mason Joseph Tie Barney Jetson

...You get the picture. Keeping it light and easy is a great idea, but it also depends on the type of ceremony you're having. This particular program was for a beach wedding in Mexico, so it was pretty fitting for the occasion.