I'm having a small outdoor wedding. I'm struggling with the program. I wanted to honor the people involved, so that was easy. However, when I write out the parts of the wedding I don't know even what they are called -- besides, this whole thing is short.... do people even need to know what's going on when? I'm thinking about just not doing programs at all. Then again, this has been my tactic a lot with the wedding -- if it doesn't seem all that important or its trouble, I've just gotten rid of it. Any ideas?
Snow Bunnie2007-08-01T12:55:44Z
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You can honor the people involved with your speech. Programs, in my opinion, are not necessary and are just an extra hassle and extra cost.
I think programs add a nice touch and honor the people involved. They also make a nice keepsake for those involved.
Since you are having a small wedding anyway, it really won't be expensive to print them yourself. Just create the design and then take them to office depot or staples and have the copied or printed from a disc.
I like the idea of 1 page either a long half page, or even a 5X7 or something.
I would simply title it The Marriage Ceremony Uniting ___ & ____
and then list the other participants Officiant (minister or person who performs the ceremony) Parents of the Bride Parents of the Groom Maid of Honor Bridesmaids Best Man Groomsmen (or you can just list attendants) musicians
Of course if you want to skip it, I don't think that would be a problem, but I would encourage you to do them you can design them anyway you want and leave anything you don't want out.
Since you are having an outdoor wedding it would be nice (and probably really appreciated) by your guests if you had some sort of fan they could use. They have templates you print out in Word from your computer and put together with a ribbon and they unfold to be a fan.
Easier, and probably cheaper is to order the flat woven fans for each guest. Use a nice piece of scrapbooking paper to print off a small basic program (you can do four on each sheet of 8'' x 11'' and glue it to one side. Place them on the chairs, perhaps with a chilled bottle of water.
Guests will appreciate bieng able to keep cool and can also use them during the reception to stay comfortable if you are having that outdoors as well. It will cost you about a dollar each, maybe two, and not that much trouble.
Frankly, I have never actually read a wedding program. There have been a couple times when I've used them to fan myself on a very hot day, but when I'm not handed one at all, I usually am grateful because it's one less thing I have to worry about not leaving behind so as not to hurt the bride's feelings. Unless you're doing something at least half your guests won't comprehend without a program, I wouldn't bother having them at all.
I'd save the money and forget about wedding programs. After all, pretty much everyone coming to the wedding knows you and the people you're closest to, so they don't need a cast list, and they know more or less how a wedding works, so they don't need a synopsis.
And if it's going to be a very hot day, I'd find a cheap folding fan much more efficiant and much more welcome. Oh, and I usually carry one of those in my purse.
Unless you are having a really small wedding, most of his family has no idea who your sister is and they consider it quite important to find out who they are now related to (as opposed to which one was your roommate in college) Personally the reason I like programs is b/c I like to know who those people standing up there are. I love when it puts
Maid of Honor, Ashley Johnson, cousin of the bride if there is a soloist, most people like to know who is performing and what the title of the song is.
Thats the only really important part. Mine had the part about who is getting married, date, and a line drawing of the church written the same way the invitation is day, the date of month Two Thousand and Seven Seven o’clock in the evening Name of Church
Then the next part was the order of ceremony
Prelude Seating of Grandparents and Mothers Processional: Air on a G String Bridal Processional Opening Prayer Introduction and Charge to Couple Declaration of Intent Scripture Reading Solo: Exchange of Vows Blessing of Rings Pronouncement of Marriage Lighting of Unity Candle Solo: I Will Be Here Blessing on the marriage Presentation of couple Recessional Postlude
B/c thats the order of the ceremony at my church (but you'd want to verify with your minister) Then on the other half (the back of the program) I put the people
Officiating Minister Parents of the Bride Grandparents of the Bride Parents of the Groom Grandparents of the Groom
Attendants
Maid of Honor: Best Man: Flower girl: Bridesmaids: Groomsmen: Ushers:
And then since I spent a lot of time on the musical selections I had the Musical selections during the prelude listed but thats entirely optional
and a little paragraph To our friends and family, we thank you for joining us on our special day. We are grateful for the love and support you have given us over the years and will cherish the memories we share with each of you. ~signature
At Home: (our address)
We bought slightly long, narrow card stock paper and ran it to Staples or Office Max and had them print it. The church had a line drawing already. All we did was type it up on Word and have the Office Store print it off for us
A program really only takes maybe 30 minutes max to do and only costs something like $8 to print it off. Or a lot of churches will do it for you. They give you a template and you have to turn it to the guy that prints the church brochures each week. It's such a simple thing really that you might as well do it. You are right--it isn't all that important, but its such a simple little touch that people really appreciate.