photo by melanie duerkopp
photo by melanie duerkopp
photo by vero suh
While there aren’t a lot of unbreakable rules regarding wedding program etiquette, there are a few common elements that any program should include. First, the basics: your names and your wedding date. Second, the purpose of a program is to give guests an idea of what to expect and to acknowledge important people. This means programs should include a listing of your parents, wedding party and officiant, along with a breakdown of the ceremony highlights. A typical ceremony, with the exception of Catholic masses, Jewish ceremonies and Indian or Persian ceremonies, typically have a similar order that follows the example at left (click to enlarge).
There are two main types of programs: 1) the Booklet and 2) the Single-Pager. If you are haivng a more traditional service, have a large wedding party or plan to include hymn or song lyrics, a booklet is the best option. Booklets offer more room to include all of these elements and are also a beautiful way to present your ceremony order.
There are a few specific types of ceremonies that always require some specific wording and usually a longer program. If you are having a Catholic Mass, a Jewish Kiddushin/Erusin, an Indian ceremony or a Persian Sofreye Aghd, we recommend checking with your officiant about wording sugestions or ask your stylist to see an example of past religiously-based ceremony programs to get you started!
Looking to make your program a little extra lovely? Chat with your stylist about ribbon bindings, letterpress covers and custom illustrations. Beth and Eric’s program (featured in The Knot, Spring 2016), at left, was digitally printed and featured a custom monogram and satin ribbon binding.
