Essential Elements Of A Wedding Program
The wedding program is the blue print for your wedding day and you will need to plan it carefully, by allocating time to the different events that will be done on your special day. The wedding program has all the details to add that extra thrill & control to your big day. You can use the wedding program to achieve a wide variety of things - you can use it as a record of the wedding ceremony, assist the guests feel involved and know what is going on. The wedding program introduces the bridal team and will also look wonderful in your wedding scrapbook. This article is going to show you what you are supposed to include in your wedding program.
Do you need a wedding program?
Not all wedding require you to have a wedding program. However there are certain wedding ceremonies that will require you to have some form of detailed plan on paper. For example a wedding program is necessary if you are going to have a religious or traditional wedding, which normally has a lot of guests. A wedding program is essential where there are going to be a lot of people around and this would help you introduce the wedding party easily. The wedding program is also perfect for a long wedding ceremony where guests will need to wait a little while for the nest event.
A wedding program is not costly at all and you can have one drafted up on your home computer and typed out neatly. However you might want to have your wedding program on a paper that matches the theme of your wedding. I normally recommend to all my clients that they should send out the wedding program to their guests together with the wedding invitation. The wedding program will be the "blueprint" of your wedding and guests will know in advance what will be happening at the wedding.
Elements of a wedding program
- The cover
Includes the date and/or the names of the couple. It may also include the location and time of the ceremony, a picture, or design element (such as a flower, scroll, etc.)
- The order of events
If you haven't already included your names, wedding date, location, and time on the front cover, consider listing that information on the inside just before the order of events. Then list what will happen during the ceremony, including processional music, greeting, readings, prayers, exchange of vows, ring ceremony, unity candle ceremony, pronouncement of marriage, recessional music, and any other ceremony music. Your list may not include all of these elements, and it may include some traditions not listed here. Be sure to list the events in the order they will occur.
- Members of the bridal party
This is a simple list of the names and roles of your bridal party. For example:
Officiant: Pastor Sean Paul
Parents of the bride: Beth and Malcom Cane
Parents of the groom: Martha Jones and William Wilson, Jr.
Stepparents of the groom: Robert Jones and Lisa Marist-Wilson
Grandparents: Sarah Smith, Margaret Blackwood, Thomas Wilson Sr.
Maid of Honor: Maria Gellert
Best Man: Hilton Johani
Bridesmaids: Sinikiwe Ndhlovu, Pricilla Zulu
Groomsmen: Reggie Makuchete, Jonathan Matemadombo
Readers: McGuire Johnson, Alexander Wilson