Wedding Programs Information

Order of Ceremony

The wedding program should include the order of the wedding ceremony. Common ceremony elements include the processional and recessional, readings, vow exchange, ring exchange and often a unity candle or sand ceremony. If you're having a religious ceremony and expect guests from other religions, consider explaining some of the religious traditions in the program. For example, if you're having a Catholic Mass, you might want to indicate that only Catholic guests can participate in communion.

List the bridal party in your wedding program. Indicate the maid of honor, best man, bridesmaids, groomsmen, ushers, ring bearer and flower girl. It is also customary to include the officiant's name on this page of the program.

Couples can also acknowledge their close family members in the wedding program. Include the parents' names for both the bride and groom as well as any siblings and grandparents. If close family members have passed away, it is still nice to remember them in the wedding program. You can include an "In Memory Of" section listing grandparents or other close family members who have passed.

The wedding program gives couples the opportunity to include a note expressing their gratitude. The length and specificity of this note depends on the couple, but it is common to thank parents for their support of the wedding (financial or otherwise), the bridal party for their participation and guests for their attendance. A thoughtful note indicates how important the wedding guests are.

Many couples choose to include information for guests on the last page of the wedding program. If the ceremony and reception are at separate locations, the wedding program can include directions to the reception site. Although guests should know when the reception begins based on the invitation, consider reminding them of the reception start time. This is particularly important if there is any gap between the end of the ceremony and the beginning of the reception.