8 Best Wedding Program Template Ideas
Give your guests the best wedding ever.
getty Having a wedding program is a good idea, especially when you want to keep your guests in the loop. And you don't even have to go through a hassle to make them, because there are plenty of easy, fast, and inexpensive ways to get everything you need out of them.
Ceremony programs are essential, and while many people think they are a waste of money, they are only actually a small cost in your budget. Many guests look for them, and the best ones double as agendas and keepsakes.
Of course, while there's basic information to be expected and included in all programs, there are some really creative and unique spins you can take along the way, including ideas for a wedding program template, and putting your own touch on it.
1. Provide useful directions
Says Maria Northcott, a Maine wedding officiant from A Sweet Start, “There are so many great reasons for giving your guests a wedding ceremony program, from giving them something to read while they’re waiting for the ceremony, to providing them with the order of events.”
You can even add information about the reception and directions to the venue, and don’t forget your wedding hashtag! Use the wedding ceremony program to make your guests feel warmly welcomed and confident that they know what to do, where to go, and when to be there.
2. Use it as an opportunity for messages and thanks
Beyond just the names of the wedding party, there are so many great ideas for things to add to your program.
“You can add a heartfelt thank you to all your guests, an announcement about the ceremony being unplugged, the processional song choices and lyrics (if they’re meaningful to you), a poem or quote, a remembrance section, a little game, or fun facts about the wedding couple,” suggests Northcott.
3. Keep your guests informed
“This is the chance to explain the order of the ceremony, list out the members of the wedding party, and go over any traditions happening during the ceremony so that guests aren't totally lost,” says Danielle Rothweiler of Rothweiler Event Design.
For instance: “I attended a Greek wedding years ago and the entire ceremony was in Greek. I don't speak Greek, and for almost 2 hours I had no idea what was going on because there was no program to explain anything!”
4. Pay tribute
This program can also make a great memorial. Rothweiler says, “The ceremony program is a good place to thank guests as well as pay tribute to any loved ones that are no longer with the couple.”
5. Use free options online
These websites all have free wedding program templates that you can customize and download. But be sure to make it your own. You don’t have to spend money, and using free templates is a great way for a budget-conscious couple to do something special:
6. Go rustic
A chalkboard is great for a downhome wedding with a rustic theme, or a wedding between teachers. For example, this chalkboard wedding program is cute and easy to recreate. Use these as keepsakes so the program doubles as a wedding favor. Multi-tasking at its finest.
7. Go interactive
A program wheel is so fun and interactive for your guests. For the playful couple, this lets them (and the guests) have fun with what could otherwise be straightforward and rather dry.
8. Give them something to cool off
Some wedding days are hot and exhausting, and your guests may not have immediate access to cool air. So, make your program sturdy enough and it can double as a fan on those sweltering summer days.
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Aly Walansky is a NY-based lifestyles writer who focuses on health, wellness, and relationships. Her work appears in dozens of digital and print publications regularly. Visit her on Twitter or email her at alywalansky@gmail.com.