Wedding Program Ideas - Unique Style and Content
Extraordinary Ceremony Programs Everyone Will Want to Keep
Sep 19, 2009
A wedding or reception program can be so much more than a list of wedding party members and a schedule of ceremony events. The wedding program can be a keepsake communication from the bride and groom to every cherished guest. It can be a memory.
A Wedding Program Turns Guests Into Participants
No theater production, concert or lecture is complete without a program, and for many, neither is a wedding. Programs draw guests into the event and make them a part of the celebration.
Some programs are quickly discarded after the ceremony simply because they say little. If the only provided information is what most guests would already know, then the enjoyment of the program, and a sentimental attachment to it, is less likely.
To give guests a souvenir they’ll cherish, the bride and groom must design a program with a “wow” factor.
A Sample Wedding Program
Typical fare for a wedding program includes:
- identification of the bride and groom with the wedding date
- ceremony events including songs, prayers and procedures
- names of the parents and wedding party members
- a love quote or other closing
There is nothing wrong with a short, sweet wedding program, but it will likely offer no particular reason for a guest to keep it. Understanding this and providing a nicely decorated recycle bin at the door tells wedding guests that there will be no hard feelings if the program is not kept.
On the other hand, a keepsake program chocked full of meaningful content would not likely be relegated to any recycle bin.
Planning a Wedding Program Full of Zing
The sky is the limit when it comes to opportunities for turning ordinary wedding programs into extraordinary keepsakes.
Some unusual wedding program styles could include:
- The hand fan. A fan can be personalized and purchased from a manufacturer, or one can be easily and stylishly made from a sheet of heavy stock paper. Paper mounted onto a balsa stick handle with a bit of glue makes an effective, creative program fan that’s especially great for warm, stuffy venues.
- The scroll. A single sheet of parchment paper with one or two-sided printing, easily produced from any home computer, can be rolled and adorned with a ribbon or a sprig of silk or dried flowers.
- The booklet. Multiple pages can be collated into a booklet with an artistic cover or even a plantable-seeds cover for an eco-friendly program gift. A booklet allows the space and freedom to include exciting, expanded content.
- The photo album or scrapbook. Small, inexpensive paper-stock photo albums make wonderful programs. Most wedding favor vendors, and some card shops and craft stores sell small bridal-themed, paper-covered albums, and it’s easy to create individual pages to slip into the photo sleeves. Little scrapbooks are also winners, for any layout or any design is possible. In lieu of purchase, handcrafting mini photo or scrapbook albums is easy.
- The DVD. The bride and groom can make a DVD of all the things they wish to share—from a tour of where they first met, to where they became engaged, to their pets and hobbies, to their hopes and dreams. The actual wedding program would be the DVD’s cover or insert, and guests would anticipate watching the DVD when they returned home. DVDs make truly personal and permanent wedding program keepsakes.
Fabulous Wedding Program Content
Creating a “wow” wedding program means employing the element of surprise. Sharing personal or unusual information gives guests a sense of inclusion. Guests are as much a part of the wedding day as any other element, and printing the invited-guest list at the back of the program is a caring way to publicly thank each and every guest for sharing in the wedding couple’s most important occasion. It’s also an icebreaker for guests who have never met.
Some interesting components of a wedding program could include:
- a description of the bride’s “old,” “borrowed,” “blue,” and “new” items
- an explanation of the symbolism or cultural aspects of ceremony procedures
- expanded details about wedding party members
- information about ceremony or reception song choices
- the story of the proposal
Extraordinary and fun components could include:
- photos – especially childhood and candid pictures of the bride and groom and even members of the wedding party
- funny confessions – like: “the groom hates green socks!” or “the bride is addicted to peanut brittle”
- vows – the sharing of personally written vows
- the future – a bride and groom’s whimsical essay on what they will be doing on their 50th wedding anniversary
- the movies – who would play the bride and groom, parents and wedding party members if a movie were to be made about their lives
- favorites – flowers, songs, dances, foods, etc.
- quotes – heartfelt quips or funny zingers from the parents and wedding party members about the bride and groom
The Wedding Program Can Be a Keeper
Regardless of how formal the wedding ceremony will be, the program can be more than merely dignified. Its job is to increase happiness and enjoyment, and it can do that best if it has at least some light-hearted elements that bring a smile to each guest’s face.
The wedding program can be a formal, serviceable list or it can be an inventive, memorable part of the wedding celebration that every guest will want to keep. Allowing the imagination free reign can result in a spectacular program. After all, a wonderful new memory is the best gift ever.
More Wedding Planning Ideas:
- Custom and Unique Wedding Cake Fillings
- How to Choose the Perfect Wedding Limousine
- 7 Principles of Perfect Reception Seating
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