Ceremonies by Nikki Kulin, Costa Celebrant - Wedding Ceremony Hints and Tips
Definitely not an essential item but worth considering to double up as fans, I have several couples this year who will use programmes for their guests who speak other languages to be able to follow along or read essential parts of the ceremony. There is a wonderful selection on Pinterest and Etsy and all photos used here have been taken from those sites. www.pinterest.com and www.etsy.com.
Things you might want to include Your names Of course!
THANK YOU WISHES
This is a perfect chance to thank your guests for travelling to be with you on your special day. It is lovely to add a line or two to thank them for making the journey and being there to share this special moment.
The perfect accompaniment to your bespoke wedding ceremony
UNPLUGGED CEREMONY ANNOUNCEMENT
Have you decided whether you want an unplugged ceremony? It is a very personal choice and here, your programme or fan is a great place to add a short message asking your guests to put down their mobile phones and cameras so as to be fully there to witness your ceremony. On the other hand, you may wish to see all those candid shots. Have a chat and make sure you think about each option. Have you considered a wedding hashtag so guests can post pics to your Instagram?
ORDER OF CEREMONY
Most Celebrants break the wedding ceremony up into sections so this might be a nice addition. Typically it might look like this although each is individual:
Highlight the key players of the day. Use it to say thank you to important guests.
WEDDING PARTY INCLUDING FLOWER GIRLS AND RING BEARERS
Naming each member of your wedding party is a lovely way to acknowledge them and their contribution to you wedding day.
SONG CHOICES
Listing your song choices can be a nice touch.
CELEBRANT, MUSICIAN/DJ, FLORIST, WEDDING PLANNER
Consider giving credit to the wedding professionals who are helping your wedding ceremony come to life.
FAMILY MEMBERS: GRANDPARENTS, PARENTS, SIBLINGS
It is also common to list the parents of the wedding couple, but I’ve also seen wedding programmes that include grandparents. It’s a lovely way to acknowledge them and the impact they have made on your lives.
REMEMBRANCES
Similar to the above, you might also want to add a section to highlight those family members who have passed. A remembrance section is a lovely way to acknowledge your ancestors and those who are there in spirit. You can also use it to acknowledge those who can’t be with you for other reasons.
READINGS
You have two options when it comes to readings: you can simply add the title and author of the reading and the reader’s name in the order of the ceremony, but consider adding the entire reading to the back of the program so your guests can read along and really digest the meaning of the poem. Particularly nice in a bi-lingual ceremony where you could add the reading or vows in the language of your guests.
SONG LYRICS
Another option is to include the lyrics of a song that either a guest will be singing during the ceremony or the lyrics of the entrance or exit songs that have special meaning to you. Would you like to encourage your guests to have a mid-ceremony sing-a-long so the lyrics for example?
A MEANINGFUL QUOTE
If you have the room on the program and you’re not sure what else to add, consider adding a quote that has special meaning to you both. Maybe it represents your feelings about marriage, or maybe it’s a funny quote that you and your sweetheart say all the time.
FUN FACTS ABOUT YOU AS A COUPLE
This is a great thing to include and gives your guests who arrive early something fun to read while they’re waiting for the ceremony to begin. Adding fun facts also helps your couples feel closer to you and helps personalise your wedding day even more.
DATE, VENUE AND LOCATION
Wedding programmes often double as souvenirs, so considering add the date, time, wedding venue and town in which you’re getting married.
ORDER OF EVENTS FOR THE REST OF THE WEDDING DAY
Along the same lines as the last idea, you can use the programme to list the timings and order of events for the rest of the day.
YOUR WEDDING HASHTAG
As above, if you have a wedding hashtag, don’t forget to include your wedding hashtag on your programme!
Check out Pinterest for wedding programme and fan examples. Fans are particularly helpful for weddings in Spain as they serve a double purpose as well as giving your guests a lovely souvenir to take away!
The perfect keepsake for your wedding ceremony
Check out Pinterest for wedding programme and fan examples. Fans are particularly helpful for weddings in Spain as they serve a double purpose as well as giving your guests a lovely souvenir to take away!
