Wedding Program Ideas for Your Big Day

When it comes to wedding planning, it is the details which make your big day truly unique. And one such element is your wedding program. While completely optional, these paper items serve purposes both practical and personal. Not only do they provide guests with information including the couple’s names and the ceremony schedule, but they also serve as a thematically appropriate keepsake for you and your guests. Depending on how you design your program, they can even provide entertainment prior to the ceremony. 

But what should you include in your wedding program, and where do you start when it comes to creating it? If you are feeling lost or overwhelmed during the design process, The Four Columns is here to help. We have collected some of the best tips for crafting your wedding program, from font choices and color schemes to common details to include for the benefit of your guests. 

Details to Include in Your Wedding Program

One of the first things to consider when designing your wedding program is what information you’re going to include. Some details, such as your names and the date, are tried-and-true necessities. But other pieces of information, such as quotes or the names of musical pieces played during the ceremony, are more dependent on a couple’s personal preferences. 

Some potential details—both must-haves and could-haves—to include in your wedding program include:

Essential information

• Your names
• The date and location of your wedding ceremony and reception
• The ceremony’s order of events, including the processional, exchange of vows, ring ceremony and pronouncement. Here, you can include additional information including songs played during the processional and recessional, the titles of any planned readings, and the names and roles of those in your wedding party. Additionally, if you have planned a religious or multicultural wedding ceremony, you may wish to provide details about any included traditions for guests who are unfamiliar with them.

• Your love story. Share everything from how you met to when you fell in love to what the proposal was like. It doesn’t have to be detailed, but it should be heartfelt, allowing guests to feel even closer to you and your spouse-to-be. 
• Fun facts—that is, any little details about your wedding that you’d like to include. Maybe your processional song has a special meaning to you both, or the venue was chosen for a personal reason rather than an aesthetic one. You can even be silly with this section, discussing things such as an amusing story from your past or your favorite moments from when you were planning the wedding. 
• Poems, quotes or passages which are meaningful to you and your partner
• Lyrics to songs which will be played during the ceremony if you would like guests to sing along
• Entertaining or interactive elements such as a crossword puzzle, something to color (plus colored pencils or crayons), or a QR code linked to your wedding website
• A thank-you note for those involved in your wedding, including close family and friends, vendors and guests
• Wedding hashtags to be used if guests post photos on social media

Bringing Your Wedding Program to Life

Optional additions

Once you know what your wedding program will say, you need to determine how it is going to look. Elements to consider when designing your wedding program include:

Colors

To tie everything together, the colors of your wedding program should match the color scheme of your wedding. Alternatively, you can utilize a neutral palette which complements your wedding colors without replicating them. Whatever colors you choose, make sure that the text can stand out on the program. Using colors which are too similar—such as light pink on top of white—may make the program hard to read.  

Fonts

The fonts you choose for your program should match the theme of your wedding without making it difficult for guests to peruse the included information. For example, modern weddings may benefit from clean, elegant sans serif fonts, while whimsical or nature-themed weddings may be best suited to a script font. Additionally, like colors, consider utilizing the same font throughout your wedding—on invitations, place cards, signs and more—for the sake of consistency.

Formatting applies to the information included on your program as well as the program itself. In regards to the latter, some common formats to consider are:

Formatting

• Folded booklets. This traditional choice gives you plenty of space for information without forcing you to remove details or crowd the pages.
• Flat, single-page programs. Simple and typically cost-effective, this is the perfect choice for an elegant, modern wedding. 
• Tri-fold. Like booklets, a tri-fold program gives you multiple panels on which to display information. With six separate panels to utilize, you will have plenty of room to organize any and all included details while still using one panel for a unique cover design.

How you format the essential and optional program information will depend on your preferences and the design of your program. However, consider listing the most important information first—such as your names, the date and the order of events—before adding in your personalized touches. 

Paper type

In general, when creating a wedding program, utilize high-quality paper which can hold up to a little rough handling. Someone putting the program in their purse or accidentally spilling a few drops of liquid onto it shouldn’t ruin it permanently. Additionally, consider the finish you’re looking for. Textured paper can add sensory appeal to your program, while a glossy finish may make it appear even more elegant and luxurious. If you have the tools, you can also make handmade paper imbued with materials such as pressed flowers in order to create a truly unique keepsake.  

Alternative Wedding Program Designs

One of the final things to consider when crafting your wedding program is what form it will take. This goes beyond fonts, colors and paper types—here, you are actually shaping your wedding program, sometimes into something truly outside the box. Some alternative wedding program design options to think about include:

• Fan programs. Often similar in appearance to flat programs, fans may be particularly useful during outdoor weddings held in spring or summer. 
• Scrolls with wax seals. Perhaps a little dramatic—or, depending on your wedding theme, perhaps not. 
• Newspaper, magazine or playbill programs. Are you or your spouse-to-be a journalism or theatre buff? Consider bringing your hobbies into the forefront of your wedding program design. 
• Thematically appropriate programs. Are you getting married at a unique wedding location, such as a museum or restaurant? Create a program which matches the locale. This may include creating a pamphlet, a menu or an infographic-covered program.   
• Handkerchief wedding programs, which can serve as both a keepsake and a way for guests to dry their tears of joy.
• Origami wedding programs. Fold your program into whatever shape you’d like, and perhaps give guests a guide for refolding it later.

Plan Your Dream Wedding with The Four Columns

A well-designed program can serve a variety of purposes during your wedding ceremony. Not only do they provide guests with important information, but they can also offer entertainment, an emotional connection and one more way to tie your wedding’s theme together. And as an added benefit, they can serve as a unique and cost-effective keepsake for guests and couples alike, providing a way to bring back memories of your special day. 

Creating your wedding program is just one part of the wedding planning process, however. There’s plenty more to consider, including your menu, caterer, decorations and location. And at The Four Columns, we can help with all of this. Since 1977, it has been our goal to help couples bring their dream ceremonies to life, and we don’t intend to stop anytime soon. So if you are in need of some wedding planning assistance, give us a call or send us a message to schedule an appointment today.