Creating a wedding program is a beautiful way to guide your guests through your ceremony, allowing them to feel engaged and informed. From religious ceremonies to civil unions, each wedding is unique, and the program should reflect your style, traditions, and personal touches. Whether you’re having a Catholic Mass, a Jewish ceremony, or a simple civil service, we have the perfect program styles to suit your needs.

Here’s a breakdown of program wording tips, as well as suggestions for different types of ceremonies, to help you craft the perfect guide for your special day.

Key Sections to Include in Your Wedding Program

• Introduction: This includes your names, wedding date, and venue. It sets the tone for the ceremony and provides a warm welcome to your guests.
  For example:
  • “The Wedding Celebration of [Bride] & [Groom]”
  • “Join us as we celebrate the union of [Couple's Names], [Wedding Date] at [Venue]”
• Order of Events: This is a step-by-step guide to the ceremony. Common headings for this section include:
• “Processional,” “Opening Prayer,” “Exchange of Vows,” “Blessing of the Rings,” “Recessional”
Customize this section based on your ceremony’s specific traditions and order.
• Wedding Party: Introduce your wedding party members by name and role. Include titles like Maid of Honor, Best Man, Bridesmaids, Groomsmen, Flower Girl, and Ring Bearer.


• Readings or Prayers: If your ceremony includes any readings or religious texts, list them here with the name of the reader or the passage's title.
  For example:
• “First Reading from Corinthians 13:4-8 by [Name]”
• “The Sheva Brachot (Seven Blessings)”
• Thank You or Dedications: Many couples like to include a heartfelt note of thanks or dedicate the ceremony to loved ones who have passed.

Catholic Wedding Program Wording

Catholic wedding ceremonies are often longer, especially if you’re including a full Mass. For this reason, deluxe booklet programs are a perfect choice. With these, you can guide guests through the various parts of the ceremony, including the Liturgy of the Word, the Rite of Marriage, and Communion.

Sample Catholic Ceremony Program Wording:

Cover Page:

• “The Sacrament of Holy Matrimony Celebrating the Union of [Bride] & [Groom]”
• Date & Location

Inside Pages:

• Prelude
• Processional
• Bridal Party Entrance
• Bridal Procession
• Opening Prayer
• Liturgy of the Word
• First Reading: [Scripture]
• Responsorial Psalm
• Gospel Reading
• Homily
• Rite of Marriage
• Exchange of Vows
• Blessing & Exchange of Rings
• Liturgy of the Eucharist
• Offertory
• Eucharistic Prayer
• Communion
• Final Blessing
• Recessional

For longer ceremonies like this, our deluxe booklets provide enough space to detail all prayers, readings, and the order of the service, ensuring guests can follow along comfortably.

Jewish Wedding Program Wording

Jewish wedding ceremonies are rich in tradition and often follow a specific structure. Our basic booklet programs are a great choice for these weddings, as they allow room for explanations of important rituals, such as the Bedeken, the Ketubah signing, and the Sheva Brachot (Seven Blessings).

Sample Jewish Ceremony Program Wording:

Cover Page:

• “The Wedding of [Bride] & [Groom] under the Chuppah”
• Date & Location

Inside Pages:

• Processional
  • The Groom and Parents
  • The Bride and Parents
• Welcome & Blessings
• Rabbi's Opening Remarks
• The Bedeken
• Ketubah Signing
• The Sheva Brachot (Seven Blessings)
• Exchange of Rings
• Breaking of the Glass
• Recessional

You might also want to include a short explanation of some traditions for guests unfamiliar with the Jewish wedding customs. This is where backside printing can be especially helpful.

Program Styles to Suit Every Ceremony

Shine offers a variety of wedding program styles to suit every ceremony length and format:

Flat Programs: Ideal for short and sweet ceremonies, such as civil unions or elopements. These programs provide just enough room for the essentials like the order of events and wedding party names. Flat programs automatically come with backside printing.

Trifold Programs: These programs are perfect for mid-length ceremonies. The trifold layout allows for more details while maintaining a compact design, great for ceremonies with a few readings or special traditions.

If you’re including extra details like an explanation of rituals, readings, or a thank you note to guests, backside printing can help expand the space on trifold programs.

Basic Booklet Programs: For slightly longer ceremonies, such as Jewish weddings or weddings with multiple readings, our booklet programs offer additional space without overwhelming guests.

Deluxe Booklet Programs: These are designed for ceremonies with extensive details, such as Catholic weddings with a full Mass. They’re perfect for guiding guests through every prayer, reading, and blessing with ease. Deluxe booklet programs are also great if you're having a bilingual event and need to include details in multiple languages!

Personalize Your Program with a Style that Matches Your Theme

We offer programs in a variety of designs, from classic and romantic to modern and minimalistic. Our Poppy Wedding Programs in black offer a timeless design that pairs beautifully with any wedding theme, and our deluxe booklet options ensure that no detail is left out for longer or religious ceremonies. For a more modern design that is still classic and elegant, Naomi is a great option as it features a bold serif font that is still sophisticated. If you're looking for something traditional, yet romantic, our Phoebe program would be the perfect fit with its elegant script and classic monogram. Any design can be printed in your choice of ink colors and paper options.

Craft a program that’s as unique as your wedding day, ensuring your guests can follow along and feel a part of your beautiful celebration. All program designs have matching invitations and other day-of accessories so you can have a cohesive look throughout your wedding journey.

For more ideas and personalized assistance, visit our wedding program page. Let us help you create the perfect program for your special day!