What to include in your wedding program:
Constructing a wedding program sounds simple enough…until you actually have to sit down and do it. Remember this doesn’t have to be a daunting task and can actually be fun! The best part about wedding programs is that each one is unique. There is no right or wrong format to follow. You can opt to go for a single page or you can write a whole book, the choice is totally up to you. This is a great opportunity to showcase the bride and groom as a couple and let each of their personalities shine through. Your guests may even learn a few new things about the happy couple as they make their journey into wedded bliss!
The opening generally starts with the names of the couple and the wedding date. “The wedding ceremony of Lisa Marie Muth and Jeffrey John Englert, September 3, 2011”. You may include the church and/or location of the ceremony if you like. You can include full names, skip the middle names, or just use first names, to achieve whatever level of formalness or casualness that you like.
You may want to include a picture of the couple, maybe from your engagement photo shoot, a photo from a great vacation, pictures of the couple as children, whatever suits your needs. You can also choose to add a monogram or initials, colors to match your wedding party and theme, etc. etc. Keep in mind that your Grandma will probably save this and cherish it forever.
Another common piece to include in the program is the names of your supporting cast, the wedding party! People that you may want to include are the Best Man, Groomsmen, Ring Bearer, Maid/Matron of Honor, Bridesmaids, Flower Girl, and don’t forget people like the Ushers, Readers, the Officiant, or anyone that may play a special role in your wedding. You can include how you know each of them, ex. Best Man: Daniel Englert, Brother of the Groom, or keep it simple and fun, ex. The Maids: Shauna, Chrissy, & Kim. And don’t forget your parents! This is a great place to give them a little shout out.
If you are having a religious or long ceremony, you may want to mention the order of events, ex. Processional, Greeting, Readings, Prayers, Exchange of Vows, Ring Ceremony, and so on.
You can also explain any religious traditions, list musical composers, or anything that may be unique to your wedding that people might not fully understand, ex. I know a couple that substituted a potting ceremony in place of the lighting of the unity candle. They planted a flower in a personalized flower pot in honor of the wedding ceremony. A very unique option and you might want to explain its importance to your guests.
You can take this time to thank the guests for coming. Or maybe you want to thank your family and friends for all of their love and support leading up to the wedding. Now is the time to get mushy and heartfelt.
It’s also very common to mention a love one that’s been lost, such as a deceased parent or close relative. You can specifically name that special person or persons, ex. “On this day we honor and remember, Marlene Englert, the Groom’s Mother.” Or you can do a more generalized, “Our thoughts are with those loved ones lost that could not be with us today but are here in spirit.” The wording is all up to you.
Other things to include could be a poem, or quote about love. Maybe you want to include a funny story about how the Bride and Groom met. You can also include things like directions to the reception or where the receiving line will take place. How about something fun like a crossword puzzle or mad libs about the couple?
The choices are all yours and remember to have fun with it. There are plenty of things to stress over in your wedding….this is not one of them. But remember there is only one hard and fast rule of wedding programs that you absolutely MUST abide by….be sure to spell check…twice!
Liisa does a great job explaining how to make your wedding perfect. She has written many articles for us and you may see them on our main site at :
The Portrait Gallery Niagara in our Wedding Planning section.
This is St. Augustine Lighthouse in Florida. You will need a camera with a wide angle lens to capture the vertical height of a lighthouse. If possible it is nice to have a longer lens to pull in all the details close up too. Start by walking around the lighthouse grounds and capture as many interesting angles as possible from a distance where you can comfortably include the entire length of the lighthouse. Then gradually work closer to the structure. Once you feel you have captured the outside then proceed to explore the lighthouse itself. You may find interesting artifacts to photograph inside. When moving indoors make sure to adjust the settings on your camera for low light indoor photography. Most cameras will let you raise the ISO setting to pull in additional ambient light needed to get a better image. If you are up to it, climb the stairs to the top, the view is always worth the effort. A panorama shot from the top is always a winner. Always look for interesting angles to shoot from and you will come away with a great set of images. 
