How to Lay Out a Wedding Program
Wedding programs give those in attendance information concerning the order of the service and the names of the bridal party, parents and honored guests. Some additional information that may be included are an explanation of elements of the ceremony, like the lighting of the unity candle; a message from the couple, with the couple's new address; details about the reception and a map. There is usually a lot of information to handle, so organization is needed to make the program both attractive and readable.
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Instructions
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Choose content for the program. The bare minimum is the order of the service and the names of the bridal party, parents and honored guests. Most programs have a cover with artwork, the names of the bride and groom, and the date of the wedding. The inside of the program will have the bridal party, parents and honored guests listed on the first page. The next page will have the order of the service. The order of the service is worked out between the couple and their pastor, priest, rabbi or officiant in the months leading up to the wedding. The names of the persons involved in the ceremony are listed across from their role in the wedding. For example, the soloist, officiant, and musicians will be listed. Musical pieces and credits to the author of the music are listed as well. Leave a space between each event in the wedding, and list the events in the order they will occur.
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Decide on format. The content will determine the format. If you are using the minimal information, a simple 8 1/2-by-11 folded program will work. It will read like a book. The more information you add, the larger the paper should be. Legal size (8 1/2-by-14) and ledger (11-by-17) look best when formatted as a tri-fold. This will give you six panels to work with to spread out the information.
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Choose a decorative motif for the front of the program. Popular elements are crosses, monogram initials of the couple, doves, hearts or the couple's name in a decorative script. Since this is a once-in-a-lifetime event, splurge on some nice clip art.
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Choose a font. You may want it to match the font you used on the invitation. The title fonts can be fancy, but use a cleaner, more easy-to-read font for the body text.
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Decide if you are going to print the programs yourself or if you will have them copied or printed by a commercial printer. If you use a commercial printer, consult them about any file requirements they may have.
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Pick the paper. If you use a printing company, have them help you decide. It is perfectly acceptable, however, for you to purchase your own paper as a way to control costs. It will also save time in the printing process. Paper that is special ordered can take some time for the printer to obtain. Programs can be printed or copied on 60-lb. weight or cover stock. Linen and laid papers are excellent choices.
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Pick out an ink color if you are using a commercial printer. Colored ink adds a refined look to a program. Ask the printer to recommend a color he has on hand. This will save the extra fee for specially ordered ink.
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Decide if you are going to fold the programs yourself or have the printer fold them. Cover stock will need to be scored at an additional cost. If you do it yourself, you will need to obtain a scorer. A scrapbooking friend may be able to lend you one.
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Add finishing touches. If you use ribbon, for example, you will need to have holes punched. Heavy cover stock is recommended if you choose to use heavier decorative elements. One trend in programs and invitations is to use multiple layers of papers to frame the text. You will want to have the paper cut, then either glue it yourself or have the printer do the finishing.
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Tips & Warnings
Wedding programs can be labor intensive and are often left to the last minute. Allow as much time as possible to give yourself and your printer the time to do the job right. This means meeting with your pastor or officiant sooner rather than later to complete the plans for the ceremony.
If you lay out the program in Word, use text boxes or tables to organize text.
Always double-check the spelling of the names and proofread the whole program before copying to avoid a wedding day faux pas.
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