DIY projects are the perfect way to save a few dollars and make sure that your personal touch is present in your wedding memories. Crafting your own wedding program templates is quite possibly the easiest place to start. Unless you want to spend hours on Photoshop customizing the perfect layout for your wedding programs, a template is in order.
All you need is your theme to match the template to, the critical wedding details, and a little imagination. The templates will do the rest by providing the blueprints and pointing you in the right direction.
Besides, these templates offer a stylish way to keep your guests organized throughout all the activity and result in a beautiful item to add to your wedding day memorabilia. If you nail this one, you just may be able to tackle writing your own vows.
Here’s what to expect when working with your free wedding program templates.
Traditional Wedding Program Templates
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Checking out a few Traditional designs is the common-sense place to start your wedding program templates journey.
Every type of modern program stems from these core principles. The absolute must-haves include the entire musical set. The three main pieces are the Prelude, Processional, and Recessional. Depending on the religion in question there’s often additional music like during lighting the Unity Candle, for example.
The program also outlines the entire order of blessings and prayers. Your guests will be reading along so it’s important for them to be able to refer to the right passages when the time comes.
Next comes the wedding party. Both parents of the bride and groom deserve the most prominent of positions. They сome with by the Maid of Honor, The Best Man, the Bridesmaids, the Groomsmen, the Flower Girl, the Ring Bearer, and finally, the Officiant.
The next section is usually reserved for a formal message to your guests. Sincere gratitude to all that could attend is the safe play. But, we encourage you to step out of the box a little. If you’re firm with keeping things traditional, your favorite bible passage is a perfect fit.
You can’t go wrong with 1 Corinthians 13:7-8
“Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust. Love still stands when all else has fallen.”
DYI programs are about making it memorable for you! Instead of traditional phrasing or a bible quote, consider adding a speech outline. This way you can look back and remember the process of making all your wedding arrangements for years to come.
Just to remember to not make it too personal. The information you share needs to be a little bit general to be appreciated. Although these are personal items to store as a keepsake, they also double as takeaways for your friends and family.
The perfect program is designed well, follows traditional wedding ceremony script, and is worth keeping.
Outdoor Wedding Programs Templates
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Outdoor weddings are a unique opportunity to get creative. Guests expect outdoor weddings to be airy, full of nature, and slightly less traditional. Use this to your advantage and add some flair to your wedding ceremony program.
Turn to your favorite movie or novel and add your favorite quotes of love as a prominent feature of the program. The program is often the first way that guests orient themselves with everything that’s going on. It’s when they really start to plunge into the celebration the day of your wedding. Setting a romantic mood right from the hop is highly recommended.
If music is more your style let your favorite lyrics express the personality of the day. A few lines from your official couple song is a romantic way to share some insight into your relationship and an ingratiating way to keep things memorable.
An outdoor wedding is your chance to be considerate with your programs. Guests sitting outside may feel a little more comfortable if they’re able to fan away the summer heat. Again, outdoor weddings have a little more creative license than some other themes. Cutting or folding your programs into creative shapes invite your guests to fan away the swelter as they follow the agenda. Simply adding a convenient handle to the program will do the trick nicely.
With an outdoor wedding, you can also afford to be a very experiment with the colors and patterns that you use. Carry your natural theme into your programs so that your guests can instantly recollect the sights and sounds the moment they see the program again.
There aren’t too many limits here. Bright colors and animal prints are all on the table. If you’re fortunate to have a little extra time, snap a photo of the venue to use as the background image of your program. There’s always a showpiece worth immortalizing at an outdoor wedding.
Wedding Programs With Fun Facts About The Couple
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Everyone appreciates a little humor at the wedding reception, and funny marriage quotes find a perfect home on your DIY wedding program templates. Borrowing a few familiar gems from funny Hollywood classics will set the tone for anyone that happens to glance at it.
Also, take an extra personalization step and swap the romantic quotes with fun facts about the couple. Remember, this big day is all about the journey of love the couple has taken and the beautiful life they are about to embark on. Sharing a few tidbits about how the couple arrived at this momentous occasion is a great way to engage the party.
Pepper memorable moments – like where you first met, your ages, and how many siblings you have – throughout the program to help visually break up the different sections of information. Also, some guests are a little more distant than others. These fun facts will help them connect with you more making for a better time for all.
Some facts that tell the story of who you include:
First pet
Allergies
First car
First job
Graduating class
Childhood city
These are just a few suggestions. We urge you to get creative and don’t be shy. If you find yourself stuck for ideas, try talking about your heritage. This is especially interesting if the husband and wife have different backgrounds. Some friends and family members may not be as worldly as others and will sincerely want to know as much as possible about their new family member. Giving them some basic understanding of your beliefs and practices will make them feel a little bit closer to you.
However, be careful not to overdo it. Your guests will appreciate the bullet points of your relationship but it’s easy to overwhelm the reason for the program in the first place. Your wedding program is first and foremost a tool to guide your guests through the day’s events. It’s important to keep your guests smiling and entertained, but make sure that your big day’s agenda is crystal clear.
Wedding Programs With Preferred Seating
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Seating arrangements can be more fun than you think. Avoid the standard “Table 1”, “Table 2” tradition and replace it with something that matches your theme. Throwing an outdoor wedding? Name your tables after wildlife like the “Lilac table” or the “Daisy Table”. Going for something a little more glamorous? Use names like the “platinum” or the “diamond” to coordinate your tables. Your guests will find this a little more fun as they liken themselves to the traits of the table.
Moreover, using our wedding ceremony program template can help you out with a few scenarios. The ceremony can be a convenient way to circulate your seating arrangements. You can also include the address of the reception if it happens to be at a different location.
Using a list for your seating arrangements is okay, but your guests will much prefer something visual to work with. For instance, asking the venue for a floor plan and applying a diagram to your program will really help people find their proper spots. With the centerpiece, decorations, settings, and all the hustle and bustle it’s easy enough to miss a name card. The last thing you want is to have to ask a guess to move tables. This is awkward and leaves them feeling unwelcome. A little extra effort in helping them find their assigned chairs can go a long way.
Since they’ll be keeping the program as memorabilia adding the seating chart is very appropriate. This will help your guests fondly look back at the people they celebrated your big day with. There’s bound to be great conversation and tons of laughs that they’ll want to keep with them for years to come.
Speaking of multi-purpose wedding programs, you may be receiving a few cards of wedding congratulations from guests who won’t be able to attend the wedding. Make sure to remember to send these friends and family members a copy of your program in the mail. Even though they’re not able to celebrate your big day with you in person, they’ll certainly want to feel as if they were there. The program is a great way to tell your “I Do!” story and make them feel as if they were.
DIY Wedding Program Templates
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With all the creative tips, out of the way, it’s time to get practical. Realistically you’re going to want to print a few of these by yourself in advance. The last thing you want is to have all your friends arrive only to find out that your prints didn’t come out quite how you imagined. Spending a few hours helping you choose and fill out the details of a new program is not what your friends had in mind.
Your choice of paper goes a long way. Regularly printer paper just won’t cut it. So make sure you put some thought into a proper card stock and finish. You’d surprise yourself at how drastically different glossy and matte finishes can be.
Have someone proofread your details before printing the entire run. With so much on your mind, it’s natural to slip in a spelling error on a name to swap out a 9 with zero by mistake. Having someone fact check will save you time and money.
These templates aim at making things super easy for you. However, we always encourage the adventurous. If you have the skills or time to learn them, absolutely 100% for sure give building your own wedding programs a go. And it is building! Just like a house with many rooms, plumbing, electrical, etc. Thus you have to bring all your wedding program pieces together in a way that lets people move through the information in a way that feels natural. Let our hints and tips walk with you through the process.
Finally, the last tip – this project is best done with a healthy dose of fun. So we suggest you gather a small group of friends and a bottle of rosé and set off a girls’ night assembly line. In other words, spending some time laughing with your besties while planning your big day is a nice walk down memory lane as well as a glimpse into the hopeful future.
