Four Steps to Making Your Own Wedding Ceremony Programs

As I’ve mentioned, I’m a big fan of doing some things yourself when it comes to wedding planning. Baking your cake and organizing your flowers? Not so much. Stationary, programs or place cards? Oh yea …

Unless you are Martha’s long-lost daughter (or marrying her long-lost son) creating wedding-worthy programs can be a bit intimidating. But thankfully, scrapbooking papers and tools can be used for more than photo pages and memory albums and the Internet really is the bride’s best friend when it comes to wedding planning.


Here are four steps to making your DIY ceremony programs a piece of (wedding) cake.

1. Choose Text
And no. I don’t mean font styles or colors, or even appropriate wedding verbiage. I mean the first step in creating your own wedding ceremony programs is to choose the information you want to include. Do you want a simple ceremony program that includes the “who” and “when” of the day or do you want a more detailed outline of what your guests can expect?

Search the Internet for details on the various kinds of programs other brides are currently using. A great list of templates is available here and here.

2. Think Style
Ceremony programs range in style from ultra-formal to cute and casual. You will need to choose your program style to coordinate with your wedding day. A hand held ceremony “fan” might be perfect for a fun, outdoor wedding but will look out of place in a formal, church setting. Likewise, glam and glimmer would be perfect for an elegant church or hotel wedding but would look silly at an outdoor, garden wedding.

Always consider your wedding day style when choosing your programs-or any other element to your wedding. You want your wedding to look coordinated, not like a 2nd grade crafts project.

3. Find a Sample
Go to Google, or your favorite Internet search engine, and enter the words “wedding programs.” Instead of clicking through the websites that come up, click the tab for “images” and search from there. You will get a variety of ideas and inspiration for your own programs.

You could also look at the site where you ordered your invitations and see if they have coordinating programs or even look at websites you know you can’t afford and see how you can modify their programs and do them yourself.

The Knot recently listed details for creating five types of wedding day programs, complete with a materials list and detailed instructions. Other samples can be found on American Greetings website and Custom Programs.

4. Put it Together
To create top-notch wedding programs, you are going to need some time, some patience, some friends and some materials. Depending on what you chose, you will likely need the following items in addition to your computer and color printer.

- Scalloped scissors
- Hole punch
- Design hole punch (for example, I bought a leaf hole punch and used it to create leaves on my programs, menu cards, etc. I then glued card stock behind the leaf so a different color would show through.)
- Card stock (several colors and/or textures)
- Brads
- Ribbon
- Other accessories

I recommend purchasing materials to create a model program. Play with your font types, sizes and colors and experiment with different ribbons, bows or accessories. Ask your family members or friends for input or suggestions and most of all … have fun.

If you get stumped and can’t move forward, ask your local crafts store for recommendations or advice.

Did you make your own programs? What websites did you find useful?

Photo courtesy of TheKnot.com

How to Have a Semi-Do it Yourself Wedding

Thanks to Martha Stewart, scrap booking, home crafts and do-it-yourself projects have all but taken over, so it is only fitting the wedding industry would jump on board. Want invitations? You can “do them yourself.” Want programs? No problem? Menu cards? Websites? Flowers?

Where does it end? And when is too much DIY, really too much?

I’m a big proponent of having a semi-DIY wedding. There are some things you really can do yourself and depending on your time and personal creativity level, you might even be better than some of the pros. But not always.

Here is a mini-guide to holding a semi-Do it Yourself wedding.

1. Know Your Limitations

And no, dear bride, I don’t just mean creative limits. It doesn’t matter if you were the master floral arranger in the international flower arrangers competition for eight straight years … you shouldn’t do your own flowers.

Flowers can’t be arranged more than a few hours in advance and you’ll likely need a large refrigerated holding area. Do you really want to worry about tulips and poesies? Or would you rather be relaxing with your bridesmaids, drinking mimosas or getting a massage and a pedi?

Same goes with
- Cakes
- Catering
- Photography / Video
- Band / DJ

2. Choose Your Projects

As you see, I’ve left tons of items up for grabs in the DIY category. These include-but are not limited to-the following.

- Invitations and Reply Cards
- Thank You Cards
- Your Wedding Website
- Programs
- Menu Cards
- Guest Book
- Table Cards
- Chair Cards
- Escort Cards
- Place Cards
- Children’s Activity Books
- Welcome Baskets
- Your Hair
- Your Makeup
- Your Nails / Pedicure

It is important for you to review this list and choose which items you think you can do yourself. I suggest keeping the same theme for your wedding day stationary, such as menu cards, programs, place cards, escort cards, table cards and chair cards (ie, either ordering them all or doing them all yourself). You will want consistency in the paper color, weight and texture, as well as the font style and color and graphics.

It is also wise to choose items that can be done in advance. For example, you can order a guest book from PhotoWorks months in advance. I’ve outlined the steps for creating this book here.

You can also create your own activity books in advance. I have a photo of the one I used here.

Your personal beauty procedures, such as hair, makeup and nails should be done as late as possible. If your budget allows, go with your bridesmaids and close family members to a salon the day before your wedding and have your nails and pedicures done. I also recommend hiring a stylist for your hair. There is just something they do that us “normal” folks can’t … and whatever that is makes your hair stay gorgeously styled throughout your wedding day.

3. Know When to Say When

Choosing too many DIY projects can add to the stress of your wedding and can be overwhelming, especially if you don’t plan them well. If you are feeling the heat, try to delegate some tasks either to your close friends and family members or consider hiring a professional to help you wrap it up.

Are you doing any DIY projects for your wedding? What are you doing? What are you hiring done?

An At-Home Wedding

For some couples there is no place like home when it comes to the perfect wedding celebration. Just remember that everything that is normally taken care of at a rented wedding venue - like a hotel, function hall or even specialty location - is now your responsibility.

Here are some tips if to help you along if you're having an at-home wedding...

Figure out your maximum guest count. Determine if that number will fit comfortably in your home or yard. If you are holding the reception outdoors and have the room for it, call in a tent professional to determine how the wedding could flow from indoors to an outdoor "room" such as a tent. See what your options are for adding this structure. Most tent companies will provide a complimentary consultation - and it will give you a good idea of how many people you can actually invite.

Check your power. Make sure that you will have enough power for live music or extra lighting. Don't blow a fuse at the wedding -- have a professional electrician check it out first and let you know where you stand.

Check with your city regarding live music, assembly, garbage disposal, tent erection and other ordinances. Call your local departments and make sure you are in compliance with all laws and regulations. Know what time noise becomes a nuisance. You don't want a police raid just as you are about to throw the bouquet.

Ensure that there is enough parking! Check with the neighbors to see if your guests may use their driveways or consider a valet service. The valet can keep track of the cars, and where they are parked, and be able to bring them for the guests when they are ready to leave. At one at-home wedding I attended, the couple had arranged with a small van service to shuttle guests back and forth between a public parking lot two blocks away and the home.

Another good point here is that if you have neighbors who might be annoyed about your wedding celebration, invite them to the wedding. This way they are part of the event and won't be bothered. Even if they don't attend, you've made the gesture and created goodwill so that you can relax and celebrate.

Just remember that although you are holding the wedding at home, doesn’t mean that you have to provide homemade everything – or even anything. Decide what you want your level of involvement to be as far as preparation, set-up and service and then make plans to suit your budget, your wishes and your time. The point of this type of wedding is to keep it easy and relaxed.

Tomorrow, we will talk about more at home tips that you can use for your wedding celebrations!

Decorate With Candles For Romance

Candlelight and romance go together like a hand in a glove. Candles are an elegant and cost- effective way to decorate the ceremony and reception areas, saving on the need for expensive flower arrangements.

Candles play an important role in many wedding ceremonies: unity candles lit by couples signify their union, while other candles are lit for piety and atmosphere. They all create a mystical and magical mood as well. This is especially true if the wedding is held in the evening amid the candles' warm glow.

Light up the evening with candles everywhere. Line the walkway to ceremony with luminaries. You can either buy a kit of pre-made ones or it's easy to make your own as a cost saving measure.

Cut out patterns of flowers, stars, snowflakes or whatever you like, so that the light can shine through the sides of lunch-sized paper bags. Fill the bags with about two inches of sand or cat litter and roll the tops to make a cuff. Put a wedding sticker on the bag.

Anchor a votive candle (and for safety's sake, have the candle in a votive holder) in the sand and set the bags at intervals the length of the walkway. Light them and you have a beautiful entrance to your ceremony site or even the walkway to your reception.

Inside the ceremony site, many churches, synagogues and mosques provide tapers and other candles so that the inside is just as romantically lit. Or you can line the aisle with battery operated "candles" inside luminaria bags at intervals to light your way down the aisle.

Before designing your candle arrangements for the reception area, check first with the management to see that there aren't any fire prohibitions regarding an open flame. If there are you will have to modify and purchase protective holders or candles in containers to keep the flames enclosed.

If you get the go ahead, collect pillar candles, tea candles, round candles and votive candles. Learn to use mirror squares, glitter, rhinestones and ribbons to reflect the light of the candles. You can purchase mirror squares and the other shiny objects from craft stores such as Michael's.
These make excellent bases for centerpieces. Set groupings of candles on the squares and wind opalescent ribbon in and around the candles. Scatter glitter and rhinestones all over the mirrors for a glittering effect.

Candle bridal favors are also a lovely touch for your guests. Place a votive candle, tied with ribbons in your wedding colors, in a luminaria bag (without the sand or litter in it.) Also put in a small wine glass to serve as a candle holder with a wineglass tag with your names and date of the wedding on it and a wedding sticker to seal the top of the bag. Put a bag at each place setting.

Whether you wish to celebrate your wedding on the longest day of the year or you just enjoy the enchantment of a candlelit evening, this decorating effect will cast a warm glow over all!

Do-It-Yourself Wedding Ceremony

This is the era of do-it-yourself. There is even an entire DIY television network dedicated to the do-it-yourselfer in all of us! So why not a DIY wedding ceremony?

From printable invitations to designing the order of service, programs, music, and vows, couples are opting for putting their own stamp on their weddings.

Many couples are choosing to have a secular ceremony officiated by a judge, mayor or even a friend who has been authorized to act for the day. Their services normally differ from the established weddings that are offered through churches or other places of worship.

The DIY wedding can be in a hall, a backyard, a beach or even a park. The key is what the couple chooses and how it meets their own vision of what they want for their wedding.

Couples often want to incorporate elements in their ceremonies that reflect their interests or their ethnicity. Some want to have theme-based weddings, such as a Medieval/Renaissance wedding or Celtic wedding, that include different practices than those that are acceptable in a religious location.

The elements that are part of a DIY wedding may include:

Wedding Music - This aspect of the wedding is really where the DIY couple can place their stamp on the day. Music reflects what the couple likes: country music, classical, traditional, swing or rock and roll. Whatever choice is made will set the tone of the entire day.

Music has traditionally been played before the ceremony as the guests are seated, during the processional and at the recessional. Some music is even incorporated into the service. Nowadays, the music selections are even listed and described in the wedding program.

Wedding Processional - This is where the bridal party makes it way to the ceremony location. This is often the most formal and grandest part of the ceremony. The officiant, the groom, the parents, the attendants and finally the bride, in all her wedding ensemble, march to where the actual ceremony begins.

Wedding Service - Even if it is a secular wedding, the officiant generally gives a few words of guidance and encouragement as the couple embarks on their lives together. It helps if the officiant knows the couple, since it makes these words sound more sincere.

Wedding Vows - While many couples still opt for the traditional vows that are seen in all the movies, quite a few are opting for writing their own vows. If you are not a writer, seek assistance for this, as you could ramble for quite a while and not actually say anything. A well-written vow can be moving, even funny, but it should always express what you are promising to your partner for life!

Special Elements - Here is where you can put another imprint on your day. Have readings by friends that mean something to you as a couple. They can be religious, love poems, essays or even original work.

Ask someone close to you who is musical to prepare a song or an instrumental piece.

Incorporate your favorite elements from traditional services, like lighting unity candles or having your parents escort you both down the aisle. Make these your own.

The key is to make this your own day!