Wedding program ideas: Lorine and Pierre's wedding invitation

Your wedding program is there to serve as a guide for your ceremony guests. It outlines the order of events, along with a few other details, to help your wedding guests feel comfortable, in the know, and welcome.

In this guide, we’re sharing some of our favorite wedding program ideas along with advice on what to include within your program. Keep reading to discover our recommendations on how to create unique and special wedding programs.

What to Include in Your Wedding Programs

There aren’t many details that are must-haves for your wedding programs, but there are plenty of extra elements you can add to bring them to life. Here’s your short and sweet guide to writing your wedding programs.

Wedding Program Essentials

It’s your wedding program, so there’s lots of freedom — but there are also a few must-haves. Here’s what you need to include in your wedding program so your guests have all the key ceremony details they need:

  • The happy couple’s names
  • Date and time of the wedding
  • Wedding venue and location
  • Order of events — including the processional, readings, and recessional

We also think it’s a good idea to include a short and sweet thank you message within your wedding program. This lets your guests know you’re thinking of them and excited that they’ve come out to celebrate with you.

Extra Ideas for Your Wedding Program

Some couples keep their wedding program very minimalist, with only the essentials and lots of white space. Other couples go the other direction, with long booklets filled with stories, dedications, photos, and memories.

If you’re looking for inspiration and wedding program ideas beyond the basics, here are are some of our favorite things to include:

  • Your monogram
  • Photos of you and your beloved
  • Name of officiant
  • Names of the wedding party — including bridesmaids and/or groomsmen and best man/maid of honor
  • A timeline of events, including the wedding reception and send-off
  • An introduction to your chosen wedding traditions
  • A short poem, written verse, or song lyrics
  • Your favorite memories from your love story so far
  • A message to encourage your guests to enjoy your special day
  • Your wedding hashtag and where to find the photobooth
  • QR code for guests to scan to visit your wedding website
  • A message in tribute of a lost loved one
  • Useful messages for guests

These are just some of the ways you can get creative with your wedding program wording. The options are endless, and it’s up to the two of you to decide what you’d most like to feature in this keepsake wedding ceremony memento.

How to Make Your Wedding Programs Feel Special

Now you know what to write, but how do you make your programs feel as unique as the rest of your big day? If you want to take your printed programs from ordinary to a must-have keepsake, here’s our best advice on what to do.

Match Your Wedding Theme

Floral Happiness Invitation

Design: frau brandt

One way to make your wedding ceremony programs feel special is to make sure they match the rest of your wedding theme. Look for designs that closely match your online invitations, or that have a similar vibe or color scheme.

If you’ve chosen one of our wedding invitations for your big day (like this gorgeous trailing floral invitation), keep a copy on your screen as you browse for printed wedding program designs or create your own DIY wedding programs with a similar look and feel.

Or, if you’ve only just found us, choose one of our wedding thank you notes that fits with your overall wedding aesthetic. Our templates can be completely customized, so you can choose the right font, color palette, and wording to express your gratitude to your wedding guests.

Evoke an Emotion

Weddings are all about love, but beyond that the actual wedding day itself can represent a variety of emotions or feels depending on how you stage it. Some couples want a day filled with fairytale romance, while for others it’s an excuse to dance all night long.

Think about whether your big day is about joy, romance, whimsy, connection, or something else, and let this guide the program design and how you compose the wording. That way, everything feels more put-together and cohesive.

Make Them Personal

You want your wedding programs to make you smile all those years down the line when you find them in your memory box. Make that a reality by injecting plenty of your own personalities into the papers.

Add photos of the two of you, use your favorite colors, talk about how you met each other, and include fun quotes, quirks, and jokes to create a unique wedding program. This means that even if you use a wedding program template, it’ll feel like it was custom-made for you.

9 Creative Wedding Program Ideas

Wooden box labeled with the word "Programs"

You can stick with a traditional wedding program if you like, but that’s not the only option. Below are some wedding program ideas to help you create something unexpected, impressive, and completely you.

1. Circle

Who said wedding programs had to have corners? We love the idea of changing the shape from a classic wedding program rectangle to a circle instead. It’s representative of love and commitment, and is another way to add fun into your wedding stationery.

2. Paper Fans

Wedding program fans are becoming popular as they’re playful and practical. Print your programs and stick them onto a popsicle stick, and hand them out to guests as a way to know what’s happening and stay cool at the same time.

3. Local Map

Whether you love local history or simply think old maps look cool, this is a great way to liven up your program. Either feature a vintage map print as an image or background, or find a way to create your own infographic wedding program in the style of a map.

4. Venue Inspired

Is your wedding ceremony location particularly meaningful, or just completely stunning? If so, take inspiration from it as you create your programs. This wedding program idea encourages you to use or commission a watercolor, line art, or abstract drawing of your venue or wedding location and feature it on your programs.

5. Newspaper

Newspaper wedding programs remain popular with couples, and we can see why. The newspaper format gives you plenty of space to work with, and it also naturally promotes the use of photos and writing to help you tell your own love story.

6. Hexagon

If circles aren’t your thing but you want something non-traditional, then a hexagon is the way to do it. This wedding program idea is perfect for a modern wedding, and looks striking when you add in some metallics.

7. Playbill

For fans of the theater, this is the ideal opportunity to put your name on a playbill. Recreate your wedding program details in the format of a playbill with you and your partner’s names, the bridal party, and anyone near and dear to you playing a starring role in the day’s proceedings.

8. Confetti-Filled

Bring some extra joy to your wedding ceremony by handing out packets of eco-friendly confetti that feature your wedding program on the envelope. You can then encourage guests to toss the confetti your way as you walk back down the aisle together. This is such a sweet idea for a summer wedding.

9. Origami

Introduce your wedding guests to the art and joy of origami. Instead of a traditional wedding program, pass out an origami shape and invite them to unfold it to see what’s happening and when.

Match Your Wedding Programs to the Rest of Your Big Day

Your wedding program is just one of many aspects of your special day that you can style and make your own. Use this guide to help you find the perfect wedding program ideas for your big day, whether you’re creating your own or ordering them from a stationer.

If you want to make everything look beautiful together, explore our wedding collection. We have an incredible selection of invitations, thank you notes, and marriage announcements, so there’s sure to be something in a similar style to your chosen programs.