How to Make the Perfect Wedding Program

Looking for wedding program ideas? Create the perfect wedding program with this guide, which includes tips for wedding program design, format and printing. Here’s how to print wedding programs you’ll love!

Your wedding program design is a visual representation of your ceremony, so it stands to reason you’ll want to print wedding programs that feature a design that speaks to you and properly symbolizes your special day. Options include:

• Design your own wedding program from scratch or with wedding program templates
• Ask a design-savvy friend or family member to create your wedding program
• Hire a professional wedding program designer

DIY wedding programs and free wedding program templates are cheap wedding program ideas, as is asking a friend or family member to make your wedding programs. Professional design costs a little more, but well worth the investment if you want your wedding program to serve as a long-lasting keepsake. No matter which option you choose for designing your wedding program, the following tips can help you make a beautiful wedding program for your ceremony.

Your wedding program design should match the theme of your wording, which in turn should match the theme of your wedding ceremony. For example, pair a traditional wedding program design with traditional wording, or a beachy design with beachy wording.

The design itself can be as traditional or creative as you’d like. You can incorporate images, illustrations and icons into your wedding program design. Use separator lines and boxes to help separate sections and use white space to make your wedding programs easy to read. Make sure your wedding program colors match the colors used in your ceremony.

It’s best to ensure your wedding program design matches that of your printed wedding invitations, marriage announcements, bachelor and bachelorette party invitations, bridal shower invitations, save-the-date cards and other items you need to print for your wedding. This lends a cohesive feel to your special day.

You can print wedding programs in nearly any format you’d like. Popular wedding program formats include:

Common wedding program finished sizes include 8.5-inch by 5.5-inch, 4.25-inch by 11-inch, and 5.5-inch by 5.5-inch; though these sizes are approximate and vary by wedding program printing company.

Of course, you can print wedding programs in any format and size you’d like – and get as creative as you want. Search online for wedding program sample formats and wedding ceremony program templates that inspire you. Couples have come up with plenty of unique wedding ceremony programs, including wedding program fans, magazine-like wedding program booklets, and even movie poster and infographic wedding programs. Don’t be afraid to try fun and creative wedding program ideas, or even to print a funny wedding program.

Remember: the best wedding ceremony programs are more than simple schedules of events; they’re symbols of your love and devotion for one another as well as your appreciation for your family and friends.

Like your overall design, your wedding program fonts should match the theme of your ceremony. Script fonts are great for section headers and traditional themes, sans serif font make good section headers and body text, and serif fonts can be used for body text.

The most important things to keep in mind when choosing wedding program fonts are:

• They match your theme
• They’re easy to read
• They pair well with each other

You probably only need two fonts for your wedding programs: a section header font and a body text font, which allows for natural separation without visual confusion. Keep in mind that simple wedding programs are easiest to read.

Once your wedding program design is complete, all that’s left to do is print! Printing custom wedding programs is easy with the following tips.
Decide how many wedding programs to order

How many wedding programs do you need? You need to order enough wedding programs for each wedding guest, each member of your wedding party, and any extras you’d like to save as keepsakes.

The general rule of thumb is that around 75 percent of your invited guests will attend your wedding; thus, at minimum you should print enough wedding programs for 75 percent of your invitees (plus your wedding party and keepsakes).

Keep in mind that’s one wedding program per guest, not invite; an important thing to remember if you’re sending a lot of single invitations to couples and families, or your guests will be bringing a “plus-one.”

Thus, if you’ve sent 200 invites, you might actually be inviting 400 people; 75 percent of which is 300 wedding programs.
Some experts suggest simply ordering wedding programs for every single guest to ensure no one is left out and you satisfy wedding program etiquette. This strategy makes sense since you can get cheap wedding program printing online.

Your wedding program paper stock and finish should match the theme of your wedding, program design, and wording. For example, bright and modern wedding invitation design might pair well with a gloss paper stock, while a traditional wedding invitation design might look best on a matte paper stock.

Opt for a thicker paper stock that adds weight and meaning to your ceremony, and consider the tactile sensation of your finish – how it will feel in guests’ hands.

Once you’ve selected your quantity, paper stock and finish options, you’re ready to go to print – but before you do, request a hard-copy proof from your printing company. This lets you see exactly how your finished wedding programs will look, and can help you avoid costly mistakes and reprints.

If your proof is good, you can confidently print the perfect programs for your wedding. Do it for less with custom printing services at discount prices – and don’t forget to print thank-you cards to send out after your wedding!