Wedding Program Wording

Wedding programs are incredibly unique -- from the layout and embellishments, to the content. Your program should have the same "feel" as the rest of your wedding and should add to the ceremony, not distract from it. That being said, there is no "official guide" to what must be included in your program. This may be used as a guide to what is traditionally included in a program.

ON THE COVER:
* Full Name of the Bride
* Full Name of the Groom
* Wedding Date, Year & Time (the time is optional)
* Wedding Location
* A design or monogram that matches the theme/feel of your wedding. Or you may want to include a picture of you and your fiance

THE WEDDING CEREMONY
* Prelude (you may want to list the music that is played in the prelude, or leave it off)
* Seating of the Grandparents and Mothers (may be two separate items, or together -- usually dictated by if there are 2 songs or one song being played). Include the name of the song and the composer, or the soloist/duet/trio, etc...
* Chiming of the Hour (most brides do not include this, but I listed it in case you will be chiming the hour at your wedding)
* Vocal Solo/Musical Selections
* Processional (include what is being played while the bridal party enters)
* Entrance of the Bride (include what is being played while the bride enters)
* Call to Worship
* Statement of Intent
* Prayer
* Scripture/Poem Reading
* Charge to the Couple
* Exchange of Vows
* Exchange of Rings
* Pronouncement of Marriage
* Lighting of the Unity Candle (include the song that is being sung or played during this)
* Blessing of the Marriage
* Presentation of the Couple
* Recessional (include what is being played during this)
* Postlude
* A brief line inviting guests to the reception

THE WEDDING PARTY
* Officiate (minister, pastor, rabbi, etc.)
* Parents of the Bride
* Parents of the Groom
* Grandparents of the Bride
* Grandparents of the Groom
* Matron(s) of Honor (may include their relationship and/or city and state)
* Maid(s) of Honor (may include their relationship and/or city and state)
* Bridesmaid(s) (may include their relationship and/or city and state)
* Flower Girl(s) (may include their relationship and/or city and state)
* Best Man (may include their relationship and/or city and state)
* Groomsmen (may include their relationship and/or city and state)
* Ring Bearer (may include their relationship and/or city and state)
* Musicians (include their instrument, or list if they were a vocalist or soloist)
* Bell Ringer (if you have one!)
* Registry Attendants (the people who kept the bride's book for you)
* Program Attendants (the people who passed out the programs at the door)
* Reception Attendants (the people who are assisting at your reception)
* Wedding Director
* Wedding Coordinator

OTHER THINGS THAT ARE SOMETIMES INCLUDED:
* Special Thanks (to your guests for coming, your parents for raising you right....etc.)
* Directions to the reception site
* Dedication -- "The candle in the front of the sanctuary burns brightly in loving memory of Mrs. Pearl Smith, grandmother of the bride."
* Your "At Home" Address -- you new address, phone, email...
* A special poem or scripture
* Notes of interest -- for instance "the bride's veil was originally worn by her grandmother in 1935"
* Items explaining customs, special ceremonies, riturals or symbols that were included in your ceremony that your guests may be unfamiliar with (especially for ethnic weddings)
* An brief story about the highlights of your relationship - how you met, the proposal, etc...
* Insert a card and let your guests in on the fun! Ask them to write down their favorite memory about you, their favorite part of your ceremony or some marriage advice on the cards. After the ceremony, you can have a basket set up where they can drop the cards in as they exit.

WHAT TO STAY AWAY FROM:
* Generally, people who are paid for their services are not listed in the program (photographer, florist, bakery, caterer, printer or stationery shop) -- that being said, it's your wedding and if you want to include them, go right ahead.
* Do not mention gifts, money trees, etc...
* Do not over-embellish you programs. Too much ribbon or clipart will take away from the overall effect. Also, just use 2 fonts at most -- one fancy font for the headers and one easy-to-read font for everything else.
* Keep in mind the lighting of the church in regards to the colors you select -- elderly guests, or those with compromised vision may have trouble reading light colored ink.


Courtesy of www.wiregrassweddings.com   

Wedding Invitations

How do I word the invitation if my parents are divorced?

• If they are divorced and single parents are hosting?
  • List them each separately. You can put them on separate lines to give them equal respect, and if they're not close omit the word "and" joining their names:
  • Mr. Thomas Graft and
    Ms. Mary Weiss
    invite you to join in the celebration of their daughter...
  
  
• If they are divorced and only one parent is hosting?
  • If only one parent is hosting, only that name is necessary: Mr. Thomas Graft
    requests the pleasure of your company at the marriage of his daughter...
• If they are divorced and remarried?
  • Mr. & Mrs. Thomas & Susan Graft
    Mr. & Mrs. Nelson & Mary Weiss
    request the pleasure of your company
    at the marriage of their daughter...
• Or omit formal titles to shorten:
  • Thomas & Susan Graft and Nelson & Mary Weiss
    request the pleasure of your company
    at the marriage of their daughter...
• If they are divorced and remarried, but not close?
  • See above, but omit the "and" joining the two sets of parents (you might decide to do that anyway to make the host line more succinct).

How do I word my invitation if a parent is deceased?

• Wording can be very hard if a parent is deceased. If it's your mother who is widowed, a traditional approach is:
  • Mrs. James Marshall
    invites you to celebrate the marriage of her daughter...
• Another option:
  • Joan Evelyn Marshall
    daughter of Jane Marshall
    and the late James Marshall
    request the pleasure of your company...
• If your parent is widowed and remarried, the following wording works well:
  • Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Brown
    request the pleasure of your company
    at the marriage of the daughter of Mrs. Brown
    and the late Thomas Marshall
    Joan Evelyn Marshall
    to
    Adam James Walker...

Should we include the groom's parents on the invitation?

• In most traditions, if they're not hosting the wedding, you don't need to put their names on the invitation (a key exception is Jewish weddings in which the groom's parents are always honored). That said, it can be a nice gesture of family unity to include them and is essential if they're hosting the wedding.  
• If the bride's parents are hosting:
  • Mr. and Mrs. James Marshall
    request the pleasure of your company
    at the marriage of their daughter
    Joan Evelyn
    to
    Mr. Adam James Walker
    son of Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy Walker...
• If the groom's parents are hosting:
  • Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy Walker
    request the pleasure of your company
    at the marriage of
    Joan Evelyn Marshall
    to their son
    Adam James Walker...

If both sets of parents are hosting:

• Together with their parents
  Mr. and Mrs. James Marshall
  and
  Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy Walker
  Joan Evelyn Marshall
  and
  Adam James Walker
  request the pleasure of your company at their marriage...
• Or, simply write "Together with their parents" and omit the parents' names.

How do I word my invitation if we're hosting our own wedding?

• The most popular option is:
  
• Together with their parents
  Joan Evelyn Marshall
  and
  Adam James Walker
  request the pleasure of your company
  at their marriage...

Reprinted courtesy of:  www.hellolucky.com

How to pull together your wedding colors!

I have been searching for a great article on helping brides decide on their wedding colors - who would have guessed that The Knot is where I should have started my search.  The color/colors you choose for your wedding help to set the mood for your wedding, and touch every single detail of your wedding day.  I hope the article is as interesting to you as it was for me - and in the end - helps you decide on one of the many important decisions you will be making throughout the course of planning your dream day.  Enjoy!  - Nikki S. Melton


Wedding Styles: Picking Your Wedding Colors

The hottest thing happening at wedding receptions isn't just on the dance floor -- it's on the wedding cake, the invitations, the centerpieces, and even the bride's gown. It's big, bold color. Years ago brides used color to accent their white wedding day decor, but now they're using color to cover every inch of the wedding. We've developed a step-by-step guide on color coordination (from choosing it to decorating with it) to help you dream up a bright wedding day.

Choosing Your Color

First things first: location. When deciding on a scheme, you must consider the reception space or choose a space without decor or color. If you've chosen a country club with navy and maroon Oriental carpets, a color scheme of lime green and hot pink won't work.

Next, become aware of color combinations that you like, whether browsing art galleries or flipping through a stack of fashion magazines. You might be able to narrow down your color choices to a half a dozen. To help you choose the exact hue for your wedding details, visit a local fabric store or paint shop and collect swatches or chips of colors you might want to use. This will help you get specific, so that when you decide on green you'll know if it's lime green, kelly green, sage green, or forest green. If you have access to a Pantone book, use this collection of colors to select your shade the same way graphic designers do. Many invitation designers mix ink to match the colors in this book, and many cake bakers use Pantone numbers as a reference when creating dye for frosting. Can't decide on just one or two colors? Don't worry. In fact, many extraordinary weddings feature a variety of colors, sometimes up to five, that work together to create a specific sensibility -- like an "English garden" with green, yellow, pink, red, and brown, or "Fall in New England" with orange, red, brown, and gold.
The Knot Note: For specifics on choosing your winning color combo, read more on choosing your wedding colors.

Where & How to Execute Color

Where and how you use color really depends on the mood you are trying to create. The best way to get started is to figure out what emotions you want your celebration to evoke. A peaceful, Zen-like retreat? A regal, romantic affair? A jumping, high-energy party?

For instance, a vibrant summer yellow mixed with chocolate brown (think sunflowers and bees) is perfect for a country-chic wedding style; add gold to the mix, and the combination becomes more reminiscent of Northern Italy. As another example, leaf green paired with cantaloupe is pretty for a waterside wedding; but pair this green with copper, and you have a color scheme that's formal enough for a ballroom or an estate setting. If your wedding takes place in multiple spaces, each room can have its own color scheme.

The Elements of Style

Attire Your gown doesn't have to be solid white, especially since color accents are increasingly more available. A blue or red sash around the waist is striking and still very bridal. The groom and his guys can also sport color in their ties or on their cuff links. But color will be most prominently displayed throughout the day in the bridesmaid dresses. Some fervent folks might want to match the dresses to the invitation ribbons, the favor tags, and the bouquets but this isn't the only way to define a style. Mixing and matching dresses in varying shades -- pink and orange, or pale green and yellow -- can sometimes make a statement stronger than uniformity.

Invitations Your invitations set the stage for the event, so remember that mood you want to evoke? This is your time to show it off. Coordinating the invitation colors with those of the wedding can be as easy as choosing a color font, ribbon, or monogram or as elaborate as layering colorful cards.

Flowers & Decor No matter what color you've chosen, chances are you'll be able to find flowers in that shade -- but that, of course, does not mean the blooms will be available or affordable. If your dream flowers aren't an option, use neutral white flowers with centerpiece containers or other decor elements in your color.

Wedding Cake The cake is one of the easiest places to add color -- all it takes is the right mixing. The color should reflect the other style elements used throughout the wedding. But when it comes to cake, your color options are the most flexible. White icing makes a marvelous background for colorful sugar flowers, sugar-paste stripes or polka dots, or other effects. Fondant can also be created in any number of shades. For instance, a yellow and brown country-chic wedding might have a wedding cake iced in a light brown basket weave and topped with fresh sunflowers.

Favors Ultimately, it's more important to give something meaningful rather than something that matches, but it can be a nice touch to your favors package in your color scheme. Use gift tags and ribbons to incorporate your colors into your favors. If favors will be left at each place setting, consider how they will look with your wedding linens and flowers.

New Ways to Use Color

We should point out that overdoing it with a matchy-match look is entirely possible. (You don't want your guests thinking, Um, yeah, lavender...we get it.) Begin with the five essential wedding elements (attire, invitations, flowers, cake, and favors) and see where you can -- or should -- add more color. Then consider details, such as napkins, candles, signature drinks, your ring pillow, or your guest book, made from the same fabric and in the same color as the bridesmaid dresses.

Read more: Color-Coordinated Weddings - Choosing Wedding Colors - Wedding Color Ideas - TheKnot.com http://wedding.theknot.com/wedding-colors/choosing-wedding-colors/articles/color-coordinated-weddings.aspx#ixzz1iisHYIF1

Courtesy of www.theknot.com