Traditionally used at religious weddings, ceremony booklets are a thoughtful touch for any wedding in 2024. Adorned with your own style, and packed with helpful information, they're a handy piece of wedding stationery and a gorgeous keepsake for guests. In this article, we take a closer look at wedding ceremony booklets and offer some helpful information regarding what should be in yours. You'll also find some beautiful design inspiration for your booklets, too!
Keeping guests informed
You've made a wedding website, sent out wedding invites complete with a map and lots of details, and you've done everything you can to make your event as smooth as possible.
And although your wedding is set to be a successful and unforgettable day, you can never have too much information available for guests.
Wedding ceremony booklets make for a wonderful addition to any wedding. Making for a treasured keepsake, a beautiful detail and a helpful source of information, wedding ceremony booklets are in our opinion, totally underrated.
What are wedding ceremony booklets?
Wedding ceremony booklets - also known as wedding programs or order of service booklets - are traditionally used in religious ceremonies to help guests follow prayers and hymns. If you've ever been to church, you will be familiar with the service booklets available on seats when you arrive which take guests through the service step by step. Similarly, wedding ceremony booklets do just this.
While not essential, wedding ceremony booklets serve as a handy way to provide guests with all the necessary information about the upcoming ceremony. They might include insights into the traditions incorporated, give recognition to the bridal party, share the songs played, present the readers and singers, inform guests about the next part of the day, and can be kept as a lovely memento.
Most often created in the form of booklets, these handy items are small enough for guests to take with them and make for an appealing addition to your ceremony. Pop them on the seats before guests arrive, or have someone hand them out as they come through the doors.
Why opt for wedding ceremony booklets at your wedding?
We've mentioned a few reasons you might like to incorporate wedding ceremony booklets into your wedding. However, there's more than these handy booklets than what meets the eye.
Informing guests
Wedding ceremony booklets are a fantastic and helpful addition to your big day. They give your guests all the important details about your ceremony in a fun, beautiful and engaging way. This might include the names of the couple, the officiant, the wedding party, directions to the reception, and much more.
Creating a personal touch
Your wedding ceremony booklets can be customised to reflect your style and the overall aesthetic of your wedding. Matching up with elements like menus, welcome signs and more, they can help to create a feeling of consistency throughout the day. Plus, incorporating elements like illustrations, particular fonts and colour schemes, they're yours to play with and to perfect.
Enhancing guest experience
Have you ever thought about how your guests will connect or engage with your ceremony? By including additional details, such as explanations of cultural or religious traditions, booklets help guests feel more engaged and connected to the ceremony they're about to witness.
Serving as keepsakes
Wedding ceremony booklets can serve as cherished mementos for guests. Upon leaving the ceremony, your guests will in many cases take their booklets with them, allowing them to later revisit the ceremony and remember the special moments shared.
What information is in a wedding ceremony booklet?
There are no rules as to what you can and can’t include in your booklets, it’s really up to you. But you're going to want to start with the basics such as your names, wedding date and venue. From here, you've got plenty of space to play with - add as much or as little other detail as you want to!
Names and roles
Make sure that you introduce both your names as well as the officiant, and the members of the wedding party in your wedding booklet. This could include bridesmaids, groomsmen, dogs - you name it!
Welcome message
Take your time to come up with the perfect welcome message to guests. You can pop this on your cover, or inside.
Order of service
Wedding ceremony booklets are traditionally used for this very reason. So as one of the main parts of your booklet, lay out the order of service section clearly and allow guests to follow the order of the day.
Reading and songs
Provide the text of any readings or hymns that will be included in the ceremony, allowing guests to follow along if they wish. Here, you can also list any songs that played during the ceremony itself; for example that which was played as you walked down the aisle, as you left or as you signed papers. If you like, you can also let guests know why these songs are special to you.
Cultural or religious explanations
If there are specific cultural or religious traditions incorporated into your ceremony, a ceremony booklet is the perfect place to provide explanations. This way, you can help guests understand their significance.
Acknowledgements and thank yous
If you've got the space, why not take a moment to say thank you to those who deserve it. Take the opportunity to express gratitude to family, friends, and anyone who played a significant role in the wedding planning process.
The next steps
Not all wedding ceremonies take place near to the reception venue, and so you might like to provide the directions to your venue in your booklet. Otherwise, you can also provide a very brief summary of the next part of the day.
Personalise your own wedding ceremony booklets with Peppermint Press
When designing wedding ceremony booklets, one important thing you'll want to keep in mind is their design, and the way in which they complement your ceremony and overall wedding day.
As an optional part of your wedding stationery, ceremony booklets can be added to your list to contribute to the overall sense of 'branding' and consistency of the day.
At Peppermint Press, our unique and beautiful design collections have been expertly crafted to provide that seamless yet effortless feeling of consistency on your wedding day. From invitations to welcome signs, menus to ceremony booklets, when you order from one design collection, you ensure that everything matches perfectly.
Enjoy selecting your wedding's colour palette with us, and elevate your venue with beautifully designed signage, seating plans, bar menus, table numbers and all kinds of stationery pieces.
We'll be there to walk you through the design process, offering a presentation for your feedback, followed by rounds of edits until you're completely happy with your products.
Take a look at our design collections today, or take a look at our 'how it works' section to learn more about how to bring your dream stationery to life.
