Necessary or Not: Ceremony Programs?

Not necessary. I'm doing a short ceremony (around 15-30 minutes). I can see if it were an hour, people (and by people, I'm talking about me) would want to know the programming to know when things are likely wrapping up or getting to "the good stuff." But even then, I'd still save and just post it somewhere like the website or like a small easel set up.

Not necessary. We aren't religious so there are no readings or anything else that guests need to follow along with.

I definitely don't think they are necessary, however they can be helpful in certain situations like if you're having a culturally significant wedding so your guests have a better understanding of what is happening. We will be doing ones like in the picture that double as fans, only because our wedding is outside at the end of August, so it could potentially be pretty hot. Otherwise, I wouldn't do doing them.

We aren't doing them since it'll all be in the same building, and they only need to know what time to be there and where, which is going to be on the invitation.

Waste of paper. Unless they are shaped like fans and used to keep guests cool!! I like that idea!!

For me they're a necessity. I want my half of the family to know what's going on and the symbolism in the Ukrainian Catholic elements of the ceremony.

Definitely depends on the situation. I thought it was necessary for us because we were having a shortened Catholic ceremony and only about 1/4 of our guests were Catholic. We kept the program very bare-bones (1/2 sheet of paper, one sided) to save paper that we knew not very many people would keep.

Not necessary! Especially with wedding websites becoming so popular, this is a great paper-saving opportunity. Only way I would even consider it is if I was getting married outdoors in a warm/hot month

Nope. I considered something printed on a fan (as above) that was "so, you're going to sit through a wedding" and who was who..but I figured it'd be a waste. No one would keep them.

Not a need for me. But others it may be.

No, not necessary. Our ceremony will be short and sweet so I find it a waste to spend money on programs.

I don’t think they’re necessary at all lol. But , my mom found super simple ones for $2 and I’m good with computers so we’re doing them! Haha!

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Sounds like it'll work! Are you going to DIY the welcome sign?

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Sad but true! I've seen some really pretty ones, but feel bad when they all get thrown out at the end!

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Exactly this. I am doing ours myself via InDesign, printing at a Kinkos, and putting them on fan sticks off amazon to save money. Even if no one takes them at least we can recycle them afterwards and people can fan themselves off in the summer heat.

Not necessary. We are making digital versions, everybody has a smartphone.

Not necessary. Waste of money i'd rather use on something else. For my first wedding they were printed free from the church, if that's a case again we'd have them. Other than that no

I'm doing it. My ceremony and reception are 20 min drives from each other. So my goal is that everyone knows where to be for the ceremony, and if they forget what's next, the ceremony program will have ceremony info on the front and info about the day overall on the back. Plus, we have some non-traditional aspects to our ceremony and lots of people I'd like to mention and show appreciation for by including them in the program.

I'm designing them myself, will print cheap somewhere hopefully on recycled paper.

Not necessary. It's an extra cost and since we are having a fairly simple ceremony there is no need for the programs

Cute touch. But not necessary at all.