Wedding Reception Program
Using a ceremony or wedding reception program is quickly becoming a tradition at weddings. Wedding ceremony programs serve many purposes, the greatest being that they allow your guests to follow the events, and to feel more involved in your wedding reception celebrations. It is an excellent way to help your guests understand certain ethnic or religious traditions you are incorporating into your wedding day. They are also used to list your program host, members of the bridal party, display father daughter dance song lyrics, dedicate a page to honor those special people in your life past or present, and to thank all those for attending. Lastly, they serve as a wonderful keepsake for your guests to take home and cherish.
First we will discuss the details for conduction a wedding reception. Usually, it begins soon after the nuptials take place. However, this could depend on whether the wedding and reception are being held in the same general location. Regardless, everything for the reception should be prepared and ready before the wedding ceremony even starts. In case of early arrival, be sure someone is there to welcome and guide guests. If there is seating arrangements for all, have placards placed with the name of each of your guests. Besides that, be sure the tables, and food are all in order.
Upon all the guests being seated, it will be time to welcome the honored people of the day, being the bride and the groom, and others directly associated with the ceremony. You may wish to ask the guests to stand and welcome them. Now the parents enter, followed by ring bearer and flower girls, and then come the groomsmen and bridesmaids, and then the maid or matron of honor and best man. Lastly the bride and groom will make their grand entrance accompanied with some appropriate music. They could be welcomed them with bubbles, confetti, bubbles, and ribbons to make it more dramatic. The master of ceremonies can also introduce each person of the wedding party to the guests.
Next on the schedule will be the meal which is usually lunch or dinner. You can arrange for either a buffet style, where the guests can help themselves, or a sit down event, where food is served to each of the guests at their table.
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Following the meal comes the traditional ceremonies. The toasting ceremony is where the best man makes a toast to the couple followed by a brief speech. This could be followed by a toast from the bridesmaid, parents of the bride and groom, and any other friends or family. After the toasts have been done, the next part would be the cake cutting ceremony, followed by the taking of pictures where each guest gets to congratulate the bride and groom and have pictures taken with them. You can either have a family member shoot the pictures or make arrangements with a professional photographer.
Next would be the “First Dance”, where the bride and the groom begin the dance, followed on the dance floor by the other guests. There could also be the father and daughter dance, while the groom dances with his mother.
Lastly many brides enjoy the bouquet toss, where all the single ladies will stand near each other to attempt catch the wedding bouquet which the bride will throw. The girl who gets the bouquet is believed to get married soon. For the males, all of the unmarried fellows will join to catch the bride’s garter belt, meaning that the guy who catches it will soon find a girl to marry.
Things To Incorporate Into Your Program
The reception programs come in a variety of styles so don’t feel like you have to choose a traditional wedding reception program. Regardless of what design you choose, you should consider adding some of these details:
- The name of your wedding emcee or wedding reception dj.
- The bridal party introduction including a brief description of each attendant’s relationship to the bride and groom.
- List the wedding reception participation activities. Be sure to briefly explain any ethnic customs, rituals, or traditions to keep your guests fully engaged in the festivities. You want to be sure people are aware of the approximate times of the unforgettable moments like the first dance song, and the wedding cake cutting.
- Personalize the program. This is an excellent opportunity to tell the guests more about the bride and groom as a couple. A perfect way to do this is to include favorite songs, poems, quotes, and photographs. Adding these extra touches is a sure way to set a personal tone for this loving event.
- Is the wedding reception or ceremony venue at a unique, historic, or distinguished location? If so, then you may desire to list some history and information about the site for your guests to read about.
- Include a memorial to honor deceased loved ones by simply including a photograph and fond memory.
Designing And Creating Your Wedding Reception Program
- Find a creative template design from a computer program. These work well and you can create almost anything.
- Many companies offer do it yourself kits. You could host a bridal party and have a fun crafting session creating your programs with your friends and family.
- Find a professional wedding reception program designer to craft them for you.
(Remember, designing and creating them yourself could be a costly and time-consuming task, so hiring a professional may save you money and often frustration).
Another idea is to contact a local crafting club. People who enjoy doing crafts are normally very creative and enjoy making and working on theses types of projects. You may in fact get a better deal when it comes time to pay the bill.
Check out this reception program layout on Google +
Having a wedding reception program available for each of your guests is a great way to keep them involved in the festivities and to personalize the joyous occasion between the bride and groom, and the family and friends. A wedding reception program can also be a beautiful souvenir to dedicate the event.
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