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The typical wedding program includes the following information. While some choose to do fans, pamphlets or scrolls, I found it best to do a small booklet. This way I could include everything including baby pictures without it feeling crowded.

- This is what is typically included in a wedding program:
- The full names of the bride and groom, the wedding date, and Church or location where the wedding is taking place
- Wedding party (you can include bios with brief descriptions of each attendant's relationship to you)
- A thank-you note to both sets of parents; one to all the guests is another frequent addition
- The order of the wedding ceremony. This includes the musical selections (and the lyrics if you want people to sing), the composers, and the performers (if there is one), as well as readings, the source or author, and the readers. This is a perfect place to explain the rituals that go on during the Catholic Ceremony.
- If you wish to honor deceased loved ones, you can include a memorial on the back page with a photograph, a fond memory, poem, or quote

Now, onto the program information!

The best information I found online came from this website: http://catholicweddinghelp.com/wedding-planning/wedding-planning.htm

Bookmark it. It’s answered every question and helped walk me through the entire process of Pre-Cana and last night it helped me design my program. My FH is not baptized so I will be sharing information for a non-mass ceremony. The website I posted above list and explain each of the 3 forms of Catholic weddings.

Quick Link to the program: http://catholicweddinghelp.com/topics/order-wedding-catholic-unbaptized.htm

Read it. Understand it. It gives you every little step by step detail of the ceremony.

Now, onto the gold…. I came across this website and I just about peed my pants with excitement! This bride took the time to upload everything right down to the template onto her blog. How thoughtful! This is also a wonderful way to see exactly how a program will look once it’s set up. I’m sure the pictures I posted below will be difficult to read so click the link!

http://bellsandbouquets.blogspot.com/2010/07/catholic-wedding-programs-for-non-mass.html?showComment=1328362869884#c3504300735235524108

Thanks so much Kimi. This helps out a great deal.

Where are my manners? How did yours turn out? Do we get a sneak peek?

Thanks this will be a big help when I do mine very soon

@Carole, mine aren't totally finished yet. We won't have them printed until tomorrow evening and they won't be entirely put together until sometime this week. I still have a while to go before they're completed.

Another great website I came across. Not necessarily geared towards Catholics but it has some great general ceremony program set up as well as message ideas for the guests.

http://ezweddingplanner.com/advice/weddingprograms.cfm

bumppp

I planned my programs from the same site! The only Catholics in the room were the priest, the cantor, and me. One mistake I made, though: We had a wedding without Mass, and Catholic Wedding Help (and the little book, Together for Life) indicated that we would say the Lord's Prayer, so I put it in the programs--words and all, since the families are Mormon and they don't use any prayers that you repeat. Turns out we didn't say it. Otherwise, the programs were fantastic.

Thanks Kimi! We're like you, having a full Catholic ceremony with mass, but not many of our guests are Catholic. We're planning to have an extremely detailed program so that people feel included and informed!

Us Catholics gotta make things so difficult and confusing for everyone. We're doing the full wedding mass. My favorite part will be the guests who are Catholic, but don't attend church regularly enough to know the changes made to some of the wording.

I'm having a Catholic full mass wedding, my FH family is all protestant and it seems like the first question everyone FH knows that is non-Catholic has asked if it will be just a ceremony or full mass instead of other more meaningful questions like how has our planning been going. I was a bit appalled at how much of a difference this makes to non Catholics. My FMIL was saying how Catholic weddings last over 2 hours! How ridiculous! My officiant said full mass is just 15 min extra, are people really that tight about an extra 15 min? No one has to come if they dont want to! FMIL will have to suck it up, it is her sons wedding!

Rachel L. , I DONT like the new wording! I've been reciting the same thing my whole life and they go and "tweak" it, ahhhhhh ! :/ Has it been hard for anyone else to "accept" the change?

Thanks Kimi! I've been waiting on a copy of the program from my FBIL's wedding to make sure I am not missing anything LOL so this helps a lot!

Karen- they changed it because it was originially translated incorrectly so technically it was said wrong since they changed from latin to english.

I can agree that I do not like the new wording. It throws me off - and it makes the programs a little more confusing since I keep having to correct myself.

For those having a full mass- remember, the information I posted are for when a Catholic marrys a non-baptized person. Full mass programs are a little different but can be found on the wedding help website I mentioned above. I think the blog I posted is a great help to anyone since it gives you a great visual on how to create the program. (AWESOME Template!!! Make sure to comment her blog and say thank you!)

thank you so much Kimi! this is very helpful as we are having a Catholic ceremony too. I was freaking out a little about the programs. u r awsome :)

Just found another basic outline:

ENTRANCE RITE
Pricession
Opening Prayer

LITURGY OF THE WORD
(make sure to include book, chapter and verse for scripture)
Old Testament
Responsorial Psalm
New Testament
Gospel Acclamation and Verse
Gospel

RITE OF MARRIAGE
Exchange of Vows
Blessing of Rings

PRAYERS AND BLESSINGS
Prayer of the Couple
Prayer of the Faithful
Nuptial Blessing

CONCLUDING RITE
The Our Father
Final Blessing
Recessional

Thanks a million Kimi!!! :) Will save this! Although I cant seem to load that Catholic website :(

That's weird, it works fine for me. It may be because of your internet browser

Thats true- going to try another computer later- but thanks!!