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Sw1943
Beginner October 2020

Menus or Programs or both?

Sw1943, on December 10, 2019 at 1:31 PM Posted in Planning 0 18

Hello! I am looking for advice on whether to do ceremony programs or menus. Does anyone feel like one is more helpful than the other? Or that we need both? Dinner is buffet style, if that changes anything.

18 Comments

Latest activity by Brianna, on December 12, 2019 at 7:28 PM
  • Amber
    Master February 2020
    Amber ·
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    Unless you're having a long or very religious ceremony with lots of prayers/readings/stuff that people would need to follow along with, I would skip ceremony programs. We're having a buffet style dinner and I've decided to do menus just so the tables aren't so bare since all the plates will be up where the food is. You could also totally skip menus if you wanted or just have one big menu board instead!

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  • Katlyn
    Devoted December 2021
    Katlyn ·
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    I think it depends on the kind of wedding you are having. If outdoor in the warmer weather, I think it would be convenient to have programs on a hand fan. I am having a catholic ceremony so I will be having programs so that guests can know what is going on haha. As far as menu is concerned, I think labeled stations is good if you're doing that. If you're doing sit down menu I feel like everyone ordered differently anyways so why bother. I think cocktail menus can be written on a nice board or something, cuz really the papers are gonna end up in the trash.

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  • Sw1943
    Beginner October 2020
    Sw1943 ·
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    What a great point on the ceremony! Ours is non-religious and will be less than 15 minutes!!

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  • Jasmine
    Master August 2021
    Jasmine ·
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    We're having a buffet style as well. We're not doing either of them.

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  • V
    Rockstar July 2019
    Veronica ·
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    Since it is buffet style I don't think menus are necessary. I think menus are more for plated meals. We did do programs though, but again they aren't necessary. Ours were unique and I loved them. Menus or Programs or both? 1

    Menus or Programs or both? 2

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  • Amber
    Master February 2020
    Amber ·
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    I'd definitely skip programs then, we've gotta save a few bucks where we can in wedding planning Smiley xd

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  • Cher Horowitz
    Master December 2019
    Cher Horowitz ·
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    You'd likely be fine skipping both, but if I had to choose one to go it'd be ceremony programs. Less than fifteen minutes ceremony likely doesn't need them Smiley smile

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  • E
    Devoted November 2019
    Emily ·
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    No menu needed for buffet. Unless you truly want to display a sign.
    We didn’t do programs either.
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  • John Smith
    Expert February 2015
    John Smith ·
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    To save printing costs, were just going to have one board with the schedule of events on it. And then another board with the menu on it.
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  • Alisa
    Devoted October 2021
    Alisa ·
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    I would say no to the programs. We are having a buffet style as well and the venue will provide cards for the the food menu at each station.
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  • Meghan
    Master October 2019
    Meghan ·
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    Neither are necessary. Unless you are having a Catholic wedding, or a very long wedding with a lot of extras, programs are kind of a waste. For a buffet dinner, menus are not really necessary, as no ones order is being taken. I would put your money elsewhere.

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  • Cyndy
    Master May 2019
    Cyndy ·
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    If you want to save money these are both areas you can skip. It sounds like your ceremony is short so you definitely don’t need a program and with a buffet meal you would be fine skipping a menu.
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  • MOB So Cal
    January 2019
    MOB So Cal ·
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    Agree neither are necessary, and will likely, at most, be glanced at then thrown away/left behind. Personally, I think both are extra effort & cost, and have very little if any impact on the guests.

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  • Meghan
    Super September 2019
    Meghan ·
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    We had buffet style dinner and we just printed out and framed a menu for each table so people could see what would be available beforehand to try to keep the line moving a little faster.

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  • MrsD
    Legend July 2019
    MrsD ·
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    We did both. I prefer programs to menus if I had to pick one (as a guest) so I can see names of wedding party & parents, and fun facts about the couple, etc.

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  • Danielle
    Expert March 2019
    Danielle ·
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    We had a short ceremony, and stations/buffet for dinner, so we included a block about that on the program.

    Menus or Programs or both? 3


    Menus or Programs or both? 4



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  • Stephanie
    Beginner March 2021
    Stephanie ·
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    Completely up to you! We are having a very simple ceremony so opted out of the programs. And our food will be buffet so I'm just making sure the food is clearly marked at the buffet and the servers tell each person what it is. My thought is that my guests will figure it out Smiley laugh

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  • Brianna
    Dedicated October 2020
    Brianna ·
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    I have never been to a wedding with menus and I've been to a lot of weddings. I think programs are helpful to know who the wedding party is and to follow along with the ceremony. Food is food and I don't think the guests really care about menus?

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