Your Wedding Booklet:
Create A Themed Wedding Program
Reflecting your style and personality as a couple, your wedding program helps set the tone for your wedding. It can be elegant and formal or playful and wistful, even introducing members of your bridal party as “sorority sisters.” Since you simply won’t be able to greet each of your guests when they first arrive, your program can welcome them, put them at ease, and introduce them to others in the wedding party even before you get a chance to do so yourself. It’s also a wonderful keepsake.
“If there is a theme to your wedding you might want to bring that into your wedding program,” says Dana Schulman of DK Schulman Design. “In a Korean-American wedding, for example, we carried the color combination and theme into the wedding program.”
The six primary colors signify good luck for Korean weddings, “so we bound each program with one of six different color strings.
“On another occasion, for one bride named Lili, we had plastic lili of the valley flowers strung with yellow ribbons and hung from the program. Another bride was married on New Year’s Eve and exchanged her vows at midnight on the New Year. So we had a picture of a clock at 12:01 on the program.”
Personal Messages
Often the bride and groom write a personal message in the program to thank everyone for participating in their special day and for traveling to witness the event.
“List the key elements, such as the names, dates, church, and location. Then list the events of the ceremony, the families participating, the bridesmaids, groomsmen, and grandparents.
“Images, icons, and initials are also important to consider, though some people like to create a wedding program that is classic, simple, and elegant. Some people like a short verse or quote like, ‘Today I find the love of my life.’ ”
You also can consider tassels, ribbons, or different shaped programs. “We once did a wedding program in the shape of a fan. It had pearlized and bound paper in a pie shape with scallops at the top. It also served as a fan for the outdoor wedding, and was strung with a beaded tassel.”
Many couples use their wedding program to express their unique relationships. “You can write personal messages to your guests and to your parents, to express your love and your thanks for all their support over the years.”
Meeting The Brides and Grooms
Dana got into the field 13 years ago. “I was working in the fashion industry with wedding gowns and I started doing invitations as a hobby.” Soon she began giving it her full-time attention. “The most enjoyable aspect is meeting the brides.
“I love meeting new couples because each has an individual story. I like getting to know them and acting as their sounding board when they’re deciding what is proper for their wedding.
“I try to make it easy for them, and I enjoy the process of creating something unique for each bride and groom.”
