Are programs necessary?

hwoychowski

We are only having 50 people at our wedding and I have always thought they were a little unnecessary. Maybe I am missing something. Please fill me in!

kfrazel

I am having 120 people and I am not using them, My wedding party is tiny and my ceremony is short... and most weddings ive been to the only people who keep the program are the parents/bride&groom.  I do not think they are necessary at all. Its something that if you would like to have, then have it, if not... save some trees

kateguess22

It is definitely not necessary to have a program. They make really great keepsakes for your guests and they're the perfect spot to put your bridal party list, formally thank your parents and anyone else you want to thank, and go over anything unique or special in your ceremony that guests are unfamiliar with. They don't need to be fancy or complicated- they can be a very simple single-page printed at home and they don`t need to take a lot of time or effort. However, they aren't necessary in any way. This is totally your choice! Think it over and if you decide that you don`t want them, there`s no reason to stress over it.

ElisabethJoanne

If you are having a ceremony involving responses from the general congregation (such as a Mass), and/or in a foreign language (such as a Latin Mass or a Jewish service in Hebrew and/or Aramaic and/or Yiddish), you need programs.

Otherwise, I agree with PPs.

Lisa50

No, program are not necessary

random4180

I'm having them but our ceremony is also being held in a church, which is already going to make some of our guests feel out of their element. There will also be a fair amount of people who don't know our bridal party. It was cheap to do it through VP so that's what we went with. You can go either way and you'd probably be fine unless it's particularly involved and the guests are expected to participate in some way.

aragx6

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_ceremony-ideas_are-programs-necessary?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:10Discussion:85eb61d3-3543-4392-87b0-ac2c7d66ed29Post:8ca290fa-ff8e-4d67-bfdc-8efafef08250">Re: Are programs necessary?</a>:
[QUOTE]Unless the wedding is cross cultural and a large portion of the guests will be unable to understand portions of the ceremony, programs are not necessary. No one but the bride and her mom want to keep the program as a keepsake, and if people don't already know the folks in the wedding party a list of names isn't going to be meaningful. I think they a generally a waste of paper.
Posted by Liatris2010[/QUOTE]

My mom has a drawer <em>full</em> of programs. She's admittedly one of the most overly sentimental people I know, but my point is just that some people really do keep them.

jneelpsych88

We are having 70 people at our wedding so we aren't doing them. 

annatampio

We are having 150 ppl- and we are not doing programs. My experience with them is that they eventually turn into fans (on a hot day) and they also help ppl check how long the rest of the ceremony is going to go. Not worth the time and effort putting them together.

naomikb

It depends on whether you expect the guests to participate or not.

We had hymns and prayers and things we wanted them to follow along with and sing along with and the best way to convey that information was in a program (instead of trying to get them to open the hymn books that they aren't familiar with).

We also used the program as a place to list the officiant and musician names, list the wedding party, etc.

If you're having a ceremony that doesn't require guest participation then no, programs aren't necessary.

lauraanne9

I am having a reasonably large (200 invited) ceremony in a church and I am not doing programs.  I do not see them as necessary, as we are having a very traditional ceremony and are not expecting guest participation.  Also, we are having my fiance's daughter as my only attendant and my fiance's best friend as his bext man.  So, a large wedding with a smaller bridal party (the wedding is so large due to size of the family not because we invited everyone we could think of) so no need for programs.  As for keepsakes, I figure anyone who wants them can just as easily keep the invitation.  In fact we will probably have about 5 extra, so if my parents or his want a totally "fresh" invitation as a keepsake, that is an option.

brandichamberlain

I did programs as fans because we are having an outdoor ceremony in the summer.  I just had them printed at Office Depot on Cardstock (about 20 dollars for 80) and then bought the craft sticks at Hobby Lobby and used double sided tape. 

hoffse

We're having a Catholic mass and almost all of our guests are not Catholic, so we're doing them just so people know where we are in the ceremony if they are wondering why things are taking so long.  They aren't necessary, but personally I like them, and I am one of those people who keep them.

ebifish

I'm planning to have programs at my wedding (100 guests) and I will use it mostly as a way to introduce the lawn games, photo booth, and alternative guest book along with a word search on the back page that will introduce our wedding party and keep early arrivals entertained while waiting for the ceremony to start.

I think programs are not necessary (and traditional ones are quite boring imo) but they can be fun mementos for guests and can also be fun.

plarrimore

i am having a private ceromony with just close family, then reception afterwords for friends and cousins, etc.  should i do programs so the people at reception know who played a part in the wedding or the annoucment when coming into reception enough?