Do you need an order of service

Whether or not you need an order of service really depends on the type of ceremony you are planning. If you are having a traditional church service with congregation participation and hymns then you’ll probably need one. It will guide guests through the ceremony, prompt them when to join in and provide them with the words to hymns and prayers. It’s not essential to provide each guest with an individual order of service and perfectly acceptable to share one between two.

If you are having a more informal ceremony, perhaps in a hotel or outdoors, then an order of service it less essential. If you have readings or songs you’d like your guests to partake in then I’d recommend providing them with a card that has the words/lyrics on. You can always ask your celebrant to inform guests when their participation is required.

Your order of service does make a lovely keepsake after your wedding day and can provide a beautiful reminder of your ceremony in years to come. If you do opt for one, see it as an opportunity to further personalise your wedding day. Including a painting of the church and floral details that match your bouquet is a lovely touch. If you have an extra page at the back of the booklet to fill, you could include a thank you note to your guests or words from your favourite song, book or poem.

If you decide to have an order of service on your wedding day I’d recommend you reach out to your stationer as early as possible. They can take a little while to design and you’ll also need to factor in time for your priest or celebrant to sign everything off prior to printing.

If you have any questions at all, or would like to see some sample formats just get in touch and I’d be happy to help.