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Why Have a Wedding Program?
Catholic weddings are filled with old traditions leading back hundreds of years. Providing a program to your guests will help them follow along with the ceremony, as well as understand the meaning or symbolism behind the events taking place. Wedding programs also make great keepsakes for family and friends. And as times goes by become an important recording of the people and events that took place that special day.
What to Include
Basic elements every wedding program should include:
1. Bride and Grooms Names, Wedding Date, and Ceremony Location
2. The Wedding Party (Include the Minister, Parents, and the Bridal Party)
3. The Wedding Ceremony
4. Thank You to Guests
Sample Catholic Wedding Program Wording
In a Catholic wedding program the ceremony tends to take up the most space. The sample below is for a Full Catholic Mass wedding with communion; feel free to make adjustments to meet your needs.
ENTRANCE RITE
– Processional, “Canon in D”
– Entrance of the Bride, “Trumpet Voluntary”
– Opening Prayer, Bishop Catanello
LITURGY OF THE WORD
– Old Testament Reading, Genesis 2:18-24 ~ Read By Susan Kim
– Responsorial Psalm, “I Have Loved You”
– New Testament Reading, Corinthians 12:31-13.8a ~ Read By Thomas Jones
– Gospel Acclamation, “Celtic Alleluia”
– Gospel Reading, John 15:9-12 ~ Read by Bishop Catanello
– Homily, Bishop Catanello
RITE OF MARRIAGE
– Exchange of Consent
– Exchange of Wedding Vows
– Blessing and Exchange of the Rings
– Lighting of the Unity Candle “Ave Maria”
– Prayer of the Faithful
– Presentation of the Gifts to the Blessed Mother, Jean & Karen Jones
– The Lords Prayer
– Sign of Peace
– Communion
CONCLUDING RITE
– Concluding Prayer and Blessing
– Recessional, “Hornpipe from Water Music”
Thank You to Guests
Use the last page of your program to thank yours guests to being a part of your wedding day. It’s also a nice place to thank parents, family and friends for their hard work preparing for your wedding.
Here are some sample thank you messages from wedding programs:
Sample Thank You Message with Memorial:
Thank you all for joining us on this special day as we begin our new life together as husband and wife. Our thoughts are with those loved ones that could not be with us today but are here in spirit. A donation has been made to the Macular Degeneration Society on behalf of all of those that we love and deeply miss.
Sample Thank You Message with Thanks Parents:
We would like to thank you for celebrating with us here today. It means so much to us that we are able to share this amazing day with our family and friends. We truly appreciate all your love and support as we join our lives together. We especially would like to thank our parents for all the love and support they have given us through the years. We are so grateful to you for your unconditional love and encouragement. Thank you for all you have done to make this day so special.
Sample Thank You with Religious Emphasis:
We give thanks to our loving God who has blessed us so abundantly with family and friends. Your love, patience, prayers, and words of encouragement were instrumental and very much appreciated as we planned this special day. To everyone who participated in our celebration, we are eternally grateful. The sacrifices each of you made to share in our wedding day will never be forgotten. We pray for your safe journey home and ask that you pray for us as we begin our new lives together.
