How to Create a Wedding Order of Service Booklet
A wedding Order of Service helps guests follow your ceremony and understand what is happening next. It is especially useful for church weddings, religious ceremonies, civil ceremonies, readings, hymns, music and personal vows. It can also become a lovely keepsake from the day, especially when printed neatly with names, dates, photographs and personal details.
What is a wedding Order of Service?
A wedding Order of Service is usually a small printed booklet given to guests before the ceremony starts. Most are printed as A5 booklets and include the running order of the ceremony, readings, hymns, music, prayers, thank-you messages and other useful details.
What to include on the front cover
The front cover is usually simple and personal. It often includes:
- The names of the couple
- The wedding date
- The ceremony venue
- A photo, illustration or floral design
- A heading such as “The Wedding of” or “Order of Service”
Try to keep the cover clean and easy to read. If you are using a photograph, choose a good-quality image that is clear and not too dark.
What to include inside
The inside pages normally follow the order of the ceremony. This may include entrance music, a welcome, readings, hymns, vows, exchange of rings, prayers or blessings, signing of the register and exit music.
For religious ceremonies, check the wording, hymns and running order with the church, minister, priest or celebrant before printing. For civil ceremonies, your registrar or celebrant may provide guidance on what can be included.
Back page ideas
The back page is often used for a short thank-you message or extra information for guests, such as reception details, the wedding party, confetti instructions, a favourite quote or a final photo. For example: “Thank you for joining us to celebrate our wedding day. We are so grateful to have you with us and look forward to celebrating together.”
How many pages do you need?
Wedding Order of Service booklets usually need a page count divisible by 4, such as 4, 8, 12 or 16 pages. A 4-page Order of Service is usually one folded sheet. An 8-page or 12-page booklet gives you more space for hymns, readings, photographs and thank-you messages. If your document has 6 pages, it will usually need 2 blank pages added to make an 8-page booklet.
Design tips
Keep the design clear, calm and easy to read. Guests may be reading hymns or following the service while seated, so avoid very small text or overly decorative fonts. A few useful tips:
- Use clear fonts for readings and hymns
- Keep important text away from the page edge
- Avoid borders too close to the trim line
- Use good-quality photographs
- Check names, dates and spellings carefully
- Ask someone else to proofread it before printing
If you are designing your booklet in Canva, Word or similar software, supply the file as single pages in reading order. You do not need to set it up as a booklet or place two pages side by side.
Before sending to print
Before printing, check the names, wedding date, venue, ceremony order, readings, hymns, page order and photographs carefully. Once booklets are printed, changes usually mean reprinting, so it is worth taking a little extra time to check everything before approving your proof.
Printing your wedding Order of Service
At Original Copy Centre, we have been printing wedding and family occasion stationery for many years, so we understand how important these jobs are. We do not print orders automatically. We check your file for print suitability and send a PDF proof for approval before printing, so you can check the layout before we produce the final booklets. You can view prices and order wedding Order of Service printing online, or contact us if you are unsure about the file, page count or turnaround. You may also want matching printed items for the rest of the day, such as table plans, table names, place cards, menus, welcome signs, thank-you cards and invitations.