Wedding Order of Service Guide: What to Include, Templates & Examples

Wedding planning is an exciting time, but it definitely has its stresses! You don’t need to let stationery be one of them with this easy guide to creating a Wedding Order of Service.

An easy way to guide your guests through your day, it’s also a lovely keepsake for your loved ones. Whether you are having a church service, traditional ceremony or a more modern and personal day, having a clear Order of Service keeps guests in the loop and helps everyone feel included. 

Read on for everything you need to know about the Wedding Order of Service and how to create your own! 

Table of Contents

What is a Wedding Order of Service?

What to Include in a Wedding Order of Service: Traditional vs. Modern 

How to Create a Wedding Order of Service 

Wedding Order of Service Templates 

What is a Wedding Order of Service? 

A Wedding Order of Service is a printed outline of the events of your wedding day. It helps guide guests through the running order and timings, and serves as a keepsake. A Wedding Order of Service is a key part of your stationery suite, and whether you’re having a church service or modern civil ceremony, can be designed to suit your needs. Choose from flat, folded, or booklet styles to create a beautiful memento for your guests.

What to Include in a Wedding Order of Service: Traditional vs. Modern

The great thing about a Wedding Order of Service is they can be personalised however you like to suit your day. So whether you’re having a traditional wedding or something more laidback, your Order of Service can reflect this. 

You can include as much detail as you want. Some can be simple, with just a brief outline of the running order of the day, whereas others include more detail about readings, poems, hymn lyrics and more. It really is up to you! 

If you’re looking for a starting point, here are some key features to choose from with traditional and modern wording examples. 

Your names, wedding date, and name of the venue

This is usually best to include on the front cover.

Traditional: A formal title such as “The Marriage of…” or “Together with their families, [name] and [name] welcome you…” sets a more traditional tone. 

Modern: A playful title like “The Big Day” sets the tone for a more relaxed vibe. 

Welcome message

A small message helps welcome guests to your day and makes them feel appreciated. 

Traditional: A more formal greeting, sometimes with a religious touch, like “Welcome to the wedding of [names], celebrated in the presence of God and our loved ones.” 

Modern: A light, conversational feel is best – “We’re so happy you’re here to celebrate with us. Let’s party!” 

Order of the ceremony, order of the day with timings, or both!

You can choose to just include the order of your ceremony, or the entire day! It can be useful to include the full running order, especially if your ceremony and reception are in two different venues. 

Traditional: Include any rituals like hymns and prayers. Use more formal wording for key moments, such as “Entrance of the Bride”, “Exchange of Vows”, “The Signing of The Register”. 

Modern: Add personality to your running order with relaxed wording – “Walking Down the Aisle”, “Making Promises”, “Sealed with a Kiss”, and “Party Time!” 

Readings, music and hymns

It can be nice to add information on any readings from your ceremony for a personal touch. It helps guests feel more involved and understand the meaning behind your ceremony. 

Traditional: Specify any hymns or classical songs, include the lyrics so everyone can get involved. 

Modern: Opt for contemporary songs or poems, add a modern touch by including a QR code where guests can access a special playlist.

Names of the wedding party

Your Order of Service can be a nice place to honour the wedding party and show your appreciation. 

Traditional: Keep it polished with names and roles.

Modern: A conversational touch keeps it lighthearted “Thank you to the Maid of Honour for the best hen do, and carrying my heels on the way home.” 

Thank you section

A section extending gratitude to other wedding VIPs is a nice touch. For example; the officiant, parents, or vendors. 

Traditional: Use formal phrasing for your thanks; “We are deeply thankful to our parents, officiant, and all our loved ones who have joined us today.” 

Modern: Again, a lighthearted tone keeps things relaxed; “Big love to our parents, friends and vendors for making the big day happen!” 

How to Create a Wedding Order of Service 

Here are our top tips for creating your Wedding Order of Service:

1. Confirm your big day details

Ensure you’ve finalised the ceremony timeline and running order of the day before creating your Order of Service. Gather all the details, including any readings or lyrics you want to include, so you have everything ready to go. 

2. Choose your design

If you have a full wedding stationery suite, you can match your design for a cohesive look. If not, consider any colour schemes or design features included in your wedding and incorporate them into the design of your Order of Service.

For more traditional ceremonies, elegant paper paired with calligraphy-style fonts is a classic choice.

Image credit: Bride To Be Design Co

For a modern spin, minimalist designs are super stylish while maintaining a formal tone.

Image credit: Peppermint Press

If you’re keeping things more laidback, choosing a fun, hand-written style font and pairing it with some illustrations are always a win!

Image credit: The Papiere Studio

3. Proofread and print

Double check all the information is correct, and have someone cast an eye over it before sending your Wedding Order of Service to print! One per guest is usually recommended, though it’s always handy to have spares; one to keep for yourselves, some for your photographer to capture, and a few to hand out to guests who lose track of their own! 

Wedding Order of Service Templates

Templates are a useful way to create your Order of Service. Canva has plenty of options to suit your style, with free and paid designs available to choose from. Etsy is also a fantastic place to find Wedding Order of Service templates, with plenty of beautiful illustrations and relaxed designs to fit with your day. 

Don’t forget to check our Downloadable Templates to ensure your artwork is the correct size and print-ready! 

Create Your Wedding Order of Service with Printed.com

With Printed.com, it’s easier than ever to print the perfect Order of Service for your big day. Whether you’re looking for classic and traditional or modern and relaxed, our Wedding Order of Service printing can help guide your guests through your ceremony. Explore the range today, including folded and booklet styles.