A wedding program is a printed guide to your ceremony: the order, the names and who is doing what. It can be a single card, a folded booklet or a paddle fan. Fill in the maker below and it lays your wording out as printable sheets with cut marks, on Letter or A4, and tells you how many sheets to print for your guest count. The layout table further down shows the numbers behind it.
Program maker: fill in, check the fit, print
Type your names and pick the ceremony parts you want. The sheet preview updates as you type, flags any face where the text does not fit, and counts the paper. Your wording stays in your browser and goes into the link you copy, after the # sign, so it never reaches our server.
Your wording sits in the part of the link after the # sign, so a link you send reopens the same program. That part of a link never goes to our server, and it carries only what you typed. A shared link always opens this page with your program loaded, and the page itself stays one page for search engines.
Layout table: programs per page for flat, booklet and fan styles on Letter and A4
Each row is one style. The counts come from our own layout rules, which are listed under the table, and the maker uses the same sizes.
| Style | Finished size, Letter | Finished size, A4 | Programs per sheet | Sides printed | Lines of 10 pt text per face, Letter | Lines of 10 pt text per face, A4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flat quarter | 4.25 x 5.5 in | 105 x 148 mm | 4 | 1 | 26 | 27 |
| Flat half | 5.5 x 8.5 in | 148 x 210 mm | 2 | 1 | 42 | 41 |
| Tall slim | 4.25 x 11 in | 105 x 297 mm | 2 | 1 | 56 | 60 |
| Booklet, 4 pages | 5.5 x 8.5 in folded | 148 x 210 mm folded | 1 | 2 | 42 per page | 41 per page |
| Fan, paddle | 5 x 7 in | 127 x 178 mm | 2 | 2 | 34, or 28 after the handle gap | 34, or 28 after the handle gap |
Table: programs per sheet by style on Letter and A4 (our estimate, assumptions below).
How we counted, as an estimate. Margins are 0.4 inch on Letter and 10 mm on A4. Text is 10 pt with 13 pt line spacing. We chose 10 pt as the smallest size we are comfortable calling readable on a printed page. That is our judgment, not a tested standard, which is why the maker also offers 11 and 12 pt.
Lines per face are the printable height divided by 13 pt, rounded down. A4 is taller than Letter (297 mm against 279.4 mm) and narrower (210 mm against 215.9 mm), so the two papers trade places by style. The flat quarter panel is 148 mm tall on A4 against 139.7 mm on Letter, which gives 27 lines instead of 26. The flat half panel is 210 mm tall on A4 against 215.9 mm on Letter, which gives 41 lines instead of 42. The tall slim panel gains four lines on A4 because that sheet is longer.
The fan row assumes a landscape sheet with two faces side by side, which leaves room for cut marks. Printed on both sides, one sheet makes two fans, because each fan is a front face and a back face glued around a stick. The stick covers the bottom edge of the fan, so the maker leaves the bottom inch of a fan face empty, which is the 28 lines after the handle gap.
Which style should you pick
Pick the style you can finish, not the one with the best photo. A half-done booklet is worse than a clean card. Set the style next to your welcome sign if the two will stand in view of each other, so the fonts and paper feel like one set.
- Flat quarter: the lowest effort, and the smallest face of all, 26 lines on Letter. One cut line each way, no fold. It holds the order, your names and a short party list, and not much more.
- Flat half: 42 lines on Letter, room for readings, a thank you note and a longer party list. Still no fold.
- Tall slim: holds a long list on one face, 56 lines on Letter, so it suits a longer order of service. It is also easy to tuck into a hymn book or a basket.
- Booklet: four pages, so you get a cover, an inside spread and a back page. Choose it when you want to print song words or two readings in full.
- Fan: guests use it, which matters outdoors in warm weather. A fan face holds 34 lines on paper but 28 once the handle gap is taken off, so keep the text short.
The ceremony order to put on it
Our judgment is to lead with the order, because it is the part guests flip to. A common order and the minute ranges for each part come from one stationery vendor’s guide, and they are rough. Use them to judge how long your ceremony will run, not as a rule. The maker adds up the ranges for the parts you tick.
| Segment | Range in minutes | What to print on the program |
|---|---|---|
| Processional | 5 to 10 | Song title and who walks, in order |
| Opening remarks | 2 to 3 | Officiant’s name |
| Readings | 3 to 10 | Title and the reader’s name |
| Address | 2 to 5 | Usually left as one word, “Address” |
| Vows | 3 to 8 | Just “Vows” so the words stay a surprise |
| Ring exchange | 2 to 4 | One line, with the ring bearer if you have one |
| Unity ritual | 3 to 5 | Name the ritual in a few words |
| Pronouncement and kiss | 1 to 2 | Often skipped, since guests know |
| Recessional | 3 to 5 | Song title |
Table: ceremony segments with minute ranges, from the source listed at the end of the page.
Adding the low ends of all nine parts gives 24 minutes. Adding the high ends gives 52. If your program shows more time than your ceremony has, trim readings first. The ceremony script with the officiant’s lines shows where each of these segments sits in the spoken text, and the whole wedding day around your ceremony time shows what the minutes do to the rest of the afternoon.
Three sample programs to copy or load
Three ceremony types, three different amounts of text. Each sample is original wording with made-up names. Copy it as plain text, or load it into the maker and swap in your own details.
A church ceremony on flat half pages. Readings, a homily and a hymn-style recessional.
MAYA AND THEO Saturday, 14 June St Brigid Church, Hartwell Officiant: Father Daniel Okafor ORDER OF CEREMONY Processional: Canon in D, wedding party enters Welcome: Father Daniel Okafor Reading: Ruth 1:16-17, read by Aunt Lena Address: Homily Vows Exchange of rings: Blessed by Father Daniel Pronouncement: Blessing and kiss Recessional: Ode to Joy WEDDING PARTY Anna Reyes, maid of honor James Cole, best man Iris Cole, flower girl In loving memory of Grandpa Walt, who would have been in the front row. Thank you for praying and celebrating with us.
A short civil ceremony on flat quarter pages. Short enough to fit the smallest face. For wording of the spoken parts without a religious text, see the non-religious ceremony wording.
PRIYA AND JONAS Friday, 5 September Riverside Garden Room Officiant: Celebrant Marta Lindqvist ORDER OF CEREMONY Processional: Walk in to an acoustic guitar song Welcome: Celebrant Marta Lindqvist Reading: Poem read by Elin, sister of Jonas Vows: Written by us, kept private Exchange of rings Pronouncement: Kiss Recessional: Walk out together WEDDING PARTY Elin Berg, witness Ravi Shah, witness Dinner starts in the next room. Please follow the music.
A garden ceremony with a fan and a memory line. The fan splits the text across a front and a back, and the maker leaves the handle gap empty.
AMARA AND LUIS Sunday afternoon, 21 September The Orchard at Fernlea Officiant: Sam Ortiz, friend and officiant ORDER OF CEREMONY Processional: Violin and cello Welcome: Sam Ortiz Reading: Poem read by Dana Vows: Spoken to each other Exchange of rings: Rings from both grandmothers Unity ritual: Two jars of sand into one Recessional: Walk out to the lawn WEDDING PARTY Dana Mensah, maid of honor Tomas Ruiz, best man In loving memory of Rosa, grandmother of Luis. We feel her here. Thank you for sitting in the sun with us.
Worked example: Maya and Theo, 80 guests
They marry on a Saturday with 80 guests and one ceremony reading. They want something guests can hold, so they choose flat half pages. These are the maker’s starting numbers, so you can load them and change any line.
Example, our own calculation with assumed numbers.
- Guests: 80. We assume a spare allowance of 10 percent and 1.6 guests per household.
- One per guest: 80 plus 8 spare is 88 programs. At 2 per sheet that is 44 Letter sheets.
- One per household: 80 divided by 1.6 is 50 households, plus 5 spare is 55 programs. At 2 per sheet that is 28 sheets.
- The same two counts as flat quarters, at 4 per sheet: 22 sheets or 14 sheets.
- The same two counts as fans, at 2 per sheet: 44 sheets or 28 sheets.
- The same two counts as booklets, at 1 per sheet: 88 sheets or 55 sheets.
- Their six ceremony parts (processional, welcome, reading, vows, rings, recessional) add up to 18 to 40 minutes by the vendor ranges.
- Their pick: 55 flat halves on 28 sheets, which makes 56 programs with one to spare. They keep one extra blank sheet in the printer tray in case a sheet jams.
The lean count only works if couples and families really sit together. For a wedding with many single guests, use the safe count. If you are also printing place cards, they share the same Letter and A4 sheet sizes, so one paper order covers both.
Three mistakes that waste a print run
Printing before the officiant has seen it. A misspelled name or a swapped reading cannot be fixed on 55 sheets. Send the link or the program text, ask for a yes in writing and only then print. The guide we used suggests locking the script with your officiant 2 to 4 weeks out, so schedule the proof after that. Keep the approved file in your planning binder so one person can reprint if a box goes missing.
Setting text too small to fit. If a list will not fit, move to a larger style rather than shrinking the type. The fit check in the maker tells you which face runs over. We keep our own floor at 10 pt, which is a judgment, so go up to 11 or 12 pt if your guests include many older readers.
Forgetting the print order. The guide we used says to order from a print shop 6 to 8 weeks out. Printing at home needs far less lead time, but allow a day to cut, fold or glue. Check the planning timeline with due dates for where this lands in your calendar.
What to leave off
Skip the reception schedule, because the program will be in a recycling bin before cocktail hour. Skip full vows. If you plan a toast, the speech order for the reception belongs on a separate card at the tables.
Add one short line you will not regret. Here are three to copy and edit, and each fits as the thank you line in the maker:
- Thank you for being here. Your company is the best part of today.
- Someone we love is not in these seats today, and we feel them here.
- Please put your phone away for the next little while and stay with us.
Print settings that save a reprint
- Choose Letter or A4 to match your paper, not your country. A4 on Letter paper shifts every cut line.
- Set scale to 100 percent or “actual size”. “Fit to page” shrinks the margins and your text. Turn off headers and footers in the print dialog.
- Print one proof sheet first and measure it with a ruler. For a booklet or fan, print both sides of one sheet, hold it to the light and check that the cover or fan front lines up with its back before you print the rest.
- Use heavier paper for fans and booklet covers so they hold their shape.
- Cut after printing. Small tick marks sit in the margins at every cut line. Join each pair of ticks with a ruler and cut through the middle of the tick.
Save for later
Pin it now and find it when you are ready to plan.
Questions people ask
What goes on a wedding program?
Start with the ceremony order, because it is the part we expect guests to look for first. Add your names, the date, the venue, the officiant and the wedding party with their roles. Many couples also add a short thank you, a line for loved ones who cannot be there, and any readings or songs with the names of who is giving them. Leave out the reception schedule and anything you would rather say out loud. The three sample programs on this page show the wording for a church, a short civil and a garden ceremony.
How much do wedding programs cost?
We found no reliable survey price, so we will not quote one. Cost is paper plus ink plus time, and the maker works out the paper part from your own number. Type your price per sheet into the maker and it multiplies that by the sheet count for your layout and guest count. Add cardstock upgrades or fan sticks yourself, because we do not know your prices. Printing at home spreads that cost across many small jobs, while a print shop usually quotes one price for the whole run.
How many programs do I need?
There are two honest answers, and the maker gives both. One per guest is the safe count, and for 80 guests that is 88 with a spare allowance we assume at 10 percent. One per household is the leaner count, and with our assumption of 1.6 guests per household it is 50 households and 55 programs. Pick the leaner count only if couples and families will sit together. Type your own guest count, spare allowance and household size into the maker and the sheet count updates.
Which layout is easiest to print at home?
The flat quarter page. You print four programs on one sheet, cut once each way, and you need no folding, scoring or glue. A booklet needs double-sided printing and a fold, and a fan needs sticks and glue. If your printer cannot print double-sided on its own, choose a flat layout and put everything on one face.
Sources
- paperlust.co/blog/wedding-ceremony-order (opens in a new tab) : The standard ceremony order and the minute range for each segment (processional, opening remarks, readings, address, vows, rings, unity ritual, pronouncement, recessional), which feed the time check in the maker. Also the advice to order printed programs 6 to 8 weeks out, lock the script with the officiant 2 to 4 weeks out and rehearse 1 to 2 days before. A stationery vendor guide, not a survey, so we treat the ranges and lead times as rough. Everything else on the page, including line counts, sheet counts and the 10 pt text size, is our own layout arithmetic or judgment and is labeled that way.
Updated by bigdaydesk editorial
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