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Order of Service
You may think that wedding order of service and order of the day are the same, but there is a difference.
An order of service refers to the card or leaflet given out at religious wedding ceremonies. They contain details of the order and content of the ceremony including the words of hymns to be sung. If you’re having a civil ceremony and want an order of service, you should check with the registrar in advance. Some will insist that you refer to this as an ‘order of the day’ instead.
An order of the day details the wedding day timetable so that guests know what to expect and when. If you’re having a civil ceremony you might also want to include details of your ceremony (since this will be a lot shorter).
What to include in the wedding order of service wording
The ‘wedding order of service’ normally includes details of the:
- Wedding venue, date and time
- Bride and groom
- Ceremony format
- Hymn words
- Details of the music (optional – but usual to insert as most guests are interested to know)
- Names of the wedding party (optional – but a nice way to introduce and thank the key attendants)
An example ‘order of service’ would be:
- ‘Bridal Entrance’ or ‘Processional’ or ‘Entrance of the Bride’
- ‘Welcome and Opening Prayer’
- ‘Hymn name (and lyrics)’
- ‘The marriage’
- ‘Signing of the registers’
- ‘Reading’
- ‘Address’
- ‘Prayers’
- ‘Hymn two’
- ‘The Blessing’
- ‘Recessional’
If you want to make your own stationery and want help with putting your order of service together, take a look at our wedding stationery templates where you can get some ideas and download one of our free printable ‘order of service’ templates.
What to include in the order of the day wording
What you include in the ‘order of the day’ is completely up to you but you may want to consider including the following:
- Wedding venue, date and time
- Details of bride and groom
- Timetable
- Time at which the day will finish
If you want to include details of the ceremony you might also include:
- Ceremony format
- Poem/Readings (and words if no copyright)
If you want help with wording or creating your order of the day, download one of our free printable order of the day templates.
wedding Order of service and order of the day ideas
The simplest designs are the best for an order of service (or order of the day). They need to be practical and fit neatly in a pocket or handbag. If you choose to make your own, make sure you read our tips and advice about making your own stationery. You can also download one of our free printable templates to help you quickly design and create your own inserts.
- Scrolls look great on textured paper. Tie with a piece of ribbon or string to hold in place. A really nice touch is to punch a hole/make a slit in the top and tie the ribbon through, so guests don’t lose the ribbon when the scroll is undone!
- If you’re looking for something a bit different, why not put your order of the day on a piece of small card and attach it to a bag of confetti or bubbles for your guests to use after the ceremony.
nofreetime tips
- Be careful of copyright – know the rules before you start printing words out! You might need permission before you start printing out poems or hymn lyrics.
- Include details as to what time the evening will end. This is especially important if the venue charges you extra hours if your guests are slow to leave!