Friday, September 5, 2008

Get yer programs!

I'm a bit surprised at all of you who claim you want to see our programs. I'll level with you, they're quite boring and cheap.

I don't have the best sense for stationary so I didn't go out of my way to make a really fancy booklet or even those little rectangular pieces of cardstock.

We have a whole bunch of people coming who are Catholic and they really need a program as the ceremony is gonna be generally Methodist (but we do have some holy water for them in the back).

To me that was always the point of programs to tell everyone what is coming up next and when to expect the thing to be done. Of course the other half of the program is to announce who helped with this whole shindig and to thank them. I was always used to the simple paper programs that you get at church, at other weddings I attended when I was little and well really anything that happens at the church.

So I went old school (kinda like the cake topper). We picked out some not gag me sappy or ugly paper and then came the hard part, getting it all to print. Since making these things were so easy I was thinking I'd share something you don't usually see at most blogs, the order of the ceremony and any other stuff that fills it out. It seems like a lot of people really want a good general idea but it's about impossible to find.

This is of course our Methodist version, but if you're looking for a pretty simple common Christian flow this is about how it goes (Though I did change 'sermon' to 'homily' for the Catholics in the room). There is also some extra stuff at top including a fun border but I cut it off for the sake of um it wouldn't fit in my screen grab.

The other side of the programs have a nice long listing of all the people who helped and anyone we're related to as well as a few simple statments like "If you for some reason forgot the reception starts here at this time" and "Thanks for being here with us, in fact you can take a few extra programs with you if you want. We have a ton left over thanks to all those who ditched."

The back is where it gets a bit interesting. Most people will put a quote or two that is inspiring and all about how great love is. Well we aren't sappy so it's been a difficult challenge trying to find love quotes that don't give me a sugar rush.If you can't read them here's what they say:

“The way to find out if you love someone or not, is by talking to them. The more you talk to them the more you either hate them or love them.”
Brad Breitenstein


We're also both crazy Terry Pratchett fans so I did some digging through some quote databases to find a good one about weddings.



“A marriage is always made up of two people who are prepared to swear that only the other one snores.”
Terry Pratchett
The Fifth Elephant


If you're wondering what that tiny spec of almost invisible text is, it's sort of a hidden Easter Egg for our programs. No it isn't us railing against all those problems and road blocks wedding planning has thrown us. It's another quote, a quote a lot of people at weddings wouldn't want to think about but one that I think holds quite true especially held up to the light of the idea of the wedding being the best day of your life.

"Listen, happy endings is fine if they turn out happy. But you can't make 'em for other people. Like the only way you could make a happy marriage is by cuttin' their heads off as soon as they say 'I do,' yes?"
Granny Weatherwax
Witches Abroad


Sorry to dissapoint if these weren't what you were expecting, but I can only be creative 10 hours out of the week. Court Order.

5 comments:

valerie said...

Actually... this was what I was expecting. Really, I have no clue what to write inside the programs, haha. In a way, I still don't, mostly because we are having a Friends "ceremony" and well, there's really nothing to put on there other than, "Most of you will be awkward and uncomfortable, but we're just gonna talk for a while."

;)

They look good though! I don't think they're boring. You've got some fabulous quotes on there. Definitely not the usual "Love is patient, love is kind..." which I like. :)

Linda said...

My hubby would be tickled. He likes Terry Pratchett's books. I like how off-beat you are and how your wedding will reflect who you are. Very cool.

Cate Subrosa said...

Yeah, you were right, it was boring.

Mwa ha ha ha ha!

Loved the quotes :)

Anonymous said...

You are too funny. About your last post . . .read my Sunday post about my family. I sooo understand.

Rachel said...

Thanks for posting this... it's one of those things you kind of need to do, but it's not very fun or exciting so nobody blogs about what to put IN the programs!!