Order of service words?

sugarwalsh

Hi, I am starting to put together our 'order of service'. WE are having a civil cermeony and we would like them really quite informal - the final details still have to be confirmed ie, the music and the poems, but I was wondering what to put at the beginning.

Do we welcome everyone? Do any of you have examples?

Megan

ellay864

We didn't have an order of service and I've personally never been to a civil ceremony that has. Obviously that doesn't mean you can't choose to do one, but I don't think you should feel it's expected

sugarwalsh

Ok. I would like to put the poem we are thinking of using down for people to keep! I'm getting there!

MEgan

74jax

I have been to a civil ceremony where they had something (not sure it was as formal as an Order or Service) and I've been to a wedding without. I'm not entirely sure I took the Order of Service with me when I left though, I hope I didn't offend the bride by leaving it.

I've googled it and come up with these website which offer ideas and templates etc :

http://www.nofreetime.com/wedding-stationery/order-of-service/default.aspx

http://www.eventtoolkit.com/weddings/ceremony/civil-ceremony-order-of-service-template.aspx

becca0417

Last time I went to a civil ceremony they had an order of the day - was lovely and really helpful for us to know where we needed to be etc!

ac085

We just had a little slip of paper on the chairs that gave the timings of the day. (it was a civil ceremony)
I think it was something like
3pm ceremony
4pm drinks and photos
5pm wedding breakfast

It was mainly so people knew when they were eating and how long they had to mingle/buy drinks.

I was going to do a full order of service but wanted some of the music to remain a surprise so couldn't really think of anything else to include in it instead.

sugarwalsh

Thank you all. I have put the poem we are using on the back as small parts are also featured on the place cards and menus to tie it all together. I think I might put an 'order of day' together on the front as I do think it helps if people know what they are doing. Especially as OH can't decideabout a best man, who would traditionally tell people I guess. And as we are moving venue it would be a great help....

Thanks again
Megan

ellay864

One thing we did do was to set up a webiste (using gettingmarried.co.uk) and we used that to give people all the details about the day, where to stay, how to get there, timings and the general order of the whole day/evening. We deliberately didn't want to give details of the service as there were several aspects we wanted to keep secret...and one bit that was kept secret from us!
The site is free and a lot of brides on here have used it

sugarwalsh

ellay864 wrote: »

One thing we did do was to set up a webiste (using gettingmarried.co.uk) and we used that to give people all the details about the day, where to stay, how to get there, timings and the general order of the whole day/evening. We deliberately didn't want to give details of the service as there were several aspects we wanted to keep secret...and one bit that was kept secret from us!
The site is free and a lot of brides on here have used it

Intriguiing - what did you keep secret and what was kept secret from you?

MEgan

ellay864

We didn't want people to know the reading my son was doing, nor the music, which included a song my OH had written and recorded. And we had a reading kept secret from us...I'd asked a friend to choose something but not tell us what it was, but in the end he wrote something himself which was gorgeous and had the bonus of being lovely and personal

sugarwalsh

that is so nice. I don't think we will put the music on - we are having some pretty non traditional songs I think, so it should be a surprise. Hopefully our songs will make them feel really happy and like it is a real celebration of our love. I;ve got plenty of time to decide.

Megan