For the day itself, and for the years after.
Wedding order of service: a template, with wording you can use
A wedding order of service guides your guests through the ceremony and gives them the hymns to sing. It is also a small keepsake of the day, and the part of the stationery people actually read.
Updated 5 November 2026
The short answer
A wedding order of service has a cover with both your names, the church, the date and the time. Inside are the running order and the words of the hymns, and on the back are the wedding party and your thanks. Ask your minister to check it before you print, and allow one per guest, or one per couple if you are watching the budget.
Make this order of service
Tell us your names, the date and your choices, and we will set the whole booklet. Change it as often as you like before you print.
Make a wedding order of service£24 for this order. No account needed.
What goes on each page
A typical order
This is the usual shape of a Church of England wedding. Your minister will confirm the details with you.
Wording for the cover
The Marriage of Eleanor Grace Hartley and Thomas James Okafor
The Celebration of the Marriage of
A service of blessing for
Together with their families
Full names look right on a cover. Check the spelling against your marriage paperwork, and agree whose name comes first.
Wording for your thanks
Thank you for sharing this day with us. It means more than we can say.
With love and thanks to our parents, and to everyone who helped to make today happen.
Please join us after the service at The Old Rectory for drinks and dinner.
Who to name
- Parents, by name, if you would like to honour them.
- Best man, bridesmaids, ushers and any readers.
- The minister, and the organist or choir.
- Anyone being remembered, in a quiet line, if you wish.
Choosing hymns
Two or three is usual. Pick ones your guests will know, because a wedding congregation is rarely a practised one. Our list of wedding hymns says what each one is like, and print the words of every one.
Mistakes to catch before you print
- A name spelled differently from your legal paperwork.
- A hymn sung to a different tune from the one on the sheet. Love divine is the usual catch, so ask the organist.
- A reading the minister has not yet approved.
- Verses printed that will not be sung.
- The wrong year on the cover, after you reused someone else’s file.
Printing it
A5 is the usual size, and a heavier paper makes it feel like part of the day. You can print it at home using our guide, or send the PDF to a local print shop. Try to have it finished a week or two before the wedding, so that nobody is folding at midnight.
Make this order of service
Tell us your names, the date and your choices, and we will set the whole booklet. Change it as often as you like before you print.
Make a wedding order of service£24 for this order. No account needed.
Questions people ask
Do you need an order of service for a wedding?
It is not required, but guests find it useful, especially with hymns to sing. If you want to keep costs down, a single folded sheet is fine.
How many should we print?
One per guest is safest. One per couple is fine if you are watching the budget, plus a few spare for the wedding party and the minister.
Who goes first on the cover?
Traditionally the bride, but it is entirely up to you.
Should we print the words of the hymns?
Yes. Most guests will not have a hymn book, and the words of most traditional hymns are out of copyright.