Whether you call them wedding program covers or wedding bulletins, we sell a lot of them (view our selection of blank wedding programs from Warner Press). Right now, at the height of wedding season, supplies can run thin and backorders of a week aren't uncommon. Don't let that discourage you from ordering--you don't need the papers to preactice printing your wedding programs. After you place your order with us (please try and do so at least 2-3 weeks in advance of your wedding), you can start setting up your programs so they're ready to go.
We tell you the size of every program in the description. The vast majority are letter sized paper (8 1/2 inches by 11 inches), and are landscape orientation. Most of the wedding programs fold in half like a book, but the chapel fold is a little different. To make a chapel fold, hold a piece of letter sized paper landscape, and bring each edge toward the middle. Crease the paper once the edges meet--you'll now have a piece of paper folded into three parts--one about 2 3/4 inches wide, one about 5 1/2 inches wide, and one about 2 3/4 inches wide (that should equal 11 inches).
Once you know how your paper is laid out, you can use Microsoft Word, Microsoft Publisher or some similar program to start making your program template. The exact specifics of how will depend on which program you use to print your wedding programs. In Microsoft Word, to print a standard wedding bulletin, open a new file, and change its page layout to be landscape. Make a margin of 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch on all sides, and create two columns, with the separation exactly in the middle (the Word help files can show you exactly how to do these steps, one at a time). For the chapel fold, set up three columns with the measurements above. Once you have this file set up, you can start adding your text.
What to say in your wedding program is up to you. Most couples put the order of the ceremony on the left side, and introduce the wedding party on the right, with a personal message to the guests somwehere inside. But you're free to do whatever suits you. Keep tweaking the words, margins and spacing until you get the exact look you want. Once your blank wedding program papers arrive, print a final draft on plain printer paper, and place it over the wedding bulletin paper, and hold it up to the light. Make sure everything lines up correctly. Then print only one of the blank program covers to make sure you know how to load the paper properly, and fold it to check the spacing one final time. Then, load up your blank programs and print away!
We'll have some templates later this summer--keep watching this blog so you'll know when we do.