A Typical Nigerian Wedding Programme: How to Draft a Nigerian Wedding Programme

Wedding image

Wedding Program, 9 December 1967

The white wedding

The wedding programme is an integral part of the wedding ceremony especially in Nigerian Weddings. The programme is important in white wedding whenever there is a church ceremony.

Major ethnic groups in Nigeria like the Igbo, Yoruba, and Hausa that have Christian population participate in church weddings. A program of activities to guide the proceedings accompanies the church wedding.

There are many formats to a church wedding programme but most follow a general guide. Bellow is a general guide to help the bride and groom present a practical wedding programme.

The cover

The cover of your wedding program should be attractive and contain floral or ring images. The color of the program depends on the color theme of the day. A picture of the bride and groom can appear after Our Wedding Program boldly written at the top of the program.

Two symbolic gold rings can occupy the middle portion while the bottom half of the cover has the brides name followed by the groom. Lastly, the date boldly inscribed beneath the bride and grooms names.

File:9Our Lady Lourdes Church Wedding Angeles Pampanga

The back of the wedding programme

They print the front and back cover simultaneously so the back inscription is also important. On the back, you have the diocese name then the type of communion. For example, you have Diocese of Lagos West followed by Anglican Communion.

If the church has, a vision or mission-statement write it at the back of the programme.

First page of your programme

On the first page of your programme is the order of service for the Blessing of the marriage between the brides and groom. Listed next is the church where the union is to take place such as The Church of the Pentecost and the type of communion.

Under the church, you include the address or venue, date of the wedding and time.

Officiating ministers

Under the officiating minister, you have the director of music, and churchwardens. Also included are the priests of the occasion and the vicar of the archdeaconry.

Table of content

The table of content varies from wedding to the next but the format is the same. In your table of content, you start with the processional hymn, introduction, and then declaration.

The next is the hymn and the marriage proper conducted by the priests. After the marriage, we have a psalm, prayers for the bride and groom and another hymn.

The bible reading comes before the sermon and any appointed member of the family can do the bible reading. The priest then gives a sermon for duration of thirty minutes, another hymn and concluding prayers for the bride and groom.

Table of content

Table of content

1 Processional Hymn 1

2 Introduction

3 Declaration

4 Hymn 2

5 The Marriage

6 Psalms

7 Prayer

8 Hymn3

9 Bible reading

10 The Sermon

11 Hymn 4

12 Concluding Prayers fro the couple

13 Signing of the Marriage register

14 Thanksgiving

15 Benediction

16 Notices

17 Withdrawal Hymn

18 Order of Photographs

19 Bridal Train

20 Programme for the reception

21 Order of photograph

22 Bridal train

23 Reception programme

Parish Priest- the work of the Vicar of St Mark's Church, Victoria Docks, Silvertown, London, England, UK, 1944

Signing of the marriage register

The signing of the marriage register is a very important part of the marriage. The register attests to the union ordained by God and certified by the church and your witnesses. The priests, father, and mother of both bride and groom sign the marriage register. In the absence of a family member, the family head or a friend can perform the same function.

The thanksgiving

The thanksgiving depends on the worship mode of the church, Pentecostal worship include lots of songs and dancing. The duration of the thanksgiving is at the discretion of the officiating priest, then the benediction.

Notices and withdrawal hymn

The notices are for the benefit of the church members in the congregation. However, the priest is at liberty to inform the congregation of the wedding venue.

Nigerian wedding

The order of photographs

The order of photographs is an important aspect of any wedding so precise order is important. The couple takes their first photograph with the officiating ministers.

Then the couple with the brides parents, couple with brides family and the couple with the grooms family. The couple takes a picture with the Best man then with the chief bridesmaid.

The couple each takes another photograph alone and then the bride with the bridesmaid, groom with his best man. They are then photographed with the bridal train, men on suit, and the couple’s friends.

They stand with people wearing the Aso-ebi material, couple with the brides friends and grooms friends. The couple are photographed with the groom’s men, bride and siblings, office workers, guests and those in traditional outfits.

Types of Marriage

Wedding rings

The order of photograph

1 Couple with officiating Ministers

2 Couple with Bride’s parent

3 Couple with Bride’s Family

4 Couple with grooms family

5 Couple with Bestman and Chiefs-Brides maid

6 Couple alone

7 Groom alone bride alone

8 Bride with Chiefbrides maid

9 Groom with bestman

10 Couple with men on suit

11 Couple with friends

12 Couple with congregation wearing Aso ebi

13 Couple with bride’s friends

14 Couple with groom’s friends

15 Couple with grooms men

16 Couple with office workers and friends

17 Bride with siblings

18 Groom and siblings

19 Couple with guests in suits

20 Couple with guests in traditional outfits

The bridal train

Every white wedding needs a beautiful bridal train that can consist of as many maids of honor. The bridal train starts with the chief bride’s Maid, a little bride then the ring bearer. The train continues with the bride’s maid and lastly the maids of honor.

The programme for the reception

The reception programme is when the fun and enjoyment begins. The seated guests are introduced to the CHAIRMAN of the occasion. The master of ceremony introduces the NEW COUPLE to the gathering followed by the opening prayer.

Traditional institutions are fulfilled, feeding of the groom, toast and other events then the conclusion. The wedding programme is very important in any white wedding so pay lots of attention to its content.

Bye

Our wedding Program

© 2015 femi

Comments

femi (author) from Nigeria on June 29, 2020:

Farrah Young thanks for the comment.weddings in Nigeria are fun festive occasions although financial tasking most times family members contribute both financially and morally.Today wedding programs are getting elaborate

Farrah Young from Lagos, Nigeria on June 28, 2020:

This hub just takes me five years back to before my wedding when I was searching out wedding programmes.

Thanks for the beautiful trip down memory lane.

Nkec on November 05, 2018:

Thanks alot. It helped real good

Heritage on January 14, 2018:

Good job. This assisted me alot.

Scoobadiva on October 18, 2017:

Thanks. Helped me a lot

femi (author) from Nigeria on August 07, 2016:

Omolola thanks for the comment

Omolola on August 05, 2016:

God bless you for putting this up... I appreciate, it will help me with my order if photographs in church n the wedding reception programme. Thanks again