Adding your religion or ceremony style
Choose a ceremony template, blend two traditions, and layer in reception moments — all during the setup wizard.
For: Couples
NextSet's setup wizard includes ceremony templates for the most common religious and cultural traditions. After reading this article you'll know how to pick the right template, blend two traditions, and add reception moments on top.
What ceremony templates do
When you build your wedding in NextSet, you choose one or more question packs during setup. Each pack is a curated set of crowd questions that appear in your guest experience — tailored to your ceremony style. Picking the right pack means the prompts, wording, and tone all fit your day.
Templates also shape the rundown. The one you choose automatically attaches to your Ceremony block in the day-plan calendar, so everything is already connected when you get to Step 5.
Available templates
| Template name | Best for |
|---|---|
| Regular Wedding | Non-religious, civil, or vow renewal ceremonies |
| Christian Wedding | Christian, Catholic, Protestant, Baptist, Methodist, and other church ceremonies |
| Jewish Wedding | Jewish ceremonies — chuppah, ketubah, and beyond |
| Muslim Wedding (Nikah) | Islamic nikah ceremonies |
| Hindu Wedding | Hindu ceremonies including sangeet, baraat, and pheras |
| Sikh Wedding (Anand Karaj) | Sikh gurdwara ceremonies |
| Buddhist Wedding | Buddhist ceremonies |
| Quaker Wedding | Quaker meeting-house ceremonies |
| Reception Games | Post-ceremony fun — icebreakers, the shoe game, the newlywed game |
| Engagement Party | Rehearsal dinner or welcome party the evening before |
| Bar / Bat Mitzvah | Coming-of-age celebration ceremonies |
Choosing your template in the wizard
The setup wizard notices religious keywords as you type. If you mention "church," "nikah," "gurdwara," or similar words in the Your vision step, the matching template is already ticked by the time you reach the packs step. You can add or remove any pack before finishing.
If the wizard doesn't pre-tick the right one, just tick it yourself — there's no right or wrong combination.
Blending two traditions
Multi-select is fully supported. Pick as many templates as you need.
A common example: one partner has a Christian background and the other is Jewish. Select both Christian Wedding and Jewish Wedding. The questions from both packs are added to your guest experience, and your day-plan calendar reflects both sets of ceremony moments.
Other combinations couples use regularly:
- Sikh Wedding + Reception Games — a full Anand Karaj ceremony, then structured fun at the reception.
- Hindu Wedding + Engagement Party — covers the sangeet and baraat on Day 1 (rehearsal evening) plus the full ceremony on the wedding day.
- Muslim Wedding + Reception Games — nikah ceremony followed by a walima reception with guest activities.
- Regular Wedding + Reception Games — civil ceremony with a lively, game-filled reception.
You're not locked into the combinations above — mix however you like.
Adding reception games on top of any ceremony pack
Reception Games is a standalone template, not a replacement for a ceremony pack. You can stack it on top of any religious or secular ceremony template. When you select both (say, Jewish Wedding + Reception Games), the ceremony questions sit on your Ceremony block and the games questions attach to your Reception block. Guests see the right prompts at the right time without any extra work from you.
Outdoor themes and timing
If you pick an outdoor or natural setting — Garden, Vineyard, Beach, Barn / Rustic, Backyard, or Outdoor (other) — the wizard shifts your ceremony and portrait times one hour earlier to account for golden-hour photography. This applies regardless of which ceremony template you choose.
What is a Bar / Bat Mitzvah?
A Bar Mitzvah (for boys) and Bat Mitzvah (for girls) is a Jewish coming-of-age celebration, typically held around age 13. It marks the young person taking on adult religious responsibilities, and is often followed by a large reception or party. The Bar / Bat Mitzvah template in NextSet is designed for these events — the questions and tone reflect the celebratory, community-focused nature of the occasion rather than a wedding ceremony. It lives in the weddings section because the reception format and guest experience are very similar.
Common problems
We have two different religious traditions — can we really blend them? Yes. Select both templates during setup. Your guest experience will draw questions from both packs, and your rundown includes moments from both traditions. There is no limit on how many packs you choose.
I want reception games, but I also have a religious ceremony. Do I have to pick one or the other? No. Reception Games is designed to be added on top of any ceremony template. Tick your ceremony pack and then tick Reception Games as well. The games attach to the reception portion of your day, not the ceremony.
I picked the wrong template — can I change it? Yes. Go into your wedding dashboard and open the rundown editor. You can update the templates attached to any rundown block at any time. Changes take effect immediately for your guests.
The wizard didn't suggest my tradition automatically. Type a keyword from your tradition in the Your vision field (for example, "gurdwara," "nikah," "chuppah," or "pastor") and advance to the next step — the suggestion should appear. If it still doesn't, just tick the pack manually on the template selection step.
I don't see my tradition in the list. If your tradition isn't listed, start with Regular Wedding — the questions are written for any ceremony style. You can also remove or skip prompts in the rundown editor after setup.
What's the difference between the Engagement Party template and a regular wedding template? The Engagement Party template is for the rehearsal dinner or welcome gathering the evening before your wedding. It adds a Day 1 block to your calendar (Rehearsal & Welcome). It's meant to complement your main ceremony template, not replace it.