Ready, Set, Cut: A Complete Guide to Ribbon Cutting Ceremonies

For a ceremony that might last less than thirty seconds, a ribbon cutting carries a surprising amount of weight. It’s the moment a new shop, office, building or project officially opens — the photo that ends up in the local paper, on the company LinkedIn, or leading a press release. Get the ribbon, the colour and the scissors right, and it looks effortless. Get any of it wrong — ribbon too thin to photograph well, scissors that can’t cut cleanly through it, nothing left afterwards to keep as a memento — and it can undercut an otherwise well-planned event. Ceremony ribbon is genuinely one of the things we specialise in, so here’s what actually goes into a ribbon cutting ceremony, and how to plan yours properly.

Why a Proper Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Matters

A ribbon cutting isn’t just a formality — it’s usually the single most photographed moment of an opening, and often the image that ends up representing the whole event afterwards. A length of ribbon and a pair of scissors give the moment a clear beginning and end: guests know exactly when to applaud, photographers know exactly when to press the shutter, and the business gets a genuinely usable photo for its website, social channels or the local press. It’s also one of the few parts of an opening that’s entirely within your control — unlike the weather, the turnout, or how the speeches go, the ribbon cutting itself can be planned, rehearsed and got right every time.

What You Actually Need

• Ceremony ribbon. Our ceremony ribbon range is the standard starting point for most openings.
• Extra wide ceremony ribbon, in 100mm, 200mm or 300mm widths, for larger venues, bigger crowds, or when more than one person is cutting together.
• Full colour or Pantone-matched printing, so the ribbon can carry your exact brand colours, matched against the official Pantone Matching System, along with your logo, name or opening date.
• Ceremony scissors, sized to match your ribbon — see the ceremony scissors range.
• A ready-made ceremony package, bringing ribbon and scissors together in one order — browse ceremony packages if you’d rather not order the two separately.
• Door bows, to dress the entrance itself either side of the ribbon — see our door bow kits.

Choosing Your Ribbon: Width, Colour & Print

Width is the first decision, and it matters more than it might seem. A standard ceremony ribbon width works well for a smaller, more intimate opening — a local shop, a single-person cut, a modest crowd. For anything bigger — a large storefront, a public building, several dignitaries cutting together — extra wide ribbon in 100mm, 200mm or 300mm reads far better in photos and gives everyone’s hands room to be in the same shot.

Colour is worth thinking about against your actual backdrop rather than in isolation — a ribbon that blends into a dark shopfront or a grey stone building won’t stand out in photos the way a strong contrast will. If you have brand colours to match, full colour Pantone-matched printing means the ribbon will match precisely rather than approximately.

Printing your business name, logo or opening date directly onto the ribbon turns it from a prop into part of the story — it reads clearly in the ceremony photo itself, and gives you something worth keeping afterwards. If you only need one length for a single event rather than a full roll, our cut to length service lets you order exactly the length you need.

Different Types of “Ribbon Cutting” Moments

Ribbon cutting isn’t only for shop openings — the same tradition covers a wider range of occasions:

• Grand openings & store launches — the classic use case, and where most of our ceremony orders come from
• Public buildings & infrastructure — schools, offices, community centres, and other projects marking a completed milestone
• Corporate launches & product reveals — a physical, photographable moment to anchor an announcement
• Race finish lines — a related tradition, where a ribbon is broken rather than cut; see our custom finishing line ribbon if you’re organising a run or race
• Charity & community events — fetes, unveilings and milestone celebrations that benefit from the same clear, photographable moment

Planning Tips for a Smooth Ceremony

• Ask for a free proof of any printed text or logo before it goes to print, so there’s no surprise on the day.
• Measure the span you need to cover and order a little extra ribbon at each end for tying off and securing.
• Match your scissors to your ribbon — a wider or heavier ribbon needs scissors sized to cut through it cleanly in one motion, which is exactly why our ceremony packages pair the two together.
• If more than one person is cutting, extra wide ribbon gives everyone’s hands and scissors room to appear in the same photo.
• Dress the surrounding entrance with a door bow or two either side for a more finished, professional look.
• Keep a length of the cut ribbon afterwards — it’s a small memento, and useful if you want a repeat photo for press or social media later.

FAQs

What width ribbon should I use for a ribbon cutting ceremony? Standard ceremony ribbon suits most openings. For a bigger venue, larger crowd, or several people cutting together, extra wide ribbon (100mm–300mm) reads far better in photographs.

Can the ribbon be printed with our name or logo? Yes — in a single print colour, or full colour printing matched to your exact Pantone brand colours.

Do you supply the scissors as well as the ribbon? Yes — either as a separate order from our ceremony scissors range, or bundled together in a ready-made ceremony package.

How far in advance should we order? As with anything printed to order, earlier is better. Get in touch with your date and we’ll let you know what’s achievable, including express options if you’re working to a tight deadline.

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Planning a ribbon cutting? Browse our ceremony packages, or get in touch for help choosing the right width, colour and scissors for your event.