What a Funeral Program Is For

A funeral program, also called an order of service, is the printed booklet handed to guests as they arrive. It does two jobs at once. During the service, it lets everyone follow along—knowing when to stand, which hymn is next, and who is speaking. Afterward, it becomes a keepsake: a small, tangible record of the day and the person it honored.

Programs range from a single folded sheet to a multi-page booklet. There is no required length. A simple bifold (one sheet folded in half, giving four pages) covers most services comfortably: a cover, the order of service, a life summary, and acknowledgements. Larger booklets add room for more photos, tributes, and readings printed in full.

The tone should match the person and the service. A traditional religious funeral, a secular memorial, and a celebration of life each call for slightly different wording and structure, all of which we cover below.

The Standard Order of Service

Most funerals follow a recognizable sequence. You don't need every element—use it as a menu, not a mandate—but this is the typical order in which items appear in the program:

1. Prelude — music as guests are seated. 2. Welcome — the officiant greets everyone and introduces the service. 3. Opening words or prayer — an invocation or opening reflection. 4. Hymns or songs — congregational or performed music. 5. Readings or scripture — passages chosen by the family. 6. Eulogy — the central tribute to the person's life. 7. Reflection — a moment of silence, a slideshow, or a musical interlude.

8. Committal — words said at the graveside or before cremation, sometimes held separately. 9. Closing words — final remarks from the officiant. 10. Benediction — a closing blessing. 11. Repast notice — details of the gathering or meal afterward, so guests know where to go. Adjust the order to fit your faith tradition and the family's wishes.

The Front Cover and Back Cover

The front cover sets the tone. It usually carries the person's full name, their birth and death years or full dates, a favorite portrait photograph, and a short line such as "In Loving Memory" or "Celebrating the Life of." Some families add the service date and location here as well; others keep the cover simple and put logistics inside.

The back cover is where the family speaks. It commonly holds the acknowledgements—a short thank-you to those who offered support—and often a closing poem, a favorite quote, or a brief prayer. If there's a graveside location, repast details, or a charity for memorial donations, the back is a natural place for them.

Keep both covers uncluttered. One strong photo, clean type, and a little breathing room read as far more dignified than a crowded page.

What Goes Inside: Life Summary, Photos, and Pallbearers

The inside pages carry the heart of the program. Beyond the order of service itself, most programs include a life summary or obituary—a few paragraphs covering when and where the person was born, their family, work, passions, and the people they leave behind. This is the mini-biography guests will read and keep.

Photos bring the pages to life. A single strong portrait works, or a small collage spanning different eras of the person's life. If you're printing in color, choose images with good contrast so they hold up on paper.

Many programs also list the participants: pallbearers (and honorary pallbearers), the officiant, readers, musicians, and eulogists. Naming them honors their role and helps guests follow who is speaking. Finish the inside with acknowledgements if they don't fit on the back cover.

A Simple Fill-In Template

Copy this structure and replace the brackets. It fits a standard four-page bifold:

Cover: In Loving Memory of [Full Name] · [Birth Date] – [Death Date] · [Portrait Photo] · [Service Date, Time, and Location]

Inside left — Order of Service: Prelude — [Music] · Welcome — [Officiant Name] · Opening Prayer — [Name] · Hymn — [Song Title] · Reading — [Passage, read by Name] · Eulogy — [Name] · Reflection — [Music or Silence] · Committal — [Location] · Closing Words — [Officiant] · Benediction · Repast — [Location and Time]

Inside right — Life Summary: [Two or three short paragraphs: birth, family, life, and those they leave behind] · [Photo or small collage] · Pallbearers — [Names] · Officiant — [Name] · Musicians / Readers — [Names]

Back cover — Acknowledgements: "The family of [Name] thanks you for your love and support during this time." · [Closing poem, quote, or prayer] · [Memorial donation details, if any]

A Short Sample Order of Service

Here is a filled-in example you can adapt directly:

Prelude — "Clair de Lune," played as guests are seated
Welcome — Rev. Andrea Coles
Opening Prayer — Rev. Andrea Coles
Hymn — "Amazing Grace" (all standing)
First Reading — Psalm 23, read by James Turner
Eulogy — delivered by Sarah Turner, daughter
Reflection — a slideshow of family photographs
Second Reading — "Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep," read by Emily Turner
Closing Words — Rev. Andrea Coles
Benediction
Committal — Greenfield Cemetery, immediately following
Repast — Please join the family at the Community Hall, 1:00 PM

Swap the names, music, and readings for your own. Our celebration of life program guide offers a lighter, less formal variation on the same structure.

Religious, Secular, and Celebration-of-Life Variations

The core structure stays the same, but the wording shifts to fit the occasion. A religious funeral program leans on the faith tradition: scripture readings, hymns, prayers, and terms like invocation, committal, and benediction. A Catholic funeral Mass, for instance, follows a set liturgy the program should mirror closely.

A secular or humanist program keeps the same flow but replaces prayers with reflections, scripture with poetry or prose, and hymns with meaningful songs. The language centers on the person's life and legacy rather than religious themes.

A celebration of life is the most flexible. It often reframes the program around stories, favorite music, and shared memories, and may drop formal terms entirely in favor of headings like "Remembering," "Songs She Loved," and "Share a Story." The design tends to be brighter and more personal. Match the format to how the person lived.

Design and Printing Tips

A few practical pointers keep the program looking clean and reading easily. Use one or two fonts at most—a clear heading font and a readable body font—and keep body text at a comfortable size, since many guests will be older. Leave generous margins; white space reads as calm and dignified.

For paper, a slightly heavier stock (roughly card-weight) feels like a keepsake and won't show print-through. Standard letter paper folded in half is the most common and economical format. Proofread every name, date, and song title carefully, and have a second person check them—errors are painful to catch after printing.

Print a few more copies than your expected headcount; guests often take one home and mourners arrive unannounced. If time is short, most print shops and copy centers can turn around a simple folded program same-day from a PDF, and many funeral homes will print one for you as part of their service—ask before paying to do it separately.

Give yourself a little grace on the layout, too. A clean, correct program with one good photo beats an elaborate design finished at 2 a.m. the night before. If you're overwhelmed, a single folded sheet with the order of service on one side and a short life summary on the other is entirely enough. Finally, consider adding a small QR code to a corner of the program that links to a digital memorial. Guests can scan it to view photos, watch a tribute video, or leave a message—extending the keepsake far beyond the page.