How to plan a celebration of life, with a sample program

A celebration of life remembers someone by celebrating how they lived. It can be held anywhere: a community hall, a park, a lodge, a family home or a favourite restaurant. It may come weeks or months after a cremation or a private burial, and it can be religious, spiritual or not at all. There is no set order, which is freeing and also a little daunting. This guide gives you a sample order, wording for each part and a checklist, so the day runs gently.

Programs and signs that suit a celebration of life

Edit in Canva (a free account works) or Microsoft Word, print at home or at a print shop. Instant download.

A sample order of the gathering

About an hour, with time to talk afterwards. Change the order to suit them.

Gathering music as people arrive (10 minutes)
Welcome and opening words from the host or celebrant (5 minutes)
A reading or a poem (3 minutes)
Their life story, told by a family member or a friend (5 to 8 minutes)
Music that meant something to them (3 to 4 minutes)
Sharing of memories, open to anyone who wants to speak (15 to 20 minutes)
Photo slideshow (5 to 8 minutes)
Closing words and thanks (3 minutes)
Closing music, then an invitation to the reception

What to put in the program

The cover. "Celebrating the life of" or "A celebration of life", their name, their dates and a photo.
Inside. The order of the gathering, with the name of everyone who speaks or reads, and their life story.
The back. A poem or a few lines, a thank-you from the family, the reception details, and where donations can go if the family wants them.

A 4-page program, one Letter sheet folded in half, holds all of this. Our guide to making a program walks through it step by step, and the funeral program format page has more sample orders.

Wording for each part

The cover

Celebrating the life of
Walter James Whitfield
1947 – 2026

The order of the gathering

Gathering music
Welcome: [host's name]
Reading: "Crossing the Bar" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, read by [name]
Their life story: [name]
Music: "[song title]"
Sharing of memories: everyone is welcome to speak
Photo slideshow
Closing words: [name]
Closing music: "[song title]"

A thank-you from the family

Walt's family thanks you for being here today, for your stories, your kindness and your company. Please join us for food and drinks at [place] after the gathering.

The reception

Please stay for coffee, food and stories in the [hall or garden] after the gathering.

Sharing memories without the long silence

Ask two or three people ahead of time to go first. Once the first stories are told, others follow.
Give a gentle time guide in the welcome, for example "about two minutes each".
Use a microphone, even in a small room. Quiet voices get lost.
Put memory cards and pens on the tables for people who would rather write than speak. Read a few aloud at the end, or give them all to the family.
Ask the host to close the sharing kindly when it is time: "Thank you, everyone. There will be time for more stories at the reception."

Readings and music

Poems that suit a celebration of life and are free to print: Robert Louis Stevenson's "Requiem", Christina Rossetti's "Remember", Alfred, Lord Tennyson's "Crossing the Bar" and Henry Scott Holland's "Death is nothing at all". The full texts are on our poems and verses page.
Music can be anything they loved, from a hymn to a favourite song. Print the titles in the program, not the lyrics, which are usually under copyright.

A planning checklist

Choose the date, time and place, and who will host.
Ask the speakers and readers, and tell each one how long they have.
Gather photos for the slideshow and for a photo table.
Make the program, and print one per guest plus a few spares, at home or at a print shop.
Plan the food and drink.
Put a welcome sign at the door, and a table with photos, memory cards and a guest book.
Ask someone to take photos, if the family wants them.
Share the details with a short post or message. Our obituary guide has wording you can copy.