A funeral program tells guests what will happen at the service and who is taking part. Afterwards it becomes the keepsake people take home. Programs go by other names too: order of service, memorial program, celebration of life program, service booklet. Whatever it is called, nearly every one follows the same format.
Templates laid out exactly this way
Edit in Canva (a free account works) or Microsoft Word, print at home or at a print shop. Instant download.
This page shows that format page by page, with wording you can borrow, sample orders of service for different kinds of service, and the sizes that print easily. When you are ready to make yours, our step-by-step guide walks you through it.
The standard format: one sheet, four pages
The most common funeral program is a single Letter sheet (8.5 × 11 inches), printed on both sides and folded in half. That gives four pages, each 5.5 × 8.5 inches:
- Front cover. Their photo, name and dates, and the service details.
- Inside left. The order of service.
- Inside right. The life story, with a short closing quote.
- Back cover. A poem or verse, a thank-you from the family, and the reception details.
This size prints on a home printer, fits a jacket pocket or a handbag, and holds everything most services need. It is the format of our Pressed Garden funeral program.
Other formats
- Eight-page booklet. Two sheets folded together. Room for a longer obituary, more photos and full readings.
- Trifold. One sheet folded in three, with six narrow panels. Suits a short service with little text.
- Single card. One flat sheet or card. Enough for a graveside service or a small gathering.
- Large print. Not a different format so much as a rule: when text does not fit, add a page or cut words. Never shrink the type. In our templates the body text is 12 point and nothing is smaller than 9 point.
Page by page
The front cover
The cover has five parts, from top to bottom:
- A title line. "In Loving Memory of" is the most common. Others: "Celebrating the Life of", "A Service of Remembrance for", "In Celebration of the Life of", "Forever in Our Hearts".
- Their photo. One clear photo of their face, looking toward the camera. It can be recent or from the years they loved best.
- Their name. The full name, with a nickname in quotation marks if that is how people knew them.
- Their dates. Full dates, "March 14, 1941 – September 30, 2026", or years only, "1941 – 2026".
- The service details. The day and date, the time, and the place, each on its own line.
A sample cover, for a fictional person:
In Loving Memory of
Eleanor Rose Whitfield
March 14, 1941 – September 30, 2026
Saturday, October 10, 2026, at 11:00 a.m.
[Name of the chapel, church or hall]
Inside left: the order of service
The order of service lists what happens, in order, and who leads each part. Keep each line short: the item, then the person's name if you want it there. List hymns and songs by title, and readings by name or citation. The person leading the service will confirm the order with you; use these as a starting point.
A traditional service
- Prelude
- Processional
- Welcome and opening prayer
- Hymn: [title]
- Reading: [citation], read by [name]
- Reflection or homily
- Eulogy, given by [name]
- Hymn: [title]
- Closing prayer and blessing
- Recessional
- Committal at [cemetery], followed by a reception
A celebration of life
- Welcome and opening words
- Music: [title]
- Reflections from [name] and [name]
- Slideshow
- Open sharing of memories
- A moment of silence
- Closing words
- Reception to follow
A short graveside service
- Opening words
- Reading
- Words of remembrance
- Committal
- Closing words or blessing
- Lunch to follow at [place]
Pallbearers can be listed under the order of service: "Pallbearers" followed by the names, and "Honorary pallbearers" if there are any.
Inside right: the life story
The life story is a short obituary written for the people in the room. About 150 to 250 words fits the inside page of a four-page program. If a longer obituary already exists, shorten it for the program rather than making the type smaller.
A life story that reads well usually has, in this order: where and when they were born, and to whom; what they did with their days; what they loved; who they leave behind; and one line about how they will be remembered. Specific, true details beat general praise. "She kept a garden that fed half the street" says more than "she was generous".
A closing quote under the life story is a nice touch. One or two lines is enough; our poems and verses page has short ones that are free to print.
The back cover
The back cover usually holds three things, with room for a small photo or a sprig of art:
- A poem or verse. Up to about 16 short lines.
- An acknowledgement from the family.
- The reception, and a line about donations if you are asking for them instead of flowers.
Wording you can borrow
Acknowledgements
- "The family of Eleanor wishes to thank you for your presence today, and for the kindness shown to us in recent weeks."
- "We are grateful for every card, call, meal and visit. Your love has carried us."
- "Thank you for being here. Eleanor would have loved to see you all in one room."
Reception
- "Please join us for refreshments at [place] following the service."
- "The family invites you to a reception in the hall immediately after the service."
- "Lunch will be served at [place]. All are welcome."
Donations instead of flowers
- "In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to [organization] in Eleanor's memory."
- "If you wish, a donation to [organization] would be welcomed in place of flowers."
Closing lines
- "Forever in our hearts."
- "Loved beyond words, missed beyond measure."
- "Until we meet again."
Mistakes to avoid
- A misspelled name or a wrong date. Read every one aloud with someone else checking.
- A small or blurry photo. Use the largest, sharpest version you have, and look at it at full size before printing.
- Type that is too small. If the text does not fit, cut words or add a page.
- A missing reception line. Guests will ask. Put it on the back cover.
- No test print. Print one copy and read it on paper before printing the rest.
- Leaving it to the last morning. Print shops often have a cutoff for same-day orders. Call yours early to ask.
Sizes and printing
A four-page program is one Letter sheet, printed on both sides, flipped on the short edge and folded in half. At home, use cream or white cardstock, 80 to 100 lb. At a print shop, ask for Letter, double-sided, folded in half, on cardstock, and ask how they would like the file. Print one for every guest you expect, plus a dozen extra. The full printing steps are in our how-to guide.
Templates that follow this format
Our templates are laid out exactly as described here, so you only change the words and the photo. Each comes as a Canva template link (a free account works) and a Microsoft Word file, with a how-to guide, as an instant download.
- Pressed Garden funeral program: four pages, soft pressed-flower botanicals, Letter folded to 5.5 × 8.5 inches.
- Pressed Garden prayer card: a matching 2.5 × 4.25 inch card with their photo on the front and a verse on the back.
- Pressed Garden welcome sign: a matching sign for the entrance, 18 × 24 or 24 × 36 inches (Canva only).
Questions, or not sure which format suits your service? Email hello@memorialpaper.com.