Funeral invitation

What to include

The front holds the essentials: their name and dates, the kind of service, the day and date, the time, and the place with its address. The back covers anything guests need to plan around: burial or committal, the reception or meal, parking, what to wear, whether children are welcome, and who to contact. If the family asks for donations in place of flowers, add one line for it on the back.

Wording that works

Most invitations open with a short line above the name. Some common ones:

• “You are invited to the funeral service for”
• “Please join us as we remember”
• “Please join us in celebrating the life of”
• “A memorial service will be held for”

For a private service, you can still send a card to the people who are invited and say “A private family service will be held”, with a public memorial date if there is one. For a lighter gathering, see the celebration of life invitation template page.

Sending and printing

Download the JPG to send by message, or the home-printing PDF to print two invitations on each Letter sheet. They fit A7 envelopes. The Garden, Noir and Eucalyptus invitations match the funeral programs of the same names.

Questions families ask

Is it OK to send a funeral invitation by text?

Yes. Most families now send the details by text, email or a Facebook post, and mail printed cards only to older relatives or people who are not online.

Do people RSVP to a funeral?

Not usually for the service itself. A reply line helps when there is a meal afterward or the space is small, so you know how much food to order.

Should I put the home address on an invitation?

Only if the reception is there and you are sending it to people you know. If it will be posted publicly, give the reception place in a private message instead.