Funeral program: what it includes and how to make one

What goes on each page

A four-page program has a front cover, two inside pages and a back. Families move things around, but most programs follow the layout below, because guests expect to find the order of service when they open it.

The front cover

The cover carries the person’s full name, their birth and death dates, a photo, and a heading such as “In loving memory” or “Celebrating the life of”. Most covers also give the date, time and place of the service. If the person was known by a nickname, a rank or a title, the cover is a good place for it.

Inside left: the order of service

This page lists each part of the service in the order it happens, with the name of whoever leads it. Pallbearers are often listed at the bottom of the same page. The sample running order further down shows how a typical one reads.

Inside right: the life story

This is usually a shortened obituary of 150 to 300 words, depending on whether a quote or photo shares the page. If you have already written the obituary, trim it to fit. If you haven’t, how to write an obituary walks through each part, and the obituary examples show different tones.

The back page

The back holds a poem or scripture, a thank-you from the family, and practical details: where the reception is, where the burial takes place, and any charity for donations. Many families choose a poem the person liked or one read during the service. The funeral poems page has full texts you can print.

Order of service: a sample running order

A church funeral usually runs 45 minutes to an hour. Here is a common order, which you can shorten or rearrange.

On the printed page, each line gives the part, then the title and the person: “Old Testament reading · Psalm 23 · Grace Brooks Ortiz, daughter”. Ask the officiant for their order before you print, since many churches have a set structure. A Catholic funeral Mass follows its own order, covered on the Catholic funeral program template page. For a memorial or a celebration of life, songs and readings often replace hymns and prayers, and the celebration of life program templates are laid out for that. You can see complete versions of all of these in the funeral program examples.

How many pages you need

Four pages fit most services. That is one sheet of US Letter paper, printed on both sides and folded in half, which is called a bifold. It holds the cover, the order of service, a life story and a back page with a poem and thanks.

A trifold has six narrow panels, and an eight-page booklet uses two sheets folded together. Families choose these when they want a page of photos, a long obituary or more than one poem. Every design on this site is a four-page bifold, which is also the simplest to print at home.

Who usually makes it, and what it costs

The funeral home often offers to make the program. Some include it in a package, and others charge per copy or per design, so ask what it costs and ask to see a proof before they print. Their programs tend to use a set of house designs, and you will usually need to give them the wording a day or two before the service.

Many families make the program themselves, often because they want a particular photo or design, or because they want to finish it tonight. The cost is the paper and ink to print at home, or the per-copy charge at a print shop. Every template here is free, with no sign-up and no watermark. You can download a PDF set up for double-sided printing at home, a print-shop PDF with bleed and crop marks, or a JPG of the front to share by text or email.

Whoever makes it, have one other person read the finished program before it is printed. Check the spelling of every name, the dates, and the time and address of the service.