Memorial service program

How a memorial service differs from a funeral

The difference is whether the body is there. At a funeral the casket is at the front, and the service usually ends with a procession to the cemetery and a short committal at the grave. At a memorial service the body has already been cremated or buried, often privately, so the service stands on its own.

That changes a few practical things. A memorial service can happen weeks or months after the death, which gives people time to travel and gives the family time to plan. It can be held almost anywhere: a church, a community hall, a club, a garden, a family home. The focus at the front is usually an urn, a framed photo or both, often with flowers and a few of the person’s things. And because nobody has to leave for the cemetery, the reception often follows in the same room.

The program follows the same four-page layout as any funeral program: a cover, the order of service, a life story and a back page. If you have not made one before, start there for the basics. The rest of this page covers what is specific to a memorial.

What changes on the program

The cover

Use a heading that fits a service held later. “In loving memory”, “A service of remembrance”, “A memorial service for” and “Remembering” all work. Because the service can be weeks after the death, put the birth and death dates under the name and the service date separately, with the weekday, so nobody confuses the two.

Many memorial programs use a larger photo than a funeral program would, since the photo is often the main image at the front of the room too. If you are printing a large photo for an easel, use the same one on the cover.

The order of service

The running order is usually shorter than a funeral’s, because there is no committal, no procession and no closing of the casket. Families often use the extra time for more speakers or an open microphone. Leave out pallbearers unless there are honorary ones. If someone carries the urn in at the start, you can name them in the first line of the order.

The life story

A memorial held weeks later gives you time to write a fuller life story and to gather stories from other people. Some families use the extra time to add a page of photos, which turns the bifold into a longer booklet. If you already published an obituary, you can trim it to fit, or write a warmer version for the people in the room. How to write an obituary covers what to include.

The back page

This is where the memorial-specific details go. Guests often wonder where the person is now, so a single line answers that: where the ashes were placed, or will be scattered, or where the burial took place. Add the reception details, any charity for donations, and a thank-you from the family. A poem or reading fits above them; the funeral poems page has full texts.

Sample orders of service

Each of these is a complete running order you can copy into a program. Change the readings, songs and names to your own. On the printed page, each line gives the part, then the title and the person.

A church memorial service

This order suits a Protestant church memorial of about 45 minutes, for a woman whose family held a private burial of her ashes two weeks earlier.

Ask the church for its own order first, since many have a set form for memorial services. A Catholic parish can hold a memorial Mass, and many allow the urn to be present; the Catholic funeral program template page covers the parts of the Mass.

A non-religious memorial

This order is for a memorial in a community hall or club, with no prayers or scripture, run by a family member acting as host. It takes about 50 minutes.

A moment of quiet works in place of a prayer and lets people of any faith take part in their own way. If you want a reading but no religious language, a poem about the sea, the seasons or a garden usually fits. The funeral slideshow page covers how many photos to plan for the slideshow slot.

A short memorial with a scattering or interment afterward

Some families hold a 20-minute service and then go together to scatter the ashes or place the urn in a columbarium or a family plot. Keep the program short and put the second location on it.

If the scattering or interment is private, say so politely on the back page so guests aren’t left wondering whether to follow.

Wording for a memorial program

Cover headings

Where they are now

One of these lines goes on the back page, under the reception details.

When the service is held weeks or months later

A short note on the inside or back page tells guests why the service is being held now. It is optional, but it helps when people have heard about the death weeks ago.

Thank-you lines

Planning a memorial program

A memorial service usually gives you more time than a funeral, so use it on the parts that depend on other people. Confirm the speakers and the readings first, and send each speaker a rough length. If the venue isn’t a church, ask whether they have a table for the urn and photo, a screen for the slideshow and a microphone. Write the life story while you wait to hear back, and leave the back page until the reception and the interment details are settled.

Print one program for each guest you expect, plus 10 to 20 percent extra. Memorial services sometimes draw more people than a funeral, because there is more notice and people can plan to travel. Keep a few copies to mail to relatives who couldn’t come.

To see complete programs with every page filled in, including a non-religious memorial in a community hall, see the funeral program examples. The Linen design and the Monochrome design both suit a memorial and can be edited and downloaded free, with no sign-up and no watermark.

Memorial program templates →

How a celebration of life program differs →

Funeral and memorial invitation wording →