Funeral Program Template

What goes in a funeral program?

A funeral program usually has a cover with the name, dates and a photo, then an order of service. Inside it often holds the obituary, a verse or poem, the names of pallbearers, and thanks from the family. The back can carry a line about flowers or donations and the reception. Every part is optional.

A program records a name, dates and sometimes a short biography. The Kenneth Spencer Research Library at the University of Kansas holds a collection of funeral service programs from Topeka and notes that some of them include biographical information, which shows how much a single program can keep.

This template has a place for each part. A part you leave empty is left off the page, and a note beside the download buttons names any panel that would print blank. The cover verse is your own text. The tool also offers three short verses from the King James Version of the Bible, which dates from 1611. Check who holds the copyright before you print a modern poem or a song lyric.

What is the order of service for a funeral?

An order of service lists the parts of the ceremony in the order they happen. The template starts with a prelude and welcome, then a prayer, readings, music, a eulogy, the committal and closing words. Services differ, so edit the list to match what will happen on the day.

The template starts with these nine rows: Prelude, Welcome, Opening prayer, Reading, Music, Eulogy, Music, Committal, Closing words. Each row has a part name, a line for the title or the person, and a line for who sings or reads. Switch a row off to hide it, remove it, move it up or down, or add your own. A row with no part name is skipped, so a half-finished list never prints a blank line. Ask the officiant or the funeral home for the final order before you print.

How do I fold and print a bifold funeral program?

Download the print-ready PDF, which has two pages. Print both on one US Letter sheet, double-sided, in landscape, at 100 percent, with the printer set to flip on the short edge. Fold the sheet in half with the cover facing out. Print a single test copy first to check the fold.

1. Choose Bifold and type the name, dates and the rest of the text.
2. Check the words in the flat proof, which has one panel per page.
3. Download the print-ready PDF. It has two pages, one for each side of the sheet.
4. Print double-sided on US Letter, landscape, at actual size. Choose flip on short edge. If your printer offers only the long edge, pick that in the tool before you download.
5. Fold the sheet in half with the cover on the outside.

The tool puts panels 4 and 1 on the outside of the sheet, with the back panel on the left and the cover on the right, and panels 2 and 3 on the inside. That is the arrangement of any half-fold booklet, and it matches the page order the PDF booklet tool uses for four pages. The panels leave half an inch around the text.

What is the difference between a celebration of life program and a funeral program?

The two programs use the same parts: a cover, an order of service, an obituary and thanks. What changes is the wording and the list. A celebration of life program may list shared memories, a slideshow or a meal, where a funeral program lists prayers and a committal. The Kind of service setting changes the cover wording.

Choose Funeral service, Memorial service, Celebration of life or Graveside service. The choice changes the line above the name, such as In loving memory or Celebrating the life of, and the heading over the date and place. The order of service is yours to edit either way. A celebration of life program might list a slideshow, shared memories and a meal in place of a committal.

Which funeral program layout should I choose?

A bifold gives a cover, a page of text, an order of service and a back panel on one sheet. A single sheet works for a short service. A trifold gives six narrow panels. The booklet has eight half-Letter pages on two sheets for a long obituary, many photos or a long order of service.

The table is worked from the layout code in the tool. The text width is the panel width minus a half-inch margin on each side, or three tenths of an inch on a trifold.

If a panel holds more text than fits, the download stops and tells you, so a cut-off line never reaches the printer. Shorten the text on the fullest panel, or move to a layout with more panels.

Can I use my obituary in the program?

Yes. Press Use my obituary template draft in the Obituary section, and the tool copies the name, dates, photo and text from the draft you saved in the obituary template in this browser. You can also paste text from anywhere. Read the result once more, because the program prints it as written.

If you have not written one yet, start with the obituary template, which drafts the text from the facts, or read the obituary examples for wording. A thank-you card covers the notes that follow the service, and a flyer can carry the time and place for people who will not get a program.