Funeral Service Order Template: What to Include and How to Print It

A funeral order of service, also called a funeral program, is the printed or digital sheet that tells guests what will happen and when. It lists the music, readings, prayers and speakers, and most families add a photo, a short life story and details of the gathering afterward. You can build one from a simple template in a few days. The hard part is usually gathering the right information, not the design.

What goes in an order of service?

The terms overlap. An order of service is the running order of the ceremony, so guests know when to stand, sit or sing. A funeral program usually adds a photo, a short biography and the family's thanks. Many families make one folded card or booklet that does both.

Typical contents:

If you want the full obituary to be kept, publish it online and put a short life summary in the program. Our guide to the obituary template helps with the writing.

What is a typical running order?

Every service is different, and the officiant sets the structure in a faith tradition. These two sketches are starting points to adapt, not rules.

A traditional religious service

1. Prelude music as guests arrive
2. Processional
3. Opening words or prayer
4. Hymn
5. Scripture readings
6. Eulogy or words of remembrance
7. Sermon or homily
8. Prayers and final blessing
9. Recessional
10. Committal at the graveside, if there is one

A celebration of life

1. Music as guests gather
2. Welcome from a host, celebrant or friend
3. Life story or main tribute
4. Shared memories, including an open microphone if the family wants one
5. Video tribute or photo slideshow
6. Reading, song or ritual such as lighting candles
7. Closing words and directions to the gathering afterward

A Catholic funeral has a set shape. The Church's Order of Christian Funerals is divided into the vigil, the funeral liturgy (usually a Mass) and the rite of committal. The homily is not a eulogy. Some parishes allow a family member or friend to give brief words of remembrance before the final commendation, so ask the priest or parish staff what is permitted. Our guide to the Catholic funeral Mass explains the order in detail.

Other traditions have their own structures. Ask your clergy or celebrant for the running order first, then build the program around it. If you want help picking songs for each part, use the funeral music planner, and read our guides to choosing a funeral officiant and hymns for a funeral service.

For veterans, add the military honors where they fall in the service. Our guide to military funeral honors explains what happens and when.

How should you format and print it?

Choose a format. A single card printed on both sides works for a graveside service or a very simple ceremony. A folded card or booklet has room for a photo, the running order, the life story and the back-page details.

Check the page count. Folded booklets are usually made from folded sheets, so the number of pages normally comes in multiples of four: 4, 8, 12 and so on. Ask the printer how they handle a page count that does not fit.

Check the paper size. A common US choice is a letter-size sheet (8.5 by 11 inches) folded in half, which gives a half-letter page of 5.5 by 8.5 inches. If you use an online template, check that its dimensions match what your printer or printing app expects, or you may end up with white borders or stretched text.

Make it easy to read. Many guests will be older or sitting in a dimly lit chapel.

• Use a clear typeface for body text. Avoid decorative script fonts for lyrics and poems.
• Choose a size that an older guest can read without squinting. Twelve points is a common minimum for body text, and larger is kinder for words people will read aloud.
• Use dark text on a light background. Light text on a dark page is hard to read in low light.
• A matte or uncoated paper finish reflects less light than a glossy finish.

Use photos that will print well. Screen images are often smaller than print needs. As a rule of thumb, a photo printed 4 inches wide needs about 1,200 pixels across to look sharp at 300 pixels per inch. Use the original file or a proper scan rather than a screenshot or a picture of a picture.

Can you print hymn lyrics, poems and Bible verses?

It depends on who owns the words. Many modern hymns, songs, poems and Bible translations are protected by copyright. The US Copyright Office says that for works created after 1978, copyright generally lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years, so older works may be out of copyright, but you should check each one.

Copyright law includes an exemption for performing religious works at a place of worship, but it does not cover copying lyrics into a printed program. Many churches hold a blanket license, such as one from CCLI, that allows them to reproduce song words for their own worship; its terms vary, so ask the church what it covers. A funeral home, hall or home service usually does not, and you cannot assume a church's license covers a program printed elsewhere. Ask the church, choose public domain texts, or ask the publisher for permission.

For Bible verses, each publisher sets its own rules. For example, the ESV publisher allows up to 500 verses to be quoted without written permission, provided the quotation is not more than half of any one book of the Bible or 25% of your total work, and it asks for the initials (ESV) after the quotation in church bulletins. Check the rules for the translation you use. In the US, the King James Version is in the public domain, so it is generally safe to print.

How do you add a QR code or digital version?

A small QR code on the back page can link to an online version of the program, a livestream, a video tribute or a donation page. Print it large enough to scan and keep a short web address beside it for people who do not use a phone. Put the printed program first, because many guests, especially older ones, prefer paper.

You can also publish a digital copy after the service for people who could not attend. Our guides to QR code memorials and live-streaming a funeral cover the options.

What is a realistic timeline?

Funerals are often planned within about a week, and printing takes time, so work backward from the date. Use this as an example for a service about a week away, and ask your printer for their turnaround time.

Do not send the final files until last-minute changes to speakers or songs have settled, and ask your printer how late they can accept changes. The funeral planning timeline tool shows the wider schedule.

How do you proofread a funeral program?

Names, dates and lyrics are where errors creep in. Split the job between three people:

1. Fact checker: confirms names, dates, places and relationships.
2. Word checker: compares every hymn, prayer and poem with a master copy.
3. Fresh eyes: someone less close to the family who can spot typos the family misses.

Read names aloud, and check the spelling of middle names and surnames against an official document.

Are there simpler alternatives?

Yes. If a full booklet is more than you want, a single order-of-service card, a memorial card or a bookmark with a photo and a verse is quicker and cheaper. See our guides to memorial cards, funeral bookmarks and funeral stationery. The funeral home may also print programs, so ask what they charge and what they need from you.

What to do next

1. Get the running order from the officiant or funeral home, and find out how long you have in the venue.
2. Collect names, dates, photos and the songs and readings.
3. Fill in a template, or ask the funeral home to print one.
4. Proofread with three people before you send it to the printer.