Memorial Program Template: What to Include and How to Make One

A memorial program is the printed or digital sheet handed to guests at a memorial service or celebration of life. It usually has a photo and dates on the cover, the order of service inside, a short life story and a thank-you with details of the gathering afterward. You can build one from a template in a day or two. The harder part is gathering the right details, so start there.

What goes in a memorial program?

Most programs use the same building blocks. Use what fits and skip the rest.

• Cover: a clear photo, the full name (and a nickname, if used), birth and death dates, and a title such as "In loving memory" or "A celebration of life". Add the date, time and place of the service if the program also serves as an invitation.
• Order of service: the running order, with the names of speakers, readers and musicians. See the funeral service order template for typical sequences.
• Life story or obituary: a few short paragraphs. If you have not written one, our obituary template generator and obituary length and format guide can help.
• A reading, poem or quote, if the family wants one.
• Photos: one or two on a bifold, more in a booklet. See photos for a funeral display.
• Thank-you and next steps: thanks from the family, directions to the reception or burial, and any donation details.

You may also add pallbearer or honorary pallbearer names, a list of surviving family, a short prayer or a link to an online tribute.

Which format should you choose?

Choose the format that fits your content, not the other way around.

A bifold is often made by folding a standard US letter-size sheet (8.5 by 11 inches) in half to give four pages of 5.5 by 8.5 inches. Booklets are usually made from folded sheets, so page counts run in multiples of four. Ask your printer before you finalize the layout.

A simple bifold layout you can copy

Use this as a template and swap in your own text.

1. Front cover: photo, name, dates, "In loving memory" and, if you like, a short quote.
2. Inside left: the order of service. Write it as a simple list of times, titles and names, for example "Welcome, Reading by Sam, Music, Tribute by Dana, Closing words".
3. Inside right: the life story, in three or four short paragraphs, with one or two small photos.
4. Back cover: thanks from the family, directions to the reception and any donation details. A QR code here can link to a photo gallery or a livestream.

For a celebration of life, keep the order of service flexible. Many families just list "Welcome, stories and music, closing". For ideas on how to structure it, see what is a celebration of life and celebration of life vs memorial.

Step-by-step: how to make a memorial program

1. Confirm the plan. Get the date, time, venue and running order from the person leading the service and the venue.
2. Gather the content. Choose the main photo, write the life story, and collect names for speakers, readers and music. Check the spelling of every name with family.
3. Choose a template. Word processors, free online design tools and funeral-home templates all work. Keep to two typefaces at most.
4. Lay it out. Put the most important details, such as the service time and the order of service, where they are easy to find. Leave white space so it does not feel crowded.
5. Proofread. Ask at least two people to check names, dates, times and the address against the obituary or another reliable source. They are easy to miss when you are grieving.
6. Print a test copy. Check that the fold lines, the page order and the photo quality look right before printing the full run.
7. Print and fold. A print shop gives a cleaner result for photos and color. Fold and stack them the day before, or ask the shop to do it.

Design and printing tips

• Use the original photo file. Screenshots and social-media downloads are compressed and look blurry on paper. Use the original digital file or a scan of the printed photo.
• Make it easy to read. Older guests will read it, so choose a clear typeface and a size they can read comfortably, and avoid ornate scripts and light text on a photo.
• Leave a margin. Keep text away from the edges of the page so a printer's trim does not cut it off, and ask the shop whether it needs extra "bleed" if a photo runs to the edge.
• Choose paper to match. A heavier stock for the cover feels like a keepsake, but a plain sheet is fine. Ask the shop what weights it offers.
• Plan the print run. Count the people you expect and print a little over. Couples and families often share, but running out is worse than having extras.
• Think about the environment. Some shops offer recycled or seeded paper. Ask what is available.
• Consider a QR code. It can link to a photo gallery, a livestream, a donation page or a playlist. Include the web address in words too, and test the code before printing.

Can you print poems and lyrics?

Only with permission or if the work is out of copyright. The US Copyright Office says copyright lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years for works created since 1978 (anonymous and work-for-hire pieces follow different terms). Many modern poems, song lyrics and Bible translations are still protected, and some publishers have permission pages. The safe routes are to ask the publisher, use older public-domain texts, or print only the title and performer and let the music play. The funeral music planner can help you choose music.

How much does a program cost?

There is no standard price. Costs depend on the paper, the number of copies, color and whether you pay a shop, the funeral home or print at home. A funeral home may offer printing, and you are free to shop around or print it yourself. If you use a funeral home, the Funeral Rule requires it to give you an itemized statement of what you pay for, so ask for it in writing. Our funeral stationery guide covers related items, and the memorial card template, funeral bookmark template and thank-you note template cover keepsakes and thank-yous.

What to do next

• Get the running order and the service details confirmed in writing.
• Choose the photo and ask one person to write the life story.
• Build the bifold layout above and ask two people to proofread it.
• Call the printer early so you know the turnaround before you set your deadline.