When you attend a funeral, you often receive a printed piece with details regarding the service and person being mourned. This is known as a funeral program, also sometimes referred to as a memorial program or obituary program. It is a printed piece that outlines the order of events and provides information about a funeral or memorial service. This serves as a small tribute to the deceased, providing those in attendance with service information as well as celebrating the life of the person whose life is being honored.
Why are funeral programs important?
Funeral programs can be helpful to have if you are holding services with multiple parts, as this will help attendees navigate the services. They are also helpful if you are holding a religious service that has specific requirements and rituals that attendees may not all be aware of or understand.
What is in a funeral program?
A typical funeral program consists of several elements which often vary depending on cultural or religious customs, as well as personal beliefs and preferences. The following are the most common components of a funeral program. The great thing about funeral programs is that they have a lot of room for customization and can include or not include any of the things listed.
Cover
The front cover of the program most often includes a photo of the deceased along with key information such as their name, birth and death dates, and maybe a phrase or quote. While this is typically what is included, the cover can have whatever you want. You can choose to include anything you want that would represent the person whose life is being celebrated.
Order of Service
The order of service section outlines the sequence of events during the funeral or memorial service. This may include prayers, hymns, readings, speeches, or anything else that is planned throughout. This section will help attendees navigate and follow what is happening, especially if there are different components or venues. Many services may begin in one location and end in a separate one. To avoid confusion, make sure to include all pertinent details somewhere in your funeral program.
Service details
If you are incorporating special rituals that not everyone may be knowledgeable about, you can include pertinent details here. Everyone has different beliefs and practices, so it can be helpful to include a few key details that people may need to know in order to respectfully mourn the deceased, especially if they are unfamiliar with certain practices.
Obituary
Many funeral programs include an obituary or a brief biography about the deceased. This often highlights important details about their life, accomplishments, family, relationships and more. Obituaries typically include details such as the person’s full name, age, hometown, deceased and surviving family members and so on. Again, this is something you have full control over and can choose to include or not include anything you want.
Photos
While you likely included a photo on the cover of the program, you can use additional space inside the funeral program to include more photos or imagery that represents the person to commemorate their life and help those in attendance remember cherished times. You can choose to include as many or as few photos as you want. You can even dedicate a whole page, or two, to include photos, artwork, or anything else that will help portray the deceased.
Poems, readings, quotes and more
Funeral programs often include quotes, readings, poems or other meaningful text that reflect the deceased’s personality, values, beliefs, etc. Similarly to photos, this space can be used to include text that resonates with the deceased. You could even consider combining images and text to create a funeral program that truly embodies who this person was.
Pallbearers
This section may not always be applicable, but if it is, this can be used to name the individuals serving as pallbearers. Pallbearers are responsible for carrying the coffin or casket at the funeral. These are often family members of the deceased.
Thank you message
As with most components of a funeral program, this section is completely optional and can include whatever you want it to include. This space is often used to include a thank you message expressing gratitude from the family to those that have provided support, condolences, or any assistance during the time of loss and mourning.
Funeral Home details
Finally, it’s standard to include details regarding the funeral home, cemetery, or location of the services along with contact information.
Funeral programs are a lovely addition to your services and also serve as a keepsake for attendees, providing a tangible memento that can be cherished in memory of the deceased. While they are not mandatory, many people choose to print funeral programs to distribute at the service to family members, friends, and any guests in attendance.
Let Printivity Help print your Funeral Programs
Printivity is here to help whether that is with design questions or just to get your print project started. Let us take the burden when it comes to printing funeral programs, you have enough on your plate as it is with the rest of the planning. Reach out to our experts today at 1-877-649-5463.
Are your desgns ready to print? Explore Printivity’s Funeral and Memorial printing products. We’ve compiled the commonly ordered products in one place to make the ordering processes easier for you during this emotional time.
