How to create your own funeral order of service: a celebrant’s guide
When I’m helping a family plan a funeral, one of the questions I’m asked most often is, “Can we make the order of service ourselves?”
Yes, you can. And you do not need to be a designer, or have all the words worked out, before you begin.
An order of service helps people follow the ceremony, but it can become something they take home and keep, too. A familiar face on the cover, the name of a much loved song, a photograph that brings back a whole afternoon. Small things that mean a great deal.
When you’re grieving, though, even choosing a photograph can feel like a big decision. My advice is to start with the person and the ceremony, then let the design follow.
What is a funeral order of service?
It is the printed sheet or booklet usually handed to people as they arrive, showing what will happen during the funeral. It might include music, readings, the names of people giving tributes and any words everyone will join in saying or singing.
You do not have to call it an “Order of Service”. “A celebration of [Name]’s life” or “Remembering [Name]” might feel more natural.
And you do not have to produce a booklet at all. A simple folded sheet can do the job beautifully. Think about what would help the people coming, what you would like to keep afterwards and what feels manageable.
Before you choose a template, speak to your celebrant
It is tempting to find a design you like and start filling the spaces. I would begin with a conversation.
Ask the person leading the funeral to help you agree the running order. Together, you can work out where the tributes, music and readings belong, who will take part and how everything fits into the time available.
For a church or other faith service, the minister or faith leader can explain which elements and wording need to be included. For a celebrant led ceremony, there is often more flexibility to shape things around the person being remembered.
The printed booklet should follow the ceremony you have planned together. Otherwise, you can find yourselves trying to squeeze a meaningful farewell into the spaces on a template.
You can gather photographs and explore designs while the plans develop. Just hold off approving the printing until the running order is agreed.
What should you include?
On the front cover
Start with their name, a photograph if you would like one, and the date, time and place of the service. Many families include dates of birth and death, although you can choose what feels right.
Use the name that feels true to them. That might be their full name with a familiar nickname underneath, or simply the name everyone knew and loved.
A heading such as “In loving memory” is lovely if it suits them, but there is room for something different. A lifelong gardener, an enthusiastic sailor and someone who never missed a Saturday at the football do not all need the same cover.
Inside the booklet
Include the running order, with music titles and artists, reading titles and authors, and the names of anyone contributing.
Print the words people need to take part, such as the agreed hymn verses or a shared response. For a poem being read aloud, you can include the full text, subject to any permission needed, or simply its title and author.
You do not need to print every word your celebrant will say. Nor do you need to include a full eulogy. A heading such as “Remembering Dad — a tribute from Sarah” gives people all they need to follow that moment.
If you would like a written copy of the tributes afterwards, that can be a separate keepsake. There is no need to make one booklet carry everything.
On the back cover
This can be a useful place for a message of thanks, donation information and details of any gathering afterwards. If everyone is invited, include the venue’s name and address rather than assuming people know where it is.
A further photograph or a favourite saying can be a lovely finishing touch. Equally, you can leave the back very simple.
An example funeral order of service
Families sometimes ask what the “correct” order is. For a non religious funeral, there is no single sequence every ceremony must follow. Humanists UK also describes a flexible structure built around the individual.
Here is one possible starting point:
Part of the ceremony | What you could print |
Entrance music | Song title and artist |
Welcome | Words of welcome — Richard Smart |
Tribute | Remembering [Name] — led by Richard |
Family memories | Personal memories — shared by [Name] |
Reading | Poem title, author and reader |
Reflection or visual tribute | A time to remember — music title and artist |
Farewell | Our farewell to [Name] |
Closing words | Words of comfort and thanks |
Exit music | Song title and artist |
You might have several speakers, no reading, a prayer or a different arrangement altogether.
“Committal” is the traditional term for the formal farewell. If that feels unfamiliar, ask about using “Our farewell” in the booklet. Your celebrant can explain what will happen during that part of the ceremony.
There is usually no need to print minute by minute timings. The booklet can guide people while allowing the spoken ceremony room for emotion, pauses and the occasional unexpected laugh.
Choosing photographs that feel like them
The best photograph is often the one that makes you say, “That’s them.”
It does not have to be a formal portrait or the most recent picture. Perhaps it is them in the garden, halfway through a laugh, or looking particularly pleased with a rather enormous ice cream.
Once you have chosen it, try to find the original digital file or scan the printed photograph. A screenshot or an image copied from social media may look clear on a phone but less sharp on paper.
Check the crop, too. Leave space around their face, and look carefully at what disappears when the picture is placed in a circle or frame.
If an older photograph is precious but slightly soft, try using it smaller rather than stretching it across the cover.
And you can stop at one photograph. Choosing pictures need not become another enormous task.
How many pages do you need?
A5, which is half the size of A4, is a practical option to hold during a service. A folded A4 sheet creates four A5 pages, including the front and back covers.
For a conventional folded or stapled booklet, page counts increase in fours: four, eight, twelve and so on. Printers such as Utterly Printable offer these formats, although the options vary between suppliers.
A simple four page layout could look like this:
Page | Suggested content |
1: Front cover | Name, photograph, dates and service details |
2: Inside left | First part of the running order |
3: Inside right | Remaining running order and any words needed for participation |
4: Back cover | Thanks, gathering details, donations or a further photograph |
If you want full hymn words, several readings or more photographs, consider extra pages.
Please do not shrink everything to tiny print simply to fit. It is better to simplify the content or choose a longer booklet than leave people struggling to read it.
Making it personal without making it complicated
You can use a printer’s online template, a design tool such as Canva, or a document program you already feel comfortable using.
Choose a design that feels connected to the person. That could mean coastal colours, a woodland detail, a favourite flower or one confident splash of their favourite colour. It could also mean plain cream paper and a wonderful photograph.
For the main text, choose a clear font, generous spacing and strong contrast against the background. Keep decorative lettering for short headings, and avoid putting long passages over photographs.
As a starting point, try body text around 14 point, then check it at the finished size. RNIB uses 14 point Arial for its own clear print Word documents and notes that no single size suits everyone.
Ask whether anyone coming would benefit from a separate larger print copy.
Leave some breathing space on the page. A design can feel warm and personal without filling every corner.
A small note about poems, hymns and lyrics
Finding words online does not automatically mean they can be reproduced in a booklet.
Copyrighted material may need permission or an appropriate licence. Giving the author’s name is good practice, but it does not replace permission where permission is required.
If you are including hymn words, ask your celebrant or funeral director to check the relevant licence and any required acknowledgements. CCLI explains the permissions for reproducing hymns at weddings and funerals; you should not assume these cover other poems or popular song lyrics.
For recorded music, listing the song title and artist usually gives guests the information they need, without printing the lyrics.
If you are unsure, ask before completing the design. This is much easier to sort out while there is still time to choose another option.
Printing it yourself or using a professional printer
Both can work. Think about your budget, the number of copies, the time available and how much you want to take on.
For home printing, make one complete test copy first. Print both sides, fold it and check that the cover and inside pages face the right way. Make sure your printer can handle your chosen paper, and allow for ink, trimming and folding as well as the paper itself.
A local printer may offer a helpful conversation and collection. An online supplier may provide a template and delivery. Your funeral director may also be able to arrange the stationery.
Before choosing, ask what the total includes: design or template access, page count, paper, colour printing, folding or binding, delivery and any urgent charges. Some online tools charge separately for downloading your finished design.
If you are supplying your own artwork, get the printer’s instructions first. Ask about finished size, PDF format, margins and bleed, which is the extra image or colour beyond the trimmed edge. Also ask whether they want individual pages or spreads, and whether crop marks are needed. Requirements vary.
Keep important text and faces away from the edges and fold.
How many copies should you order, and when?
If you would like everyone to have a copy, start with your expected number of guests and add some extras for unexpected attendees, family keepsakes and people who cannot be there.
For example, if you expect around 60 people, you might choose 70 copies. That is a planning example rather than a rule; consider your budget and who would appreciate one.
Check when the finished booklets will arrive, including the time needed to approve the proof. Printing time and delivery time are not always the same thing.
Aim to have them with you before the day of the funeral. “Next day” services can depend on working days, order deadlines and your location, so confirm the actual arrival date with the supplier.
Would you like a little help finding a printer?
If you would like to create your own order of service but are unsure where to have it printed, do get in touch. I’m always happy to help you explore the options and find a professional printer whose designs, service and attention to detail feel right for you.
The final check before printing
Ask another person to check the final proof, and send it to the person leading the service to check the sequence.
Work through these details:
Names, dates, service time and venue.
Music titles, artists and the versions being used.
Reading titles, authors, hymn verses and contributors’ names.
Running order, including any visual tribute.
Photograph quality, cropping and page order.
Donation details, gathering address and any QR codes.
Number of copies, delivery address and expected arrival date.
Print a proof at the actual finished size if you can. A page that looks spacious on a laptop can feel very different when folded in your hands.
If you plan to share a PDF more widely, check that everyone concerned is comfortable with the photographs and personal information included. Keep a private livestream link or an invitation only gathering separate where appropriate.
It does not have to tell the whole story
There can be a feeling, when someone has died, that every choice has to somehow hold everything they meant to you. The right photograph. The right song. The right words.
That is a lot to ask of a few pages.
An order of service can offer a glimpse of someone: their smile, their music, a phrase everyone can hear them saying. The rest will be there in the stories people share, the memories they bring and the conversations that carry on afterwards.
If you are arranging a funeral in Dorset or Hampshire or the surrounding areas, I would be very happy to talk about creating a ceremony that feels true to the person you love.
You do not need to have it all worked out before we speak. We can begin with a conversation.
^ Some images in this guide were created or edited with AI to illustrate the ideas shared, using fictional sample stationery.
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