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Planning a funeral is never easy. But when the day finally arrives, having an order of service can make the experience easier to bear. A funeral order of service—also known as a funeral program—is a must-have for guests and family members alike. This article explains what an order of service is, what it contains, and how to create one for an upcoming funeral, complete with examples. Keep reading to learn how to create an order of service to honor a loved one who has passed away.
Things You Should Know
- An order of service is a schedule of events taking place at a funeral. Speeches, prayers, and other events are listed in the order they’ll occur in.
- The funeral order of service is usually printed as a booklet. It also includes photos of the deceased, the time and date of services, and other information.
- Have the funeral home prepare the order of service for you, or create one yourself using Adobe Photoshop or a graphic design website like Canva.
Steps
What do you include in an order of service?
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A cover with the name and photo of the deceased. The photo usually shows the deceased smiling or visibly happy. Their full name is included, along with their dates of birth and death. This information might be presented with other text such as “In loving memory”.[3]- For instance, the text might read “In loving memory of Maria Smith” or “Celebrating the life of Antonio Sanchez”.
The time, date, and location of the funeral service. This is usually printed on the cover. The address or name of the funeral home may be shown. In some cases, extra information is included, such as the time of the burial or cremation ceremony.[4]- For example: “Mass at St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church on Wednesday, June 3rd, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. Burial at 11:30 p.m. at Old Saint Raymond's Cemetery.”
A list of speeches, prayers, readings, music, and other events. Each event is listed alongside the name of the person presenting. For instance, the first event might be listed as “Welcome & Introduction - Michael Mazzetti”. The second might be “Prayer - Fr. Donald Robinson”, and so on. The events are listed in the order they will occur.[5]- The presenters’ relationships to the deceased may also be included next to their names: “Welcome & Introduction - Michael Mazzetti (nephew)”.
Text from any prayers, readings, and music being performed. Guests can use these texts to follow along. They could also refer to the lyrics while singing and chanting during musical performances.[6]- If a eulogy is given, the full text (or an excerpt) might be included as well.
Quotes, poems, lyrics, or bits of scripture. If the deceased was a devout Catholic, the order of service could feature a snippet from their favorite bible passage. Or, if they were a music fan, it could include lyrics from a song they used to enjoy.[7]- The family of the deceased may also include quotes and favorite memories with their loved one.
Extra photos of the deceased. Photos from different parts of their life—childhood, adolescence, their wedding day, their last vacation, and so on—can convey a loving story of the person who died. There could also be photos featuring other family members, a spouse, pets, or other important figures from their life.- Extra graphics like flowers, religious symbols, and artwork could be added as well.
An optional thank you message for the back cover. Include a brief message like, “On behalf of Michael and the entire Smith family, we wish to express our deepest appreciation for your love and support.” Or choose to leave the back cover blank, if you prefer.- If you’re collecting donations for charity in honor of the deceased, mention the charity and provide instructions on how to donate.
Expert Q&A
Tips
References
- ↑ https://youtu.be/0QLVtqemS3I?t=31
- ↑ https://youtu.be/0QLVtqemS3I?t=16
- ↑ https://funeralorderofservice.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Funeral-Order-Of-Service-Examples.pdf
- ↑ https://funeralorderofservice.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Funeral-Order-Of-Service-Examples.pdf
- ↑ https://youtu.be/_Pcu_8g3690?t=37
- ↑ https://youtu.be/_Pcu_8g3690?t=46
- ↑ https://youtu.be/_Pcu_8g3690?t=48
- ↑ https://youtu.be/_Pcu_8g3690?t=38
- ↑ https://youtu.be/6TRTanUM01s?t=27
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