What information do I need to create a funeral program?

At minimum: the full name, dates of birth and death, one photo, and the time and place of the service. The order of service, obituary, pallbearers and acknowledgements can be added as you go.

How many pages should a funeral program be?

Four pages suits most services. Choose eight if the obituary runs past a page or you want a tributes page and more photos; twelve if there is a long life story and several readings. The preview tells you when text runs long.

Can I create the program before the service details are confirmed?

Yes. Enter what you know, leave the rest blank, and come back when the time and place are set. Your work is saved.

Who usually writes the obituary?

A close family member, often with help from others. Three to five short paragraphs is typical: where they were born and grew up, family and work, what they loved, and who survives them.

Do I get a physical program?

No. You download print-ready PDF files and print them yourself or through a print shop. Nothing is shipped, and the files are yours to keep.

Create a funeral program

How to create a funeral program — three steps, one evening

Creating a funeral program does not have to take a weekend. Gather a handful of details, enter them once, choose a design, and download a finished program tonight. This page walks through each step and what to write in every section.

Create the program What to include

Ready in minutes
Instant download after payment
From $29 · one-time payment

Step 1 — Gather the details. Full name, dates, a photo, the time and place of the service, who is officiating, the pallbearers, and the family members to list. A rough obituary is enough to start.
Step 2 — Enter them once, choose a design. Type into the editor and the program builds itself in the preview. Try every design with your own words in it; nothing has to be retyped.
Step 3 — Download and print. Pay once and the print-ready PDFs download instantly. Print at home tonight or hand the print-shop file to any printer in the morning.

Choose a design and start

Every design makes every piece. Your words follow you if you change your mind.

Classic

Ivory paper, a fine double gold border and Lora serif type. Quiet, traditional, and it prints beautifully on any paper.

Create yours now

Botanical

White with soft sage eucalyptus branches in the corners. Light, modern and calm — a favourite for celebrations of life.

Create yours now

Navy & Gold

A deep navy cover with a gold double border, white inside pages. Formal and dignified; ask your print shop for a heavier cover stock.

Create yours now

Blush Watercolor

Soft rose and peach watercolour washes on white, with an italic serif. Gentle and warm, especially for a mother, grandmother or sister.

Create yours now

Coastal

Sky, a soft sea horizon and warm sand in watercolour tones. Calm and grounded — for someone who loved the water.

Create yours now

Sage

Soft white paper with a fine double border in sage green. Calm and natural — a gentle choice for a gardener or a quiet soul.

Create yours now

Burgundy

Warm ivory paper framed in deep burgundy. Dignified and traditional, with a richness that suits a church service.

Create yours now

Slate & Silver

A deep slate-blue cover with a fine silver border, white inside pages. Modern, formal and quietly strong.

Create yours now

Lavender

Soft lavender and lilac watercolor washes on white, with an italic serif. Gentle and light — often chosen for a mother or grandmother.

Create yours now

Rose Garden

White with dusty-rose branches in the corners. Warm and floral, a favorite for a celebration of life.

Create yours now

Beach

A golden shoreline at sunset behind every piece — sky, surf and sand, softened where the words sit. For someone who loved the sea.

Create yours now

Navy Fleet

Ships in line on a calm blue sea, with the Stars and Stripes soft in the sky. For a sailor, a veteran, or anyone who served.

Create yours now

Choose the length that fits the service

Four pages for a simple service, eight or twelve for a longer obituary and more photos, or a trifold if that is what the church is used to.

Funeral Program 5.5 × 8.5 in (139.7 × 215.9 mm) · 4 pages $29 · in the set $59 Funeral Program — 8 pages 5.5 × 8.5 in (139.7 × 215.9 mm) · 8 pages $34 Funeral Program — 12 pages 5.5 × 8.5 in (139.7 × 215.9 mm) · 12 pages $39 Funeral Program — Trifold 11 × 8.5 in (279.4 × 215.9 mm) · 2 pages $29 Memorial Prayer Card 2.5 × 4.25 in (63.5 × 108 mm) · 2 pages $19 · in the set $59 Funeral Thank You Card 4 × 5 in (101.6 × 127 mm) · 2 pages $19 · in the set $59

What goes on each page

A standard four-page funeral program follows a familiar shape. The cover carries the photo, the full name, the dates, and the service details. The inside left usually holds the order of service — processional, opening prayer, hymns, readings, eulogy, closing prayer, recessional — and the inside right holds the obituary, the life story in three to five paragraphs. The back page is for pallbearers, the interment or reception details, an acknowledgement from the family, and often a short verse.

You do not have to fill every section. Families creating a program for a graveside service often skip the order of service entirely and use both inside pages for the life story and photos. The guide to what to include in a funeral program gives sample wording for every part, including the acknowledgement, which is the line people most often struggle with.

How long it takes, and when to start

Most families finish a four-page program in ten to fifteen minutes once the details are to hand; an eight-page program with a longer obituary and more photos takes a little longer. The slow part is never the software — it is agreeing on the wording with siblings and confirming the service time with the officiant. Start the program as soon as the date is set, even with placeholder text, so that the design and photo are settled early and only the words are left to finalize.

Print the day before the service if you can. That leaves time to correct anything you spot on paper — corrections are free, and the fresh files download in seconds — and it avoids a morning trip to a print shop that may be busy.

Creating the rest of the stationery

Once the program exists, everything else is a click. The prayer cards, bookmarks and thank-you cards are offered on your download page already filled in with the same name, dates, photo and design, and the complete set is priced as one purchase. A welcome sign for the entrance and share images for text and social media come from the same details too, so nothing is typed twice.

Questions

What information do I need to create a funeral program?: At minimum: the full name, dates of birth and death, one photo, and the time and place of the service. The order of service, obituary, pallbearers and acknowledgements can be added as you go.
How many pages should a funeral program be?: Four pages suits most services. Choose eight if the obituary runs past a page or you want a tributes page and more photos; twelve if there is a long life story and several readings. The preview tells you when text runs long.
Can I create the program before the service details are confirmed?: Yes. Enter what you know, leave the rest blank, and come back when the time and place are set. Your work is saved.
Who usually writes the obituary?: A close family member, often with help from others. Three to five short paragraphs is typical: where they were born and grew up, family and work, what they loved, and who survives them.
Do I get a physical program?: No. You download print-ready PDF files and print them yourself or through a print shop. Nothing is shipped, and the files are yours to keep.

Create the funeral program tonight

Three steps, one set of details, a finished program you can print tomorrow.

Create the program

Digital download only. Free corrections for 30 days. All sales are final.