How long is a typical funeral service?

A traditional funeral about 45 minutes; a Catholic Mass about an hour; a celebration of life 30 to 60 minutes; a graveside service 15 to 30 minutes; a homegoing service an hour to ninety minutes.

What is the difference between a funeral and a memorial service?

At a funeral the body is present, in a casket; a memorial service is held without it, often after a cremation or burial, and can be days or weeks later. The order of service is much the same; a memorial usually omits the pallbearers and the committal.

Who gives the eulogy at a Catholic Mass?

A family member or friend may give 'words of remembrance', usually before the final commendation and usually under five minutes; the priest gives the homily. Ask the parish — customs vary, and some ask that the remembrance be given at the vigil instead.

Can I change the order of service after the program is printed?

The printed program is the plan as of printing; small changes on the day are announced by the officiant. On this site a correction to the file is free within the edit window, so a reprint is a download away.

Do guests need to know when to stand?

It helps. A small line under the item — 'please stand' — or a general note at the top, 'The congregation stands for the hymns and the Gospel', saves everyone watching the front row.

Order of Service for a Funeral: Six Ready Templates

Ready-to-use orders of service for a traditional funeral, a Catholic Mass, a celebration of life, a graveside, military honors and a homegoing service.

The order of service is the page guests actually follow: what happens, in what order, and who does it. Below are the orders most services use, each as a list you can copy into the program and edit. The editor on this site carries the first three as one-click starting points.

A traditional funeral (Protestant)

About 45 minutes.

Prelude — music as guests arrive
Processional — the family enters; guests stand
Welcome and Opening Prayer — the officiant
Hymn — "How Great Thou Art," "Amazing Grace," "It Is Well with My Soul"
Scripture Reading — Psalm 23, John 14:1–6, Romans 8:38–39
Remembrances — one to three speakers, two to three minutes each
Eulogy
Hymn — "Be Thou My Vision," "Abide with Me"
Message or Homily
Prayers
Benediction
Recessional — the family leaves first

A Catholic funeral Mass

About an hour. The Mass follows a fixed shape; the family chooses the readings, the hymns and the readers, and one person may give the words of remembrance, usually before the final commendation and usually under five minutes.

Vigil or Rosary — the evening before, or before the Mass
Entrance Hymn and Greeting — the casket is received
First Reading (Old Testament) — Wisdom 3:1–9, Ecclesiastes 3:1–8, Isaiah 25:6–9
Responsorial Psalm — Psalm 23, "The Lord Is My Shepherd"
Second Reading (New Testament) — Romans 8:31–39, 1 Corinthians 13, 2 Timothy 4:6–8
Gospel — John 14:1–6, John 11:21–27, Matthew 5:1–12
Homily
Prayers of the Faithful
Offertory — "Ave Maria," "Gift of Finest Wheat"
Communion — "Panis Angelicus," "Here I Am, Lord"
Words of Remembrance
Final Commendation — "Song of Farewell"
Recessional — "On Eagle's Wings," "Be Not Afraid"
Rite of Committal — at the cemetery

A celebration of life

Thirty to sixty minutes; less formal, often not in a church, and often without a casket. The family chooses everything.

Gathering — music the person loved
Welcome — a celebrant, a friend or a family member
Reading or Poem — a verse, a passage, a favourite lyric read aloud
Remembrances — three or four speakers, three minutes each; or an open floor with a time limit
Music or Slideshow — the memorial slideshow, three to five minutes
Eulogy or Closing Words
A Shared Act — a toast, a moment of silence, everyone plants a bulb, everyone takes a cutting
Reception — food, the slideshow on a loop, the guest book by the door

A graveside service

Fifteen to thirty minutes; often the whole service, sometimes the committal after a church service.

Gathering at the grave
Opening Words
Scripture — Psalm 23, John 11:25–26
Brief Remembrance
Prayer of Committal — "earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust"
Lowering, or the placing of flowers or earth by the family
Closing Prayer and Blessing

A funeral with military honors

The service itself follows any of the orders above. The honors come at the committal and are listed so guests know when to stand.

Arrival of the Casket — honor guard
Presentation of the Colors
The service, as above
Rifle Volley (three volleys) — if a rifle detail is present
Taps
Folding and Presentation of the Flag — to the next of kin
The service hymn of the branch — "Anchors Aweigh," "The Marines' Hymn," "The Army Song"

Wording and the record of service are covered in the military funeral program page; the fire and police equivalents on the firefighter funeral program page.

A homegoing service

An hour to ninety minutes, in the Black church tradition; music-led, joyful and unhurried.

Processional — the family
Musical Prelude — the choir
Opening Hymn — "Blessed Assurance," "Precious Lord"
Scripture — Old Testament and New Testament
Prayer of Comfort
Solo — "His Eye Is on the Sparrow," "Total Praise"
Reflections — "two minutes, please," from family, church and community
Reading of the Obituary
Selection — the choir
Eulogy — the pastor
Recessional — "Soon and Very Soon," "I'll Fly Away"
Repast — the meal after

Filling it in

Write each item on its own line, the item first, then a dash and who: "Reading — Isaiah 40:28–31, read by Miguel Martinez." Confirm every reader and musician the day before; a name printed for someone who does not come is the thing families remember. Check the order against the officiant's plan — churches have their own sequence and it wins. The program's page order (which pages fall where when it is folded) is explained in funeral program page order. When it is settled, create the program; the order of service lays itself out on the inside left page, and shrinks gently if it runs long.

Questions

How long is a typical funeral service?: A traditional funeral about 45 minutes; a Catholic Mass about an hour; a celebration of life 30 to 60 minutes; a graveside service 15 to 30 minutes; a homegoing service an hour to ninety minutes.
What is the difference between a funeral and a memorial service?: At a funeral the body is present, in a casket; a memorial service is held without it, often after a cremation or burial, and can be days or weeks later. The order of service is much the same; a memorial usually omits the pallbearers and the committal.
Who gives the eulogy at a Catholic Mass?: A family member or friend may give 'words of remembrance', usually before the final commendation and usually under five minutes; the priest gives the homily. Ask the parish — customs vary, and some ask that the remembrance be given at the vigil instead.
Can I change the order of service after the program is printed?: The printed program is the plan as of printing; small changes on the day are announced by the officiant. On this site a correction to the file is free within the edit window, so a reprint is a download away.
Do guests need to know when to stand?: It helps. A small line under the item — 'please stand' — or a general note at the top, 'The congregation stands for the hymns and the Gospel', saves everyone watching the front row.

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