What to Include in a Funeral Program: Order of Service Examples for Every Faith

November 8, 2026

A funeral program has two lives.

The first lasts about an hour. It tells guests when to stand, when to sit, and who the nervous nephew at the lectern is.

The second lasts decades. It gets tucked into a Bible, slipped into a drawer, propped against a photo on a dresser. Somebody’s granddaughter finds it in 2061 and finally learns what her great-grandmother’s maiden name was.

So it’s worth getting right. Here’s what goes in it.

The essentials

However simple the service, every program needs five things:

Their full name, and the nickname everyone actually used
Dates of birth and death
A photo, the one where they look like themselves
The date, time and place of the service
The order of service

An 8-page program, page by page

The cover. Photo, name, dates, and a short line: “Celebrating the life of” or “In loving memory of.”
A poem or reading. Something they loved, or something the family needs to hear.
Their life story. The obituary, usually with a second photo.
The order of service.
A page of photos. A life in six pictures, roughly in order.
“What they loved.” A short list. Summers on the lake. Sunday bridge. Coffee, black, any time of day.
The practical page. Pallbearers, burial, the reception, and a thank-you from the family.
The back cover. A closing poem or prayer, and the funeral home.

A 4-page program keeps the cover, the life story, the order of service and the back. Nobody will feel shortchanged.

Sample orders of service

Every service is its own animal, so always confirm the order with your officiant or funeral director. These are common shapes to start from.

Christian funeral or memorial service

Prelude
Welcome and opening prayer
Hymn
Scripture reading
Words of remembrance
Eulogy
Shared memories
Hymn
Closing prayer and benediction
Recessional

Catholic funeral Mass

Here the Church sets the structure, and your parish will walk you through it. Programs usually list:

Reception of the body and entrance hymn
First reading, responsorial psalm and second reading, with each reader’s name
Gospel and homily
Prayers of the faithful
Liturgy of the Eucharist and Communion hymn
Final commendation
Recessional hymn

Many parishes prefer eulogies be brief, or given at the vigil or reception instead. Ask before you print.

Jewish funeral

Jewish funerals usually happen quickly and are simple by design. A program, when there is one, might list:

Opening words from the rabbi
Psalm 23 or another psalm, in Hebrew and English
Eulogy and words of remembrance
El Malei Rachamim, the memorial prayer
The Mourner’s Kaddish
Details for the burial and for shiva

Flowers aren’t customary at most Jewish funerals, so families often name a charity instead. A common closing line: “May her memory be a blessing.”

Muslim funeral (janazah)

Islamic tradition calls for burial as soon as possible, and the service centers on the funeral prayer, Salat al-Janazah, usually held at the mosque after one of the daily prayers. Programs are simple when used at all, and many families prefer no photograph. A program might include:

Gathering at the mosque and the daily prayer
Salat al-Janazah, with the imam’s name
Procession and burial
Du’a at the graveside
Details for condolence visits at the family home

Many include the verse from the Qur’an (2:156) said on hearing of a death: “Indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.”

Celebration of life

No rules, which is both the gift and the problem.

My grandfather’s was on the beach, his favorite place. Nobody wore black and nobody left early. If that’s the spirit you’re after, here’s a loose shape that still gives people something to hold:

A welcome
A song that was theirs
Their life story, read aloud
Three or four short speakers: family, an old friend, someone from work
An open microphone for memories (set a gentle time limit; there’s always an uncle)
A slideshow
A closing reading, then a toast

Printing, briefly

Print 10 to 20 percent more programs than you expect guests. People take two. Cousins arrive unannounced.
Ask for ivory or white cardstock, 80 to 100 lb cover weight. For an 8-page program, ask for booklet printing on 11 x 17, folded and stapled.
Get one proof copy and check every name and date in daylight before you print the rest.

Start from a program that’s already written

Every Always Your Angel funeral program comes with these pages already written for a real service, in classic, modern and Christian styles. You personalize it right on our site, add their photo, and print in the morning. Planning a Jewish, Muslim or other service? Choose “Do it for me” and we’ll write it to your tradition and finish it within 24 hours.