There are several different names for a funeral program — funeral bulletin, funeral memorial program, funeral service program, or memorial service program.

Whatever the term, the meaning is the same. A funeral program usually contains the order of the events of a funeral service. It also includes the pallbearers’ names, special poems or verses, and anything else to help celebrate the life.

Personalizing Funeral Programs

Client families look to their funeral director for funeral personalization options. They wish to honor the life of their loved one throughout the service with attention to every detail.

In addition to including the schedule of events during the funeral service, a program can further memorialize the family’s loved one.

Here’s what you can include in a funeral program:

Photographs: The cover of most funeral programs will contain a photograph. Whether the family wishes to include a picture of their loved one in younger years or one that reflects how the deceased looked recently — the option is theirs.

Readings: During the funeral service, certain family and friends may read scripture or a poem. You also can mention the name of the individual performing the reading.

Funeral Poems and Scripture: Another option client families can choose to include in the funeral service program is funeral poems or scripture. For example, Ecclesiastics 3:1-8, Canon Henry Scott Hollands’s “Death is Nothing At All,” or — a personal favorite — Mary Elizabeth Frye’s “I Did Not Die.” You can include them inside the program or the back cover.

Pallbearers: Typically, the back cover of the funeral program is reserved for messages from the family, such as one thanking people for their attendance. Additionally, it usually lists the names of the pallbearers as well. Other options would be to include a short biography of the deceased.

Funeral Home Software for Personalized Funeral Programs

With funeral software like Tribute Center, funeral directors can choose from hundreds of program templates. Additionally, you can use the same theme for other funeral stationery so that the entire service is well-coordinated.

The flexibility of these templates enables the funeral director to easily customize and print them in-house. It also enables the family to receive a completely custom funeral program for their loved one’s life celebration.

Funeral programs and stationery should be reflective of the deceased’s life. Funeral professionals should recognize that client families no longer will accept limited, generic, and pre-printed options.

If dad was a nature buff or mom was into photography or worked with computers, families want ways to be able to express those qualities in their funeral programs. Including the exact things that made their loved one special makes for a truly memorable life celebration.

Funeral programs and personalized funeral stationery are a wonderful addition to any funeral or memorial service. Providing client families with the option to choose from hundreds of themes can set not only the funeral program apart but your funeral home as well.

How to Design a Memorable Funeral Program

You can design a funeral program in several ways. Arranged on a single sheet of cardstock folded in half, it provides space for a photo on the front, details of the service inside, and, on the back, a list of milestones.

This style, called a bi-fold program, allows you to add more pages in book-like fashion. So that means more photos, readings, and quotes can accompany the funeral service information.

A tri-fold program uses a longer piece of cardstock and folds, as the name implies, in thirds. This style of funeral stationery allows you to separate information into six sections. This can be useful if the client wants to add a photo collage, a poem, a life tribute, and so on.

Along with folding options, the software you choose should allow you to offer a selection of themes to your families. Ideally, the theme on the funeral program will coordinate with the rest of the funeral stationery.

Occupations, interests, and hobbies are all possible themes, which add one more personal touch to this final tribute. The program comes to life when you add the name, photo, personal quotes, and details of their life. It becomes a keepsake for those in attendance, and a thoughtful way to include those who weren’t able to attend.

Download Tribute Center for free to create funeral programs and other funeral stationery products for the families you serve!