5 complete funeral order of service examples with timings—Christian, non-religious, graveside, military, and cremation. Edit this free template and download a PDF.
An order of service is the chronological list of what happens during a funeral or memorial. In the U.S., it usually appears inside the funeral program; in the U.K., “order of service” can also mean the whole printed booklet.
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There is no single required order. Use this common sequence, then let the venue and service leader make the final call.
| Service part | What to include | Who should confirm it |
|---|---|---|
| Gathering music or prelude | Music played while guests arrive and are seated. | Family, venue, musician, or funeral home |
| Welcome and opening | A greeting, opening prayer, or short explanation of the gathering. | Officiant, celebrant, or service leader |
| Reading, scripture, or poem | The title or passage plus the reader’s name. | Reader and, for a church service, clergy |
| Obituary or life story | A concise account of the person’s life; it may be read aloud or only printed. | Family fact-checker and reader |
| Eulogy and tributes | Speaker names and the order in which they will share memories. | Each speaker and the service leader |
| Music or reflection | A hymn, song, slideshow, or quiet moment between spoken parts. | Musician, venue, and service leader |
| Closing, committal, or recessional | Final words, blessing, dismissal, and the music played as the family exits. | Officiant, funeral home, or cemetery |
| Reception or repast | The location and any directions guests need after the service. | Family host and venue |
By the Funeral Program Maker Editorial Team · Updated · Editorial standards
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Once you know how many parts, photos, and words you have, the format almost picks itself. All three print on standard 8.5 × 11 in US Letter paper.
| Compare | 4-page programFolded letter | Trifold programSix panels | 8-page bookletBooklet format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Printed panels | 4 panels | 6 panels | 8 panels |
| Finished size | 5.5 × 8.5 in | 3.67 × 8.5 in | 5.5 × 8.5 in |
| Paper it prints on | One 8.5 × 11 in sheet, folded once | One 8.5 × 11 in sheet, folded twice | Two 8.5 × 11 in sheets, folded and nested |
| Order of service parts | 7–10 parts | 8–12 parts | 12–20 parts |
| Obituary length | 250–400 words | 300–500 words | 600–900 words |
| Photos | Cover portrait plus 1–3 inside | Cover portrait plus 3–5 inside | Cover portrait plus 6–12 inside |
| Full song or hymn lyrics | Usually will not fit | Room for about one | Room for two or three |
| Acknowledgements and pallbearers | Tight; keep it short | Comfortable | Comfortable, with room for a poem |
| Typical guest count | 50–150 | 50–150 | 100–300+ |
| Best for | Most church, chapel, and funeral-home services | More content without moving to a booklet | Homegoing services and full life stories |
| Local printing | Easiest to fold and print same day | Fold lines must be accurate | Needs stapling or saddle-stitch binding |
| Start with this | 4-page program | Trifold program | 8-page booklet |
Word and photo counts are planning guidance, not hard limits. Every template holds a slightly different amount depending on the photo sizes and how long the names and titles run. Preview the full proof before you print.
Most U.S. programs start as one letter-size sheet, printed on both sides and folded once. Guests then hold four faces. The order of service belongs on the inside left so people can follow along without turning the paper. The cover, the life story, and the back panel are what turn that list into something they take home.
Use a portrait guests will recognize from across the aisle, the name that should be read aloud, and the years of their life. A short remembrance line can sit with the name. Add the chapel, date, and time only after the funeral home has locked the schedule—an early cover is the piece that gets reprinted.
This is the order of service, the running order for the room: welcome, music, readings, tribute, and closing, written in the sequence they will actually happen, with the speaker or musician named on the same line. Include hymn lyrics only if people are expected to sing. The builder on this page writes this panel.
Give guests a life sketch that still sounds like them, then the names of the people who survive them, in the order the family has agreed. A second photograph or a short verse can live with that story. Keep hymns and speakers off this panel so nobody is scanning an obituary for the next song.
Close with the family's thanks, where people should gather after the service, and any memorial-gift wording the charity has actually approved. Pallbearers, a webpage, or one more photograph belong here when the inside faces are already full.
The free editor above creates the ceremony-order PDF. For a complete multi-page booklet, choose a funeral program template and build the printable proof.
There is no single correct name. The handout given out at a funeral goes by several names depending on the country, the denomination, and whether you are talking to a family or a funeral supplier. They all describe the same printed piece.
If a funeral director, parish, or printer uses a term you have not heard, ask whether they mean the whole printed handout or only the sequence of the service. That one question prevents most ordering mistakes.
It is the chronological list of what will happen during the service, including music, readings, prayers, speakers, tributes, and closing instructions.
In the U.S., the order of service is usually one section inside the funeral program. In some countries, “order of service” also describes the full printed booklet.
No. A church funeral, Catholic Mass, Homegoing service, celebration of life, and graveside service can each use a different sequence. Always confirm the final order with the person leading the service.
It can be, but it does not have to be. Some families include the obituary in the printed program and use the spoken time for a shorter life story, eulogy, or shared memories.
Most full funeral or memorial services run about 45 to 60 minutes. A graveside or committal service is usually 15 to 25 minutes, and a military funeral with honors often runs 55 to 75 minutes. Each sample order above lists a time estimate per part so you can plan the schedule, but the officiant, venue, and funeral home set the real timing.
In the U.S. it is usually called a funeral program. You will also hear order of service, memorial folder, funeral booklet, or celebration of life program. In the U.K. and Ireland, order of service is the standard name for the whole booklet. They all refer to the same printed handout.
A 4-page folded program fits about 7 to 10 service parts, a 250 to 400 word obituary, and up to about four photos, and covers most services. A trifold gives you six panels for more content. An 8-page booklet suits Homegoing services and longer life stories, with room for 600 to 900 words and a dozen photos. The comparison table above matches each format to what you have written.
A military funeral follows a standard service and then adds Military Funeral Honors: a rifle volley where a firing party is assigned, the sounding of Taps, the folding of the flag, and the presentation of the flag to the next of kin. Honors are requested through the funeral director rather than booked by the family, so confirm which honors the assigned detail will render before printing the order.
The urn is present instead of a casket, and there is normally no graveside committal on the day unless an inurnment is scheduled. Because the service is often held weeks or months after the death, families tend to allow more time for shared memories and a photo tribute. If the ashes will be interred or scattered later, state that in the program so guests are not left wondering.
Yes. Edit the sequence above and download the order-of-service PDF without creating an account. A full multi-page funeral program is a separate printable product.
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