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Funeral program layout: what goes on each panel
Guests keep the program for years. Here's a simple four-panel layout, the wording that works on each panel, and what to know before you send it to the printer.
The short answerA standard program is one sheet folded in half: four panels. The cover has their name, best photo and dates. Inside left is the order of service, item and name with no timings. Inside right holds one reading or a short life story. The back has a favourite photo, their signature saying and the family's thank-you. Print about 1.5 times your expected guest count.
The four panels at a glance
Cover
Use the photo that looks like how people remember them, not necessarily the most formal one. A warm, recent portrait usually works best; save the decades-spanning photos for the slideshow or tribute posts.
Celebrating the Life of
Margaret "Peggy" Doyle
June 2, 1941 – August 30, 2026
Alternatives: "In Loving Memory of", "A Celebration of the Life of", or simply their name and dates.
Inside left: order of service
Copy this straight from your run of show, but drop the clock times. Guests want to know what's coming and who's speaking; times on the page just make everyone watch the clock.
Welcome — Joan Whitfield
Reading, "Death Is Nothing At All" — Emma Doyle
Reflection, "The Teacher" — Patricia Doyle
Eulogy — Susan Doyle
Reading, "The Red Pen" — Jack Doyle
Eulogy — Kevin Doyle
Closing Words — Joan Whitfield
Recessional
Name the relationship if it helps guests who don't know the family: "Emma Doyle, granddaughter".
Inside right: a reading or a life story
Choose one. A reading gives guests something to hold onto during the service; a short life story (150 to 200 words, adapted from the obituary) gives out-of-town guests and future readers the whole picture.
A note on poems and copyright
Many of the most popular memorial poems are still under copyright, and some rights holders actively enforce reprint permissions. Before printing a full poem, confirm it's in the public domain; your funeral home deals with this weekly and can tell you. Reliable public-domain choices include Psalm 23, "Crossing the Bar" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, "Death Is Nothing At All" by Henry Scott-Holland, and "On Joy and Sorrow" by Kahlil Gibran. Or write an original reading built from the person's own sayings; it's often the most moving option anyway.
Back panel
This is the panel people look at last, so make it the one that feels most like them: a candid photo mid-laugh, the phrase everyone associates with them, and a one-line thank-you from the family.
"Neat and complete."
The family thanks you for your love and support, and invites you to join us for tea and butter tarts in the church hall following the service.
Printing: what to know
- Quantity: order about 1.5× your expected guest count.
- Timing: funeral homes and print shops can often turn programs around within 24 hours once the text is final.
- Paper: a heavier cardstock (around 80 lb cover) folds cleanly and holds up as a keepsake.
- Photos: send the highest-resolution file you have; phone scans of old prints can be lightly straightened and brightened first.
- Proofread: one person reads every name and date aloud while another checks against the obituary.
Common questions
What goes on the front of a funeral program?
The person's name, usually with a title such as 'Celebrating the Life of', their best photo, and their birth and passing dates. Many families add the date and place of the service at the bottom.
What is the order of a funeral program?
A standard folded program has the cover, the order of service inside left, a reading or short life story inside right, and a photo, favourite saying and family thank-you on the back.
How many funeral programs should I print?
Order about one and a half times your expected guest count. Families take extras for relatives who couldn't attend, and running out is far worse than having leftovers.
Can I print a poem in a funeral program?
Only if it's in the public domain or you have permission. Many popular memorial poems are still under copyright. Classic public-domain options include Psalm 23, 'Crossing the Bar' by Tennyson and 'Death Is Nothing At All' by Henry Scott-Holland, or you can write an original reading.
How long does it take to print a funeral program?
Funeral homes and local print shops handle programs routinely and can often turn them around within 24 hours once the text and photos are final.