What to Include in a Funeral Program

A funeral program has room for more than most people expect — and also less than they fear. You do not need to include everything, and trying to will only crowd the page. What follows is the full menu of sections a program can hold, arranged in the order they usually appear, with a note on which are essential and which are optional. Take what serves the life you are honoring and leave the rest.

If you are building a program from scratch, you may want to read our overview first: how to make a funeral program. This guide zooms in on the contents alone.

The cover is the face of the program and the first thing a mourner holds. Keep it simple and let the photograph carry it. A cover typically includes:

• A favorite photograph of your loved one — clear, well-lit, and reproduced at high resolution.
• Their full name, often with a maiden name or the nickname everyone knew them by.
• The dates of birth and passing, sometimes joined by a simple dash or the words "In Loving Memory."
• A short heading such as "Celebration of Life," "In Loving Memory," or "A Service of Thanksgiving."

This is the practical core of the program — the sequence of the ceremony, so guests know what is happening and when to participate. It is usually printed on the inside as a clean list: the opening words, hymns and songs, scripture or readings, prayers, the eulogy or tribute, any musical interludes, the committal, and the closing. Naming who leads each part (the officiant, a soloist, a grandchild reading a poem) adds warmth and helps the day run smoothly.

The exact order depends entirely on the faith and family. For ready-to-adapt sequences across several traditions, see our funeral order of service examples.

Many programs include a short biography — where your loved one was born, the shape of their life, the people and passions that filled it, and who survives them. In a program, this is usually a condensed version; the full obituary can live in the newspaper or online. Even a few well-chosen sentences let a room of people, some of whom never met, understand who this person was.

If the words are hard to find, our guide on how to write an obituary offers a simple structure and a complete example to adapt.

A booklet-style program has room for a small gallery — a collage inside, or single photos beside the readings. Choose images that tell a story across a life: a wedding, a favorite chair, grandchildren, a garden. A handful of meaningful photographs is far more moving than a page packed edge to edge. Make sure each is high enough resolution to print without blurring.

A poem or passage of scripture gives the program a voice and a moment of stillness. This might be a reading used in the service, or simply a verse the family loves printed on the back panel. Well-known public-domain poems and psalms are perennial choices because they carry comfort without needing explanation.

Browse our curated comforting funeral poems and our themed collection of Bible verses for a funeral program to find something that fits the tone.

It is a longstanding kindness to name those who serve at the service. This includes pallbearers (and honorary pallbearers), and often the officiant, musicians, soloists, and anyone giving a reading or eulogy. Listing their names is a quiet thank-you that guests notice and families treasure.

The back panel traditionally carries a message of thanks from the family — gratitude for the support, food, flowers, prayers, and presence of the community during a difficult time. A short, sincere paragraph is all it needs. Many families also include a favorite verse or a simple closing line here.

Practical notes belong near the end: the location and time of any reception or repast, and — if the family prefers — a request for memorial donations to a named charity in lieu of flowers. These small details save guests from asking and make the day easier for everyone.

When in doubt, ask one question: does this help a guest follow the service, or help the family remember? If it does neither, it can go. A program that holds a strong cover photo, a clear order of service, a short life story, and one beloved reading is complete. Everything else is a welcome addition, not a requirement.