How Do You Create a Funeral Order of Service Booklet?

Detailed Explanation

The order of service booklet is one of the smaller practical details in planning a funeral, but it's also one families sometimes overlook until late in the process. It's worth planning for alongside the rest of what happens at a funeral service, since the booklet's content follows directly from the ceremony's structure.

What to include

A typical booklet covers:

• Cover. The person's name, birth and death dates, and a photo the family loves. Simple and dignified works better than an overly busy design.
• The running order. The sequence of the service: welcome, readings, music, eulogies, and the committal, so guests can follow along and know what's coming.
• Names of who's speaking or reading, if the family wants guests to know in advance.
• Words to a hymn or song, if the congregation is expected to join in.
• A short thank-you note from the family, often on the back page, with appreciation for everyone's presence and support.
• A favourite poem, verse, or quote, if one feels right. See funeral readings and poems for options if nothing's been chosen yet.

There's no fixed template. Some families keep it to a single folded sheet; others create a more detailed multi-page booklet. Match the length to what actually helps the room, not to a sense of obligation to fill pages.

DIY versus funeral-home printing

• Funeral-home design and print is the more convenient option. It's typically offered as part of an itemised quote, and the funeral home handles layout and printing without the family needing to organise anything separately. Confirm exactly what's included before assuming it's part of a package described as "all-inclusive": this is a common source of unexpected charges, worth asking about directly when comparing funeral director quotes.
• DIY with a local printer is usually cheaper. Free and low-cost order-of-service templates are widely available, and many local print shops or office-supply stores can turn around a simple booklet within a day or two once the file is ready. This option needs the family to have the content and design sorted earlier, since there's no funeral-home staff member managing the timeline for you.
• A hybrid approach, writing the content yourselves but having the funeral home or a printer handle the physical printing, splits the cost saving and convenience reasonably evenly.

Timing

Printing itself is usually quick (often a day or two once a final file is ready), but the real time pressure is finalising the content: confirming who's speaking, locking in readings, and choosing a photo. Most funeral directors ask for this content around a week before the service to guarantee standard turnaround; a later request is often still possible, but may cost more or limit design options. If time is genuinely tight, say so directly. Printers and funeral homes handle rushed requests routinely.

How many to order

Order noticeably more than the confirmed guest count. A good rule many families use is enough for every attendee plus a reasonable buffer for people who arrive unexpectedly, since headcounts for a funeral are rarely precise. Booklets are commonly kept afterwards as a tangible keepsake, so a shortfall on the day means some guests leave without one.

Things to Consider

• A photo, once chosen, is easy to reuse. The same cover photo often becomes the starting point for an online memorial or the printed funeral notice, so choosing it once and reusing it saves a step.
• Check exactly what "stationery included" covers in a funeral director's quote before assuming the booklet is free. Ask for the specific number of copies and any design limits included in the package price.
• A simple design ages well. Elaborate layouts can take longer to finalise and proof at exactly the point when time is short; a clean, simple design is rarely a wrong choice.
• Keep a digital copy. A PDF of the final booklet is easy to send to family who couldn't attend, and useful later for an online memorial or as a keepsake in its own right.

Common Mistakes

• Assuming "all-inclusive" covers the booklet without checking. This is a genuinely common billing surprise. Confirm the specific inclusion in writing rather than assuming.
• Leaving content finalisation until the last minute. Printing is fast; deciding who speaks and what's read is usually what actually runs late.
• Under-ordering copies. Guest counts for funerals are rarely exact. Order extra rather than running short on the day.
• Overcomplicating the design. A booklet doesn't need to be elaborate to be meaningful; clarity and warmth matter more than polish.