Classic Funeral Program — Bifold
Navy and gold with a laurel sprig. Suits almost any service.
1 sheet, printed both sides, folded once · US Letter
What happens, in what order
Funeral Order of Service: 8 Examples to Follow
An order of service is the running order of the funeral: what happens, in sequence, and who does each part. It is the one section of a program that guests actually use during the service. Below are eight orders you can copy, from a traditional church funeral to a short graveside service, with templates that already have one laid out.
Templates with an order already set
Start from a program that has the order in place
The traditional pattern
A simple funeral order of service
Most Christian funerals in the United States follow something close to this. It runs forty-five minutes to an hour.
- Prelude (music as guests are seated)
- Processional (clergy, casket, family)
- Welcome and opening prayer
- Scripture reading
- Hymn or song
- Reading of the obituary
- Tributes or reflections from family and friends
- Musical selection
- Eulogy or sermon
- Closing prayer and benediction
- Recessional
Beside each line, give the name of the person leading it. For hymns, add the title; for readings, the passage. That is all a guest needs.
By kind of service
Order of service examples by tradition
Catholic Funeral Mass
Introductory Rites; Liturgy of the Word (first reading, psalm, second reading, Gospel, homily, Universal Prayer); Liturgy of the Eucharist; Final Commendation.
Baptist or homegoing
Processional; hymn; Old and New Testament scripture; prayer of comfort; selection; acknowledgements and resolutions; remarks; solo; obituary; eulogy; recessional.
Latter-day Saint
Opening hymn; invocation; life sketch; musical number; speakers; bishop’s remarks; closing hymn; benediction; dedication of the grave.
Non-religious celebration of life
Welcome; music; a reading or poem; two or three remembrances; a photo tribute; open microphone; a moment of reflection; closing words.
With military honors
Posting of the colors; the service; rifle salute; Taps; folding and presentation of the flag; benediction.
Graveside or committal only
Gathering; opening words; a reading; a short remembrance; committal; the Lord’s Prayer or a moment of silence; blessing. Six or seven lines, fifteen to twenty minutes.
Memorial service without a casket
The same as the traditional order with the processional and recessional left out, and often a photo display or slideshow in their place.
- Catholic Funeral Mass program has every part of the Mass listed.
- Baptist and Christian programs cover the homegoing order in detail.
- LDS funeral program explains presiding, conducting and the dedication.
- Military funeral programs show where each honor falls.
Getting it right
Four things to check before printing
- Ask the officiant for the final order. Clergy and celebrants often have a fixed sequence, and the printed program should match what they will actually do.
- Confirm every name and its spelling with the person named, including titles such as Rev., Dr. or Deacon.
- Leave out timings. Services run long or short, and a printed 11:20 helps nobody.
- Keep each line to one line. If a hymn title and a singer’s name will not fit together, drop the hymn number, not the type size.
See whole programs
Funeral Program Examples
Completed examples, every panel.
Open →
Make one
How to Make a Funeral Program
Word and Google Docs, step by step.
Open →
All templates
Funeral Program Templates
Twenty-eight designs and folds.
Open →
Questions families ask
What is the difference between an order of service and a funeral program?
The order of service is the list of what happens. The program is the whole printed piece, which contains the order of service along with the cover, obituary and acknowledgements. In Britain, order of service is used for the whole booklet.
How many items should an order of service have?
Eight to twelve suits most services. Fewer than six tends to mean a graveside or very small gathering; more than fourteen usually means two items could be combined on one line.
Who decides the order of service?
The officiant and the family together. In liturgical churches the structure is fixed and the family chooses readings and music within it; elsewhere the family has more freedom. The funeral director can advise on timing.
Does a non-religious funeral have an order of service?
Yes, though it may be headed Program or Today’s Gathering. Guests still appreciate knowing what is coming and who is speaking.
Free funeral templates · Updated through October 2026 · by David Nelsen. Every name, date and place printed on these templates is invented sample wording; each file is opened in Microsoft Word and Google Docs before it is published.