The order of service is the heart of a funeral program: the sequence of music, prayers, readings, and tributes that carries everyone through the service together. If you've been asked to put one together, you don't need to invent anything — the shape is traditional, and most services follow it with small variations.

The traditional sequence

A typical Christian or interfaith funeral service runs in this order. Use it as a starting point and cut or add freely — a shorter, heartfelt order of service is always better than a padded one.

1. Prelude — quiet music as guests are seated. Name the piece if you can: "Ave Maria" — instrumental.
2. Processional — the entrance of the family and casket, if there is one.
3. Opening prayer or welcome — usually led by the officiant. Naming them here ("Rev. Thomas Hale") saves a separate line.
4. Hymn or song — "Amazing Grace" and "How Great Thou Art" remain the most chosen; a favourite secular song is just as fitting.
5. Scripture or poem reading — Psalm 23, John 14, or a poem such as "Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep". Note who reads it: read by Margaret Whitfield.
6. Tribute or remembrances — one or two short speeches from family or friends.
7. Eulogy — the main remembrance, by a family member, close friend, or the officiant.
8. Closing hymn or song — often more uplifting: "It Is Well with My Soul".
9. Benediction and recessional — the closing blessing and exit music.

For a celebration of life or non-religious memorial, the same skeleton works: swap prayers for readings and reflections, hymns for meaningful songs, and the benediction for closing words and a thank-you. The point of the printed order is simply that guests always know where they are and what comes next.

Wording that always works

Keep each line short: the part in bold, a detail line underneath naming the piece or the person. "Hymn — 'Abide with Me'", "Reading — Psalm 23, read by a granddaughter", "Eulogy — given by her son". If the interment or a reception follows the service, a line on the back cover ("Interment to follow at Riverside Memorial Gardens; the family invites you to a reception in the church hall") spares the officiant announcements.

From list to printed program

Once you have the sequence, the free funeral program maker turns it into a printed bi-fold program: the order of service on the inside-left page, the obituary opposite, cover and back cover around them. It comes pre-filled with the traditional sequence above — edit the lines, reorder them, and watch the preview update. Everything runs in your browser, so nothing about the service or the person is uploaded anywhere. If you want the full template walkthrough first, see the funeral program template guide.