Resource Guide • Templates • Editing • Printing • Digital Sharing

Funeral Program Templates: A Complete Guide for Families

Planning a service comes with real pressure: the timeline is short, emotions are heavy, and everyone is looking to you for decisions that feel both practical and meaningful. The Funeral Program Site created this guide for families who want a program that looks organized and respectful without spending hours wrestling with spacing, fold lines, and formatting. A well-made program helps guests follow along, supports the flow of the service, and becomes a keepsake people hold onto long after the final hymn or closing words.

The simplest way to avoid starting from a blank page is to begin with funeral program templates that already include a proven layout. Instead of building margins, headings, and photo frames from scratch, you focus on what actually matters: the name, the dates, the order of service, and the story of a life that deserves to be remembered well. Below, you will find clear guidance on choosing a format, gathering content, editing photos, preparing for print, and sharing a digital version with friends and relatives who cannot attend in person.

What a funeral program template is and why it helps

A template is a pre-designed document built specifically for funerals, memorials, and celebrations of life. It opens with the page structure already set up, including headings, text areas, and photo placeholders. That means you are not guessing where an obituary should go, how wide the margins should be, or how to align an order of service so it stays readable. The layout is already balanced, so your edits naturally move the program toward a finished look.

Templates help in a very practical way: they reduce the number of decisions you have to make while you are grieving. When families are overwhelmed, even small choices can feel exhausting. A strong layout removes the “design problem” and leaves you with the “content problem,” which is the part only your family can do. You supply the words and photos. The template takes care of structure, spacing, and print-friendly formatting.

How to choose the right format for your service

Start with one question: how much content do you realistically want to include? A traditional bifold program (one sheet printed front and back, folded in half) is the most common because it provides enough space for essential details without feeling crowded. If your service is simple and you prefer concise wording, a bifold layout can be perfect. If you want multiple readings, lyrics, a longer obituary, or several photos, a booklet format can be a better fit because it gives you room to keep font sizes comfortable.

Think about how guests will use the program. In many services, people hold the program for 30 to 60 minutes. If the text is too small, they stop trying to follow along. If panels are packed with long paragraphs, it can feel visually heavy. A good rule is to protect readability first, then add extra details only if you have space. If you are unsure, choose a layout with a bit more room than you think you need, because last-minute additions happen often.

A quick content checklist before you start editing

Gather these items first so the editing process feels steady instead of frantic: the full name (including nicknames if you want them), dates of birth and passing, service date and time, venue name and address, officiant name, names of speakers or readers, song titles, and a short draft of the obituary or life tribute. Choose one strong cover photo and two to four supporting photos you may want inside. Having everything in one folder saves you from hunting for details later.

Video guidance

Funeral program template format comparison

If you are deciding between layouts, use this comparison as a practical guide. Your goal is to match the amount of content to the space available so the finished program feels calm and easy to read. When in doubt, pick the option that keeps text larger and breathing room wider.

Format	Best For	Typical Inclusions	Helpful Notes
Bifold	Most funeral and memorial services	Cover, order of service, short obituary, a few photos, acknowledgments	Prints easily on letter-size paper, familiar to guests, and keeps the program focused and simple.
Trifold	Very concise content	Brief service outline, short tribute, a quote or verse, small photo set	Panel order matters; always print one proof and fold it to confirm the cover and inside panels land correctly.
Booklet	More readings, lyrics, photos, or longer life story	Expanded obituary, multiple images, poems, lyrics, tributes, acknowledgments	Gives you space without shrinking fonts; ideal when you want a keepsake feel and more storytelling.

Editing tips that keep your program looking professional

Most templates look their best when you keep a few simple rules in mind. First, keep body text readable. If you find yourself shrinking font sizes to make text fit, it is usually better to shorten the wording or move a longer section to a different panel. Second, use consistent formatting. If headings are bold or larger, keep them that way throughout. If you use bullet points for a list of survivors or pallbearers, stick with that style instead of switching formats.

Photos deserve extra attention because they carry emotion instantly. Choose one clear portrait for the cover so guests recognize the person being honored right away. For inside photos, pick images with good lighting and faces that are easy to see at smaller sizes. If you are cropping, keep the eyes near the top third of the frame and avoid cutting off important features. If an image looks grainy, use it smaller on the inside rather than making it the main cover image.

Wording ideas that feel natural and respectful

Families often worry about “saying it perfectly,” but the best programs are simply honest and clear. Start with the facts, then add warmth. A short line on the cover can set the tone: “In Loving Memory,” “Celebrating the Life,” or “A Celebration of Life and Legacy.” For the life tribute, focus on relationships and character rather than trying to list every accomplishment. Two to four short paragraphs are often enough to paint a real picture of who they were and what they meant to people.

The acknowledgments section can be brief and still meaningful. You can thank guests for attending, mention appreciation for calls, meals, flowers, or prayers, and note any organization you would like people to support. If you are listing survivors, keep the format simple and consistent: immediate family first, then extended family. If you are including pallbearers or honorary pallbearers, double-check spelling carefully, because names are the details people remember most.

Printing and paper: how to avoid common last-minute issues

A program can look perfect on screen and still surprise you when it prints. The best way to avoid stress is to create one proof copy first. Print it using the same printer and paper you plan to use for the final set, then fold it exactly the way it will be handed out. Check that the cover is correct, the inside panel order makes sense, and nothing important sits too close to the fold line. Look at the program under normal indoor lighting, because that is how guests will see it during the service.

Paper choice changes how the program feels in the hand. Standard copy paper works in a pinch and can still look good if the design is clean. A heavier stock makes the program feel more like a keepsake and holds up better in purses, pockets, and memory boxes. If you use heavier paper, fold carefully to prevent cracking along the fold. If time is tight, a local print shop can often turn around folded programs quickly, especially if you bring a print-ready PDF.

Digital sharing for relatives who cannot attend

Many families now share a digital version of the program so distant relatives can follow along, even if they are watching a livestream or simply thinking of the family from far away. Once your edits are complete, save the program as a PDF and share it by email, text, or a private family group. The benefit of using a template is that your digital version stays identical to the printed version. Everyone sees the same order of service, the same photos, and the same words, which creates a sense of unity even across distance.

Digital programs also help later, after the service. People misplace paper programs, but a saved PDF can be re-shared on anniversaries, printed again for a family archive, or included in a memory binder. If you want the program to live beyond the day of the service, keep the final file in a safe folder and label it clearly with the full name and service date.

Audio guide

If the audio does not load, try refreshing the page or opening the file in a new tab. The transcript below mirrors the audio topic so you can still follow along.

Audio transcript

Welcome, and thank you for being here. This is The Funeral Program Site, and this short audio is meant to make one part of funeral planning feel simpler: creating a program that looks organized, respectful, and easy for guests to follow. If you are listening right now, you are probably juggling a lot. Maybe you are coordinating a service in just a few days. Maybe you are trying to help a parent, spouse, or sibling, and you are doing it while grieving yourself. So first, take a breath. You do not need to be a designer to create a beautiful funeral program. You just need a clear plan, the right format, and a few careful checks before you print. Let’s start with what a funeral program template is. A template is a professionally arranged layout that already has the spacing, headings, and panel structure set up. In other words, the parts that usually cause stress—margins, alignment, and how the folded pages land—are already handled. When you open the template, you will see placeholder text and photo boxes. Your job is simply to replace those placeholders with your loved one’s information, the service details, and the words you want to share. Before you type anything, gather your essentials. You will want the full name, dates, and the service location and time. You will also want the order of service: who is speaking, what songs are included, and any readings or prayers. If you have multiple family members contributing, ask them to send their wording in one message so you can copy and paste without retyping. That alone can save you a lot of time. Next, choose a format that matches your content. The most common layout is a bifold program—one letter-size sheet printed front and back, then folded in half. It is familiar, it is easy to hold, and it works well for most services. If you are including lots of lyrics, multiple poems, many photos, or a longer life story, a booklet-style layout is often a better fit because it gives you more room and keeps text readable. Try to avoid shrinking fonts just to make everything fit. If the words are hard to read, guests will stop following along, and the program will feel more stressful than helpful. Now let’s talk about photos, because photos are often the most emotional part of the program. For the cover, choose one clear portrait that feels recognizable and warm. Inside, you can add a few smaller photos that show different seasons of life—family moments, milestones, or everyday memories. When cropping photos, keep faces centered and avoid cutting off features. If an image looks a little blurry, it can still work well inside at a smaller size, but it may not be the best choice for the cover. As you begin filling in the text, keep the program simple and clean. A program does not need to say everything to be meaningful. Guests usually want three things: who the service is for, what is happening and in what order, and a short tribute that helps them remember the person. If you are writing a life tribute, aim for clarity and sincerity. Mention the relationships that mattered most, the character traits people loved, and a few details that feel true to who they were. You do not need fancy language. You just need honest words. One area where families make mistakes is names and dates. This is completely normal, especially when the timeline is tight. So here is a practical step: read every line out loud, slowly. Then ask one other person to read it too. A second set of eyes catches things you may miss—like a small typo in a last name, or the wrong day of the week, or a missing middle initial. These details matter, and it feels good to know they are correct. When you are done editing, save a print-ready PDF. A PDF helps lock in the layout so it prints the way you see it on screen. Then print one proof copy before you print the whole set. Fold it exactly as it will be handed out. Check the cover, check the inside panel order, and make sure nothing important is too close to the fold line. Look at it under normal indoor light. If something feels crowded, simplify the wording or move content to a different area rather than shrinking text. If you are printing at home, use the best paper you have access to, and print a couple of extras. If you are printing at a local shop, bring the PDF on a flash drive or email it ahead of time, and ask for one proof before they run the full quantity. That quick proof can prevent a frustrating mistake. Finally, remember that your program can live beyond the service. Save the final file in a safe place. You may want to print more later for relatives who could not attend, or keep a clean copy for a memory box. A program becomes part of the family record, and it can be surprisingly comforting to revisit later. If you need additional help, The Funeral Program Site has program designs, printing guidance, and practical resources for families who are doing their best in a hard moment. You are not alone in this, and you do not have to make it perfect. You just have to make it heartfelt, clear, and true to the person you are honoring.

Helpful links

These links take you straight to core resources from The Funeral Program Site, including the main website, the funeral programs collection page, and a quick link to Google Maps for directions.

Funeral Program Templates by The Funeral Program Site

When you want the program to feel polished without feeling complicated, templates make the process calmer. The Funeral Program Site offers coordinated designs in a wide range of styles—traditional, floral, scenic, modern, and faith-based—so you can choose what best reflects personality and tone. The goal is not to create something flashy. The goal is to create something clear, respectful, and comfortable to hold, with words and photos that feel like your loved one. Once you pick a design, you can focus on accuracy, readability, and the details that matter most to your family, knowing the structure is already set up to print and fold correctly.