A funeral service sheet is the printed sheet, card or booklet given to guests at a funeral so they can follow the service. It is also called a funeral order of service, a funeral programme or a funeral booklet. It sets out the order of the ceremony, the words to any hymns and prayers, and often a photograph and a few words about the person who has died.
Families usually keep it long after the day itself, which is why it is worth taking a little care over. This guide explains what a funeral service sheet is, what goes on it, how big it should be, and where to get one made.
What is the service sheet called at a funeral?
The most common name is an order of service. You will also hear funeral service sheet, funeral programme and funeral booklet. They all describe the same printed item, and funeral directors, printers and families use the names interchangeably across the UK. In America it is usually called a funeral program.
Some people use “service sheet” for a single folded card and “booklet” for a longer, stapled one, but there is no strict rule. If you ask for any of them, your funeral director or printer will know what you mean.
What goes on a funeral service sheet?
Most include the same few things:
- The front cover: the name of the person who has died, their dates, a photograph, and the date, time and place of the service.
- The running order: the entrance music, welcome, hymns or songs, readings, prayers, tributes and the committal or closing music, in the order they happen.
- Words to join in with: the words of hymns and any shared prayers, so everyone can take part.
- Tributes and photographs: a short life story, memories, or a few favourite photographs.
- The back page: details of the wake, any donations in memory of the person, and a thank you from the family.
Our guide to what to put in a funeral order of service goes through each part in more detail.
How big is a funeral service sheet, and how many pages?
Ours are A5, which is 148mm wide and 210mm high. A single folded sheet gives a 4-page service sheet. Each extra folded sheet adds four pages, so the usual sizes are 4, 8, 12 and 16 pages.
A 4-page sheet suits a short service with a simple running order. Eight pages is the most popular choice, with room for a full running order, a short biography, hymn words and photographs. Twelve or sixteen pages suit longer services or families who want to include more. You can see our current prices for each size.
What are some ideas for a funeral service sheet?
- A favourite photograph on the cover, or a photograph from a happy occasion.
- A design based on something they loved: a garden, the sea, a team, a hobby or a favourite colour.
- A short poem, verse or favourite saying on the back.
- A brief life story, or a few lines from friends and family.
- A page of photographs from across their life.
Our funeral order of service ideas guide has more, and you can browse real designs in our gallery.
Where can I get funeral service sheets made?
There are four common routes. You can design one yourself from an online template. You can use a service where a designer creates it for you. You can take a finished design to a local print shop. Or your funeral director can arrange it through a supplier they already use. Our guide to how to choose a funeral order of service printer compares them and lists the questions to ask.
At Fitting Farewell we design and print them for you. You speak directly to your own designer, we email a PDF proof, and nothing is printed until you are completely happy. Your service sheet is typically with you within three working days of approving the proof, delivered by overnight courier anywhere in the UK.
You can read more about our funeral order of service design and printing, or call us free on 0800 612 6484 and talk it through. There is no obligation.
