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What To Include In A Funeral Order Of Service
A Useful Guide For Planning And Printing A Funeral Order Of Service
Deciding what to include in an order of service for a loved one can seem like a difficult part of planning a funeral. However, funeral stationery can be an opportunity to pay a tribute to your loved one and produce a special memento of memories and photographs for all those present, and even for those who cannot attend.
There are two main considerations when creating an order of service for friends and family, these being the content for inside the booklet, and the design of the covers. With that said, let's first look into the content side and how it can celebrate the life of your loved one.
Content Of Order Of Service
The Front Cover
Most orders of service will have a simple front page, with a photo of a loved one in either color or black and white. This could be a recent or past photo, depending on personal preference and how you would like to remember them.
It's best to include your loved one's full legal name and date of birth. The time and location of the memorial service may also be shown too. Finally, if there's reasonable room left, some people choose to add a favourite saying or phrase to remember their loved one by.
It may be that you had the opportunity to discuss a loved one's own wishes for this, so these can be considered too. The tone never has to be sad or serious, as the order of service is typically a celebration of the person’s life, and doesn't need to include words that pertain to "death" or "funeral" at all.
The Schedule Of Service
There is no written rule for the schedule of service, and this will vary with the type of ceremony you wish to have. Religious funerals are more likely to include prayers as well as funeral hymns songs and poems about birth and death. It will have to be developed in conjunction with the person conducting the service too; whether that be a religious figure or otherwise. However, a typical order of service may look something like this:
- The musical procession as people are seated. The choice of song may be printed for those not present.
- Introduction, perhaps by the religious leader.
- Music and hymns; Include hymns, songs, poems and other music so that people can find them in the future.
- Chosen speeches or readings by people known to the individual, perhaps printing these readings or memories.
- A committal blessing.
- Closing music.
Memories And Photographs
After this, whatever you choose to add to provide happy, significant memories for all present may be added. Ideas for this are photographs, phrases or poems. There is no limit on how many pages this covers.
Other ideas might include a timeline of a person’s life, with their major landmark dates noted, such as graduation, marriage and children’s births. This can be a lovely way of showing how they have had a fruitful and varied life, with achievements recognised along the way.
Back Cover Or Final Page
The closing page will often include another photograph. There will often be a mention of where donations collected will be sent to. This may be something that meant a lot to someone during life or helped them towards the latter stages. Often an expression of thanks to those who have attended is made here too.
Designing An Order Of Service For A Funeral
Once you have decided on the content of your booklet, you can consider the actual design. You can have as many pages as you wish. It is not uncommon for people to have several pages of pictures. Many families choose this so that they can give people a lasting memory of their loved ones.
Choosing a style may include a simple border for your order of service. Also, ensure that you use a font and font size that will be easy to read. Many people make the mistake of choosing an ornate italic font, which is then hard to see and interpret. It's best therefore to avoid any overly cursive or 'swirly' style of writing.
Design-wise, you'll also want to make sure that your booklet design isn't cluttered. So you can include the names of the funeral hymns to save space inside the order of service. You may also consider other features to add to your booklets, such as beautiful metallic foiling, rounded corners, or any other ideas that you think would really create a loving reminder of the funeral service.
Print An Order Of Service With Us
We certainly hope this article helps with your order of service printing, especially if you're currently putting together a funeral order of service. It's never an easy thing to think about, but with a little planning and expert advice, it's absolutely possible to create a beautiful, loving reminder of your loved one's life.
If you'd like to speak with a member of our team to print a personalised order of service, we're always here to help. We can work with you to produce just what you're looking for, and our talented designers will work hard to really give your loved one a special memorial in print. If you are still not sure or you'd like to speak to one of our friendly print experts, simply email [email protected].
