Memorial Service Order of Service Template

The order of service

1. 01Gathering and display

   20 to 30 min before

   Photographs, objects, and music as guests arrive. A memory table with a few of the person's belongings works better than flowers alone.

2. 02Welcome

   2 to 3 min

   The officiant or host opens, acknowledges those who traveled, and outlines what will happen.

3. 03Opening music or reading

   A hymn, song, or reading chosen by the family.

4. 04Life story

   8 to 12 min

   The biography, delivered by the officiant or a family member. With more time available, this is often richer than at a funeral.

5. 05Tributes

   15 to 20 min

   Three or four invited speakers. Because a memorial service is planned in advance, speakers can actually prepare.

6. 06Music or slideshow

   4 to 6 min

   A photo or video presentation, usually four to six minutes.

7. 07Reflection, prayer, or silence

   A prayer if the family wishes, or a shared silence introduced as an invitation.

8. 08Family's thanks

   2 to 3 min

   A family member speaks briefly, or the officiant reads a message from the family.

9. 09Closing and reception

   Closing words and clear directions to the reception.

10. 10Optional interment of ashes

    Some families hold a small private interment or scattering separately, either before or after the memorial service.

Program wording you can copy

Replace the bracketed prompts with your own details. Every block below is free to copy and use.

A Memorial Service Celebrating
[Full Name]
[Birth date] – [Date of death]

[Venue]
[City, State]
[Date] at [time]

[Name] died on [date]. We waited until today so that everyone who loved [him/her/them] could be in the same room. Thank you for traveling, for rearranging things, and for being here.

Welcome ........................ [Name]
Opening Music ............. [Title]
[Name]'s Life ................ [Name]
Tributes ......................... [Name], [Name], [Name]
Slideshow
A Moment Together
From the Family .......... [Name]
Closing Words

The table near the entrance holds a few of [Name]'s things. Please look. Please pick them up. [He/She/They] would have handed them to you.

Please stay for [meal or refreshments] at [location].

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to [organization].

How this fits on a folded program

A standard funeral program is a single sheet folded once, giving four panels. Here is where each part usually goes.

• Front cover: photograph, name, and dates
• Inside left: the order of the service with speakers named
• Inside right: the life story, often longer and warmer than a newspaper obituary
• Back cover: the family's thanks, reception details, donation information, and a QR code to a photo album if you have one

Practical notes

• Because the date is flexible, choose one that lets distant family attend. Weekends and holiday weekends are the usual choice for scattered families.
• Ask speakers weeks in advance and give them a specific time limit. Prepared remarks at a memorial service are noticeably better than improvised ones at a funeral.
• If ashes will be interred or scattered, decide whether that happens as part of the service, privately beforehand, or afterward, and say so in the program so nobody is confused.
• A shared photo album or memorial page linked by QR code on the back panel keeps the gathering going after people go home.

Questions families ask

What is the difference between a funeral and a memorial service?

A funeral takes place with the body present, usually within a week of the death. A memorial service takes place without the body and can be held at any time afterward. Everything else, including the location, the structure, and the tone, is up to the family.

How long after a death can you hold a memorial service?

There is no limit. Services held one to three months later are common, and services held on a first anniversary are not unusual. Waiting allows distant family to attend and gives the people organizing it time to plan something considered rather than rushed.

Should we still print a program?

Yes, and memorial service programs are often the most keepsake-like of all, because there is time to make them well. Guests who traveled tend to keep them, and they are frequently mailed afterward to people who could not attend.