Funeral Handout Ideas
Funerals are one of the saddest occasions in life.
Let me begin by offering my condolences on the loss of a loved one.
A funeral program is a wonderful way to honor your loved one's memory. A funeral handout is a printed paper brochure that celebrates the life and interests of the deceased and is handed out to guests at a funeral or memorial service. Printed on the handout or program is a detailed schedule of the funeral service with participants, so guests can follow along. Sometimes a picture of the deceased is included on the front page along with dates of birth and death.
Funeral Service
A successful funeral service will require some planning and a funeral handout will help things run smoothly on the day and provide attendees with a keepsake to remember the person who is no longer with us.
Funeral handouts or funeral programs contain details of the funeral service, who is participating in the service and sometimes readings and photos.
Unfortunately this is one of the first tasks that needs to be accomplished which can be a challenge when you are feeling sad and overwhelmed. You can ask the funeral home to do this for you, but it can be rather expensive.
Alternately, you can decide to create a more personal memorial by using one of the many downloadable templates for funeral handouts that you can find on the internet. Using a funeral program template will significantly reduce the amount of time it takes to produce your funeral program. Templates come in a variety of styles, themes, layouts and paper sizes. Choose the design that best suits your loved one's style. Perhaps one that reflects a favorite hobby, flower or color.
You will then need to collect all the information, preferably in electronic format, that is to be included on the funeral handout. Below is a list of pertinent information to be included in the funeral program.
What To Include in a Funeral Handout
- Full name of the deceased
- Date of birth and date of death
- The burial venue, date and time
- Surviving family or relatives
- Pallbearers
- Burial Official
- Name of the person reading the eulogy
- References and titles of songs, readings or poems
- Photos of the deceased
- Biography
- Hobbies
- Places of employment
- Messages from family members
If you want to include a photo of your loved one on the front of the funeral program make sure it is a professional or high quality photograph that is crisp and clear. The better the picture the better the program will look.
Once you have finished designing your funeral program, be sure to proof read the handout carefully to make sure there are no errors. It may help to have someone else proof read it too! Just to be sure.
If you are using an online company to design your funeral handout it will take approximately 3-4 days to receive them. Turnaround will depend on how many changes or corrections are made to the program before final approval. Shipping will take approximately 2 business days or you may be able to arrange to pick them up at their office if you are close by.
Ideas For Your Funeral Handouts
A great resource for funeral programs is the book "Funeral and Memorial Service Readings, Poems and Tributes. This book contains a collection of poetry and prose suitable for reading at a funeral or memorial service.
Writing Your Own Funeral Program
If you are writing your own funeral handout/program you'll want to consider including some of the following:-
- a little personal information - achievements that you are proud of
- funeral hymns that you would like included
- funeral poems or readings that you would like
- any speakers that you would like to deliver the eulogy
Please remember to leave a copy of your pre-written funeral handout/program somewhere safe where your family will find it.
Don't leave it anywhere secure that will be inaccessible in the event of your death.
Do make sure that the executor of your will knows its location.
Creating A Funeral Handout
A traditional design for a funeral handout is to have a photograph of the deceased on the front of the brochure with the dates of their life.
Inside, the order of service, including the words of any hymns or songs; any prayers to be said together; and also the names of those doing readings, prayers or eulogies.
Sample Funeral Handouts
You can find sample programs at:-
Funeral Program Templates - can be ordered online, cheaper than ordering from the funeral director
Elegant Memorials - create your own funeral programs.