How to Choose the Perfect Funeral Program for Your Loved One

A flat lay of dried eucalyptus and soft white flowers on a linen background, used as a blog header for a guide on how to choose the perfect funeral program design.

When someone you love dies, decisions pile up fast. The funeral program — sometimes called an order of service — is one of the smaller ones, but it's also one of the few things guests take home. Done well, it becomes something people keep.

This guide is meant to help you make that decision clearly, without spending more time on it than you need to.

First: how much time do you have?

This shapes everything. If the service is in 24–48 hours, you need a template you can edit and send to print today. Don't spend time browsing dozens of options — pick something that fits broadly, personalize the text and photo, and get it to FedEx or Staples. A simple, well-filled program beats an elaborate one you ran out of time to finish.

If you have a few days, you have room to be more intentional. The rest of this guide assumes you do.

Second: how will you use it?

Printed programs are what most people picture — a folded or flat paper program handed out at the service. Guests take them home. They sit on mantels and in memory boxes for years. For a traditional service, this is usually the right call.

Every template here is also easy to share even if you never print a physical copy — once you've finished personalizing it in Canva, you can save it as a PDF and send it by text, email, or in a family group chat to relatives who can't attend. It's the same design, the same care, just shared digitally instead of handed out in person.

Many families do both — print copies for the service, and share the PDF afterward with anyone who couldn't be there. It's the same file, so there's no extra work involved.

How many copies will you need?

If you're printing, figure this out before you go to the print shop.

Most services print between 50 and 150 programs. A small graveside service might need 30. A large church funeral could need 200. A rough rule: count expected attendees and add 20% — families consistently underestimate, and extras become keepsakes for people who couldn't attend.

Sharing the finished PDF afterward costs nothing extra, however many people you send it to.

1. What defined them as a person?

Start here, not with aesthetics. Think about the words people reach for when they talk about them. Were they outdoorsy? Deeply faithful? Quietly stylish? Someone who never missed a game?

The design should feel like them. A few honest starting points:

  • Nature lovers tend to connect with Botanical & Floral or Nature & Landscape designs — wildflowers, forest light, open skies.
  • Those who lived simply and elegantly often suit Minimalist & Modern templates — clean lines, nothing fussy.
  • Someone with a strong faith background may feel most at home in a Religious design with crosses, doves, or scripture.

If none of those fit, that's useful — it means you're looking for something more specific.

2. Did they have a hobby, career, or passion that defined them?

Some people are inseparable from what they did or loved. A firefighter. A golfer. A veteran. A nurse. Honoring that in the program isn't over the top — it's accurate. It tells the truth about who they were.

3. What's the tone of the service?

A graveside funeral and a backyard celebration of life call for different things. Neither is wrong — they just need different designs.

  • Traditional or religious services usually call for something restrained and classic.
  • Celebrations of life tend to work better with warmth and color — Watercolor and Pastel & Soft Color designs feel uplifting without being jarring.
  • If the person had a bold visual identity, Magazine Style layouts give you the most room to work with.

When in doubt, go slightly more understated. You can always add warmth through the photos you choose.

4. How many photos do you want to include — and which one?

Some templates are built around a single portrait. Others are designed for multiple images across a lifetime.

One photo, chosen well, is often more powerful than ten. The best choice isn't always the most recent — it's the one that looks most like them. The photo where they're relaxed, in their element, recognizably themselves. If you're not sure, ask someone who knew them well which photo comes to mind first.

If their life was full and varied and one photo can't hold it, a multi-photo layout lets you show that. Browse the full Funeral Program Templates collection and compare layouts side by side — seeing them together usually makes the decision obvious.

5. Who's going to edit it?

If you're handing the editing off to a family member who's never used design software, the template needs to be genuinely simple.

All templates here are built in Canva, which is free and runs in a browser — no downloads, no software to install. You click, type, swap the photo, and you're done. Most people finish in under an hour. If you get stuck, the editing guides walk through it step by step.

6. How are you printing it?

Once edited, you download the template as a PDF and print it yourself or take it to a print shop.

A few things worth knowing:

  • Paper stock matters. Standard copy paper looks thin for something this meaningful. Ask for 28 lb or 32 lb paper — it has more weight and holds color better. Matte finishes tend to feel more dignified; glossy can look clinical.
  • Laser printers handle color better than inkjet for this kind of work. If you're printing at home on an inkjet, do a test page first.
  • FedEx and Staples can handle both Standard (8.5" x 11") and Tabloid (11" x 17") sizes. Tabloid folds down to a booklet. Call ahead to confirm they have the paper weight you want.
  • Order more than you think you need. Reprinting costs time you may not have. Extra copies become keepsakes.

Start with what feels right

You don't need to get this perfect. Pick the design that feels most like them, fill in the details, and let the words carry the meaning. The program is a starting point — the people in the room bring the rest.

Browse all designs in the Funeral Program Templates collection, or reach out if you have a custom request or can't find quite the right fit.