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: printed, digital, or both?

This is worth deciding early because it affects which template format you need.

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.

Digital programs are a different thing entirely, and most people don't know they exist. A digital funeral program is a phone-sized slideshow — the same design as the printed version, but built for a screen. You edit it in Canva the same way you would a PDF, then download it as an MP4 video file. You can add music, animations, and effects. It's sized for phones and tablets — perfect for sharing in a family group chat, texting to out-of-town relatives, or displaying on a phone or tablet at a memorial table.

That makes it genuinely useful in a few situations:

  • Family members who can't travel to the service can receive it and watch it at home
  • It can be shared on social media or in a family group chat after the service
  • It costs nothing extra to send to 200 people once it's done

Many families do both — a printed program for the service, a digital one to share afterward. They're edited from the same template, so the work is mostly done once you've finished one.

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.

If you're also doing a digital version, that's unlimited copies at no extra cost.

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. The PDF and digital MP4 versions are edited exactly the same way — the only difference is how you export at the end. 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.

If you're doing the digital MP4 version, there's nothing to print — just download the file from Canva and share it however works best for your family.

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.