The cover
Most covers include a photograph, the person’s full name, and their dates of birth and death. Many families also add the date, time and place of the service, and a short line such as “In loving memory of” or “Celebrating the life of”.
The running order
Inside, the Order of Service follows the service from start to finish so guests know what’s happening. A typical order might be: entrance music, welcome, a hymn, a reading, the tribute or eulogy, prayers or a moment of reflection, a second hymn, the committal, and leaving music.
You don’t need to include everything. Short sections such as music simply show the title and the artist.
Hymns, readings and poems
Printing the words of hymns helps everyone join in. Traditional hymns such as The Lord’s My Shepherd and Abide with Me are out of copyright and can be printed freely. For modern songs and hymns, words are usually under copyright. Your church may hold a licence, otherwise print the title only.
Photographs
Many families add a page of photographs, perhaps from different times of life. One strong photo per page often looks better than many small ones.
The back page
The back page often thanks guests for coming, gives details of the wake or reception, and mentions any charity donations. A favourite quotation or short poem also works beautifully here.