Creating a Funeral Order of Service

Whether you are planning a funeral with funeral homes in Streamwood, IL that is more religious and traditional in tone, or one that may be a little more unconventional, it is important that it has a flow and order of events. Although this order can be modified to fit your needs and tastes, there is a typical order of service that most funerals follow.

This order of service is important as it helps the funeral have a nice flow and ensure key elements are included. It also helps the grieving family in planning the service as it provides an outline, or template, for them to be able to follow.  Let’s look at a typical order of service.

• Welcome/Introduction – The officiant will take this time and begin the service by welcoming guests and saying a few words about the deceased.
• Prayers/Opening Readings – These may be done by family members or the officiant.
• Music Selection/ Hymns – Hymns may be sung by a choir or by the guests. Other music selections may be played as well. The music can be live or over a stereo system.
• Formal reading of the obituary – Typically this is read by a family member and is the official obituary that was previously published, although some families may wish to write another one for this service.
• Moment of silence – The officiant will ask that everyone lowers their head and participate in a moment of silence as respect for the deceased.
• Delivery of the eulogy – A eulogy will be delivered typically by a family member or perhaps a close friend.
• Thank you and Acknowledgments – The officiant will address any thank you and acknowledgements that the family would like to have mentioned.
• Closing – The officiant will make any closing remarks, often time including a prayer or other words as well as any information about the graveside service.
• Viewing of the deceased – Guests can approach the casket and say their final goodbyes to the deceased.

Funeral Program

Once families have determined the order of service, it is important to think about having a funeral program designed and printed. This program, also called a memorial program, is a small booklet that lists the order of service as well as those names of the people performing each reading, eulogy, and so on. This allows guests to be able to be informed about who is speaking as well as what is coming up next and be able to follow along with the service.

Funeral programs are not difficult to design as there are many versions of free software that allow users to easily create one online. These software platforms also have temples to make designing the program very simple.

If you need help with designing and/or printing the program or if you would like help in creating the order of service for your loved one’s funeral, we are here to help. As directors of funeral homes in Streamwood, IL it is our job to walk you through the planning stage step-by-step to ensure your loved one receives the perfect service they deserve.