What to Include in a Funeral Order of Service: Complete Checklist for Families in Loughborough
Planning a funeral order of service is one of those tasks that seems small until you're actually sitting down to do it. Suddenly there are questions about hymns, readings, photographs, and wording that you never expected to face, often while you're still processing a loss. If you've found yourself wondering what to include in a funeral order of service, you're not alone, and there's no need to work it out from scratch.
We've supported families across Loughborough and beyond through this exact process, and one thing has become clear over the years: the families who feel most at ease with their order of service are the ones who understand what it's for, not just what goes on the page.
Why the Order of Service Matters More Than You Might Think
An order of service does two jobs at once. First, it's a practical guide; it tells everyone in the room what's happening and when, so mourners aren't left guessing whether to stand, sit, or sing. Second, it's a keepsake. Long after the day itself, it's often the thing families and friends hold onto, tuck into a drawer, or bring out on an anniversary.
That dual purpose is why getting the content right matters more than people expect. A purely functional booklet can feel cold. One that's purely sentimental can leave guests confused about the running order. If you'd like a clearer picture of how that structure comes together on the page, our guide to the funeral service programmebreaks down how the running order is typically laid out from front to back.
What to Include in a Funeral Order of Service: The Essentials
There's no single correct format, but most funeral booklets share a common backbone. Here's what typically belongs on the page:
Full name and photograph of the person being remembered, along with their dates of birth and death
Order of proceedings: the sequence of hymns, readings, prayers, eulogies, and music
Names of officiants and speakers, so guests know who's who
Details of the committal or burial, if guests are expected to attend
Location of the wake or reception, if one is planned
A closing message or thank-you, often from the family
Some families choose to keep things simple with just the essentials. Others add a short biography, a favourite quote, or a list of family members. There's genuinely no wrong answer here; it comes down to what feels right for the person being remembered and the tone the family wants to set.
If you're weighing up how much detail to include, our funeral order of service page walks through real examples and layout options, which can make the decision far less overwhelming.
Readings, Music, and Tributes: Adding Personal Touches
This is usually where families spend the most time, and understandably so. Funeral readings and music choices say something personal about the life being celebrated, and getting them listed clearly in the booklet helps everyone follow along and take part.
A few things worth knowing:
If you're including a religious reading, it's worth double-checking the exact wording with the officiant beforehand; small variations exist between versions and denominations
For hymns, printing at least the first verse (with permission where required) means guests aren't fumbling for hymn books
Poems and secular readings tend to work well when introduced with a line explaining why they were chosen; it adds context without over-explaining
If multiple people are speaking, list them in the order they'll appear, not just alphabetically
One thing we often see families overlook is instrumental music played during moments like the entrance or committal. It's easy to focus on the spoken parts and forget that background music deserves a credit too, especially if it held meaning for the person who passed.
A Quick Word on Getting Support
Working through all of this alone can feel heavier than it needs to. This is where Membrance LLC comes in beyond the checklist itself; having someone to talk through wording, timing, and layout with can take real pressure off a family during an already difficult week. If it's useful to see finished examples before you start writing, you're welcome to look through the full range on the Membrance homepage.
Common Mistakes Families Make With Funeral Booklets
Having worked through this process with many families, a few patterns come up again and again:
Leaving the wording until the last minute. Order of service content often requires sign-off from multiple family members, which takes longer than expected.
Forgetting to check names and titles. Misspelled names or incorrect relationship titles (e.g., grandmother vs. great-grandmother) are the most common source of last-minute stress.
Overcrowding the page. Trying to fit too much text onto too few pages makes a booklet feel cramped rather than considered. If you're unsure how much text a booklet can comfortably hold, our guide onhow many pages a funeral order of service should becovers the typical ranges and what tends to influence them.
Not confirming reading permissions. Certain hymns, poems, and religious texts require copyright clearance before reproduction, particularly for larger print runs.
Skipping a proofread by a second person. Grief affects concentration more than people realise; a second set of eyes catches things the first misses.
None of these mistakes are difficult to avoid once you know to look out for them. That's really the point of a checklist like this one.
How a Well-Made Order of Service Comes Together
Knowing what to include is one part of the process; actually assembling it into something clear and well-presented is the other. If you're starting from a blank page, our step-by-step guide on how to make a funeral order of service walks through the design process from start to finish, including layout choices and common templates.
Many families also find it easier to start from a ready-made template rather than building a layout from scratch. Our Order of Service Booklets collection includes a range of styles, from simple and understated to more detailed, multi-page formats, so you can adapt an existing design rather than start from scratch.
For families who want something with a softer, more personal feel, our Classic Rose Order of Service Booklet is one of the most requested options it pairs a clean layout with gentle floral detailing that works well for both religious and non-religious services.
Expert Perspective: Why Careful Design Matters
It's worth saying plainly: an order of service isn't just paperwork. It's often the last piece of printed material created specifically for someone's life, and it tends to matter more to families in hindsight than it does in the moment of planning. Getting the content accurate, the tone right, and the layout uncluttered isn't about following a rulebook; it's about giving guests something that genuinely reflects the person being remembered.
Experience helps here more than people expect. Small details how much white space a page needs, where to break text across pages, how to phrase a difficult passage are easy to get wrong on a first attempt and easy to get right when you've done it many times before. Timing plays into this too: print too early and last-minute changes go unrecorded; print too late, and the whole family feels the pressure. Our guide on when to print a funeral order of servicelays out a sensible timeline so that the decision doesn't have to be made under stress.
Bringing It All Together
At its core, a funeral order of service needs to do two things well: guide guests through the day, and leave the family with something worth keeping. The essential names, order of proceedings, readings, and acknowledgements form the foundation, and everything else is a matter of personal choice.
And if you'd rather talk it through with someone directly, you're welcome to contact us; we're happy to help you put together something that feels right for the person you're remembering.
FAQs
1. Is there a standard format every funeral order of service must follow?
No. While most booklets include a similar backbone of names, order of proceedings, and readings, there's no legal or religious requirement to follow one fixed format. Families are free to adapt it to suit the service.
2. Do I need permission to print hymn lyrics or poems?
Often, yes. Many hymns and published poems are still under copyright, so it's worth checking before including full lyrics or text, especially for larger print runs.
3. Can I include more than one photograph in the order of service?
Yes, many families do. A single photo on the front cover with additional images inside is common, particularly for multi-page booklets.
4. Who usually writes the content for the order of service?
Typically, a close family member drafts it, though the celebrant or officiant often reviews it to make sure the order of events is accurate.
5. What if we're still deciding on readings close to the printing deadline?
It happens more often than you'd think. Most printers, including ours, can accommodate late changes up to a point; it's worth asking about the cut-off rather than assuming there isn't one.