Funeral Program in Australia

It’s a demanding time when someone close to you passes away and you are the one responsible for making arrangements. At a time of loss and grief, it is difficult to make sure that you have given all the care possible to planning a service which reflects the essence of the person whom you have lost. A professional and compassionate Funeral Celebrant can be so very helpful in distilling the elements of a loved one’s life into an honest and respectful eulogy.

Most people use a trusted local funeral director. Whoever you choose to handle your arrangements, it’s a good idea to ensure that they are members of a professional association and are bound to adhere to a code of conduct. You may wish to read the NSW Office of Fair Trading booklet on Organising a Funeral – Buyer’s Guide.

Once you have phoned your funeral director, they will either ask you to come to their office to discuss arrangements, or they will visit you in your home. They will discuss the appropriate funeral celebrant for you and make recommendation based on your needs. You do not have to use the celebrant recommended by your funeral director but may nominate your own celebrant if you wish.

Your funeral director will help you with the death certificate (usually obtained from the deceased’s doctor) and help you to decide on where and when to hold the service, cremation or interment, flowers,transport and other aspects of the service.

If you decide to ask me to be your funeral celebrant, I will visit you in your home to have a discussion with you and other family members about what will be an appropriate tribute to the deceased one as well as a consolation to the bereaved. It is a good idea for you to make brief biographical notes about the deceased’s life. I can use your notes and your ideas to write a eulogy which reflects the life and spirit of the deceased. Family members or friends may wish to add their own tributes to be read at the service by them, or if they feel that is too difficult, I can read the tribute on their behalf. I can help with the choice of music and readings that are appropriate to the deceased. You may wish to have a funeral program to give to the mourners as a momento of the occasion. I can assist with the writing, design and printing of that if you wish.

I will meet with you, with your input, I can

Design the order of service
Write the funeral service
Write the eulogy
Give help and advice to family members or friends who wish to write and/or deliver tributes
Help you to choose music
Suggest poetry and readings
Integrate additional cultural or family needs into the service

Elements of a Sample Funeral Program

Since the booklet will become a keepsake for many who attend the funeral, several items should be included:

Full legal name of deceased person
Dates of birth and death
Time, date and place of funeral
Name of the priest, minister or other dignitary officiating the service
Place of interment
Full names of pallbearers
Name of person delivery the eulogy
Titles of songs played and/or sung

Religious Funerals

If the deceased person is having a religious funeral, other elements can be included in the program:

Scripture, Gospel or Bible citations: State the reference and the person who is reading it
If the funeral service has servers, as is used during a Catholic Mass, those names should be listed as well.
Bereavement verses

Optional Elements to Include

Depending on how many pages you want the funeral program to be, many other elements you can include:

Pictures of the deceased person
Favorite poetry
List of surviving family members
Brief biography
Charities where donations may be made
Time and place of the “after funeral” breakfast or luncheon
Funny anecdotes or quotes
Words of gratitude from the family to those who attended the service
Artwork created by the deceased person

Selecting a Cover for the Funeral Program

The cover of the funeral program should speak not only of the person who died, but also about the type of funeral being held. The cover will be the first thing everyone will see and most likely remember the most about the program. Samples of funeral program covers include:

A sunrise or sunset
Any nature scene
Falling rain
Flowers, trees or plants
Crosses, rosaries or other religious symbols
Collage of photos or a single photo of the deceased person

This memorial program template displays an Australian flag background for the patriotic or countrymen. Your loved one’s photo is set in an oval framing with the flag as a soft backdrop. The back displays the continuing graceful background with a white transparent overlay perfect for a poem or short obituary/biography. The main colors for this funeral resolutions program template are red, blue and white.

The inside displays a complimentary cosmic background to display your funeral memorial template. *The front cover title is not editable with our preprinted titles design however, you can purchase this same design in our Any Occasion category.