Funeral program wording examples
Finding the right words is often the hardest part. These are original examples written to be borrowed — change a phrase, swap in their name, and make them sound like your family. Names in brackets are placeholders.
Cover wording
The cover heading sets the tone. Choose the one that fits how your family wants to remember them.
Celebration of Life
Warm and personal; works for faith-based and non-religious services alike.
A Celebration of Life [Full Name] [Month Day, Year] – [Month Day, Year] A life beautifully lived, a heart deeply loved.
Homegoing Service
Common in many Black churches, celebrating a return home to God.
Homegoing Service for [Full Name] Well done, good and faithful servant.
In Loving Memory
Classic and gentle; right for almost any service.
In Loving Memory of [Full Name] [Year] – [Year] Forever in our hearts.
Sunrise / Sunset
A soft way to present birth and passing dates.
[Full Name] Sunrise [Month Day, Year] Sunset [Month Day, Year]
Other short lines families like under the name: "Gone from our sight, never from our hearts." · "Loved beyond words, missed beyond measure." · "Resting in peace, living in our memories."
Acknowledgments and thank-you wording
Usually a short paragraph near the end of the program, signed "The Family" or with the family's name.
The family of [Full Name] is deeply grateful for every call, card, meal, prayer and kind word during this time. Your love has carried us. Thank you for being here today. — The [Last Name] Family
Words cannot express our gratitude for the comfort you have shown us. To our church family, neighbors, friends and the caregivers who looked after [First Name] with such tenderness — thank you. May God bless each of you. — With love, the Family
Thank you for coming to celebrate [First Name] with us. Whether you knew them for a lifetime or a moment, you are part of the story we are honoring today.
Repast invitation wording
Let guests know they're welcome to stay together after the service.
Please join the family for a repast immediately following the service at [Location Name] [Street Address, City]
The family invites you to share a meal and memories following the interment at [Location Name], [Address] [Time]
You are warmly invited to gather with us after the service for food, fellowship and stories of [First Name]. [Location Name] · [Address]
Tips for getting the words right
Read it out loud. If a line feels stiff when spoken, simplify it.
Use the name they went by. If everyone called her "Big Mama" or him "Junior," it can go in quotation marks after the full name.
Keep it short on the cover. Save longer reflections for the inside pages or the obituary.
We'll design it for you.
Share what you have — photos, names, dates, whatever's written so far — and we'll build the program around it.
Free funeral program template
Short on time? Let us design it for you