When you’re arranging a funeral, there’s a lot to think about – and the printed stationery can feel like one of the smaller details. But families often tell us it’s actually one of the most meaningful parts. The things people hold in their hands during and after a service stay with them for years.
Two of the most common pieces of funeral stationery are the order of service booklet and the memorial card. They’re sometimes confused with one another, and some families assume they only need one. In this guide, we’ll explain exactly what each one is, how they differ, and whether it’s worth having both.
What Is a Funeral Order of Service Booklet?
An order of service booklet is essentially a guide to the ceremony itself. It’s printed and handed to guests as they arrive, so everyone in the room can follow along with what’s happening.
A typical order of service includes:
- The name of the person being remembered, along with their dates of birth and death
- A welcome photograph – often a favourite portrait
- The running order of the service: hymns, readings, eulogies, music
- The words to any hymns or songs guests are invited to join in with
- Poems or prayers included in the ceremony
- Details of the committal or any post-service gathering
Order of service booklets are usually A5 in size and folded, giving four sides of content as a minimum. Longer services – particularly religious ones – may run to eight pages or more.
They serve a practical purpose during the service, but they also become a keepsake. Many guests take them home and hold onto them for years as a tangible reminder of the day.
What Is a Funeral Memorial Card?
A funeral memorial card is something quite different. Rather than guiding guests through a ceremony, it’s a small, personal keepsake – something for people to take away and keep close.
Memorial cards are typically the size of a credit card, a standard postcard, or a bookmark. They usually include:
- A photograph of the person who has passed
- Their full name and dates
- A short verse, poem, prayer, or personal message
- Sometimes a favourite quote that captures who they were
Because they’re small and durable, memorial cards travel well. Guests slip them into a wallet, a handbag, a bedside drawer, or the pages of a book. They’re a quiet, everyday reminder of the person they’ve lost.
Memorial cards are also particularly useful for families who want to share something with people who couldn’t attend the service in person – they can be posted easily and feel far more personal than a message alone.
The Key Differences at a Glance
| Order of Service Booklet | Memorial Card | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Guides guests through the ceremony | A personal keepsake to take home |
| Size | A5 folded booklet (4–8+ pages) | Credit card, postcard, or bookmark size |
| Content | Full running order, hymns, readings, photos | Photo, name, dates, short verse or quote |
| When used | During the service | Before, during, and after – kept long-term |
| Who receives it | Everyone attending the service | Attendees and those who couldn’t be there |
| Primary role | Practical guide for the day | Lasting reminder of the person |
Do You Need Both?
This is the question families ask us most often, and the honest answer is: they do completely different jobs, so for many families, having both makes a great deal of sense.
Think of it this way. The order of service booklet belongs to the day itself – it organises the room, gives everyone something to hold, and helps the ceremony run smoothly. Once the service is over, it becomes a memento of that specific occasion.
The memorial card, on the other hand, belongs to the months and years that follow. It’s the thing a friend finds tucked into their purse six months later. It’s what sits on a grandchild’s windowsill. It’s what gets sent to a cousin who lives abroad and couldn’t make it.
They complement each other beautifully, and together they give families a way to mark both the day and the long stretch of remembrance that comes after it.
If budget is a concern, here’s a simple way to think about priorities:
- If you’re having a formal service with hymns and readings where guests need to follow along, the order of service booklet should come first.
- If the service is very small or intimate, or if you have a large number of people who couldn’t attend, memorial cards may be the more important piece.
- For most families planning a full funeral service, both are worth having – and ordering them together often saves time and ensures a consistent look.
Tips for Ordering Them as a Matched Set
If you do decide to have both, it’s worth thinking about them together from the start rather than as two separate tasks. Here are a few simple tips:
Use the same photograph. Choosing one strong, meaningful portrait to feature on both the order of service and the memorial card gives the whole set a sense of unity and makes the stationery feel intentional rather than pieced together.
Match the design theme. Whether you’re drawn to a floral design, something minimalist, a nature theme, or a religious style – keeping the look consistent across both pieces creates a beautiful, coordinated set that families treasure.
Order at the same time. Funeral planning is stressful, and every decision you can make in one go saves energy. Ordering your order of service and memorial cards together means one conversation, one brief, and one less thing to chase up.
Think about quantities separately. You’ll likely need a similar number of order of service booklets to your expected attendance. For memorial cards, consider ordering a few extra – they’re easy to post to people who couldn’t be there, and families often wish they’d ordered more.
A Final Word
There’s no single right answer for every family. What matters most is that the stationery you choose feels true to the person you’re remembering and gives the people who loved them something meaningful to hold onto.
Whether you’re looking for just one or both, we’re here to help you create something beautiful. You can browse our full range of funeral order of service designs and memorial keepsake cards — and if you’d like us to design everything for you, our team is always on hand to help.
