The wording
Remove the example text and add the service details, hymns, readings, poems, tributes and messages you would like to include.
Choose a funeral order of service template and personalise the wording, photographs, colours and pages in our online design tool. Do it yourself, or send us your content and we will put every page together for you with the free Design It for Me service.
Not seeing the right template, or would rather we put every page together for you?
Request a bespoke template
Tell us the style, colours, hobby or theme you have in mind. We will design a new template for you within 24 hours, and you can personalise it in the editor just like the others.
Request a template →Use Design It for Me
Send us the wording and photographs and Esmee will put together your complete funeral order of service for you. First proof back within 24 hours.
Use Design It for Me →Both services are free when you order printed copies.
How it works
A funeral order of service template is a ready-made booklet layout that you personalise with the person’s name, photographs, hymns, readings and service details.
Our editable templates are designed for A5 funeral order of service booklets and are available with 4, 8, 12, 16 or 20 pages.
Personalise any template using our custom-built funeral order of service design tool. Made specifically for funeral stationery, it lets you replace the example wording, upload photographs, change colours and adjust the pages directly in your browser, with no software to install and no design experience needed.
We understand that several people may be involved in preparing the content. You can share your design at any time with family members, ministers, celebrants or anyone else helping with the order of service, so they can review it before you submit it.
Cannot find the right style? We have templates for a wide range of styles and categories. If you cannot find a suitable design, we can create a custom template for you.
Esmee’s tip: Keep saving your design as you work, and double-check every date, time and service detail before submitting it.
Browse the templates and pick the one that feels most suitable.
Add the service details, hymns, readings, poems and personal messages.
Upload the cover photograph and any other pictures for inside pages.
Once you are happy, choose your booklet and delivery options.
Need help while designing? If you find anything difficult or run into an issue, you can speak to Esmee and the team on live chat.
When families ask us which template to choose, our usual advice is not to start with what looks the most like a funeral. Start with the person. Think about their favourite colours, the places they loved, their faith, their hobbies, and the photograph you would like on the cover.
Then think about how much needs to fit inside. A church service may need several hymns, prayers and readings. A celebration of life may have more photographs, a longer tribute and personal messages. A very decorative design can look lovely, but a simpler layout is often easier when there is a lot of wording.
Most importantly, make sure the funeral order of service is easy to read. Names, dates, hymns and readings should be clear for everyone at the service.
Make it personal
The template is a starting point. Nearly everything can be changed, so the finished order of service feels personal to the person being remembered rather than like a standard programme.
Remove the example text and add the service details, hymns, readings, poems, tributes and messages you would like to include.
Use a favourite photograph on the cover and add more inside. Crop, resize and move each photograph until it sits comfortably on the page.
Change the colours to suit a favourite flower, football club, uniform or personal style. Fonts can be changed too, while keeping everything clear and easy to read.
Choose 4, 8, 12, 16 or 20 pages. Sections can be moved or removed, and the layout can be adjusted so the wording and photographs do not feel crowded.
Browse by design style
Some families know exactly what they want. Others only know what would not feel right. These categories are a simple way to narrow things down, and the colours, wording and photographs can still be changed in any design.
ContemporaryClean, uncluttered layouts that work well for a modern service or celebration of life.
Browse modern templates →
UnclutteredA calm design with the photograph, name and service details kept clear.
Browse simple templates →
FaithCrosses, doves and church designs with space for hymns, prayers and readings.
Browse religious templates →
TraditionalFamiliar layouts and classic borders for church or crematorium services.
Browse classic templates →
FlowersRoses, lilies, poppies and soft watercolour flowers in a range of colours.
Browse floral templates →
OutdoorsWoodland, coast, landscape and sky designs for someone who loved being outside.
Browse nature templates →
MinimalVery little decoration, so the photograph and words remain the focus.
Browse minimalist templates →
InterestsFootball, golf, fishing, gardening and other interests that were part of their life.
Browse sports and hobby templates →
ServiceRespectful designs for the armed forces, police and emergency services.
Browse military and police templates →
ColourBrighter designs for a celebration of life order of service or for someone with a vibrant personality.
Browse colourful templates →
PhotographsLayouts designed around one large cover photograph or several photographs throughout the booklet.
Browse photo templates →
RemembranceDoves, robins and other birds often chosen as symbols of peace and remembrance.
Browse bird templates →Design your funeral order of service online
Personalise any template in your browser. Preview each page as you go. Order professional UK printing on 350gsm silk card, delivered fast.
An order of service guides guests through the ceremony and becomes a keepsake afterwards. Some families call it a funeral programme or a service sheet. Whatever the name, most follow a similar structure, adjusting the amount of content to suit the service.
See the complete content guide →
Three small things worth a quick check
Arranging a funeral is a lot to hold in mind, and small details can slip through. These are the three things we most often help families with, so it is worth a quick look before you finish your design.
We check every design carefully before it is finalised, and if we spot anything we will always get in touch first. You are not alone in this.
Free planning tools
Six practical tools from our complete guide to help decide what your order of service needs before you personalise a template.
Answer six questions about hymns, readings, photographs and the life story to get a personalised 4, 8, 12, 16 or 20-page recommendation.
Use the page-count wizard →Enter the expected attendance, family keepsakes and copies for people unable to attend. The calculator adds a sensible buffer for last-minute guests.
Use the copies calculator →A full content checklist covering the cover, ceremony schedule, hymns, readings, photographs, biography, thank-you, donations and wake details.
View the content checklist →What normally appears on the front cover, inside pages and back cover, with examples of how the service content can flow through the pages.
Plan the booklet structure →How to check image quality, resolution and cropping before adding photographs, so nothing prints blurred or pixelated.
Read the photograph guide →Example front-cover wording, welcome messages, biography opening lines and family thank-you messages for traditional, modern and simple services.
View wording examples →What should I do when I have finished designing my template?
Once you are happy with the design, read through every page carefully before submitting it. Check all names, dates, service times, hymn titles, readings and any donation or wake details. It is also worth asking another family member to check the finished template.
Order your booklet
When the template is ready, choose the booklet size, page count, paper, finishing and delivery options on the product page.
Our template checking promise
Before your booklet is produced, we carry out a human check to help catch obvious problems that could affect the finished booklet.
Every design is checked
We review each submitted template for obvious layout problems, low-resolution photographs and other issues that could affect the finished result.
We contact you if we spot a problem
If something looks likely to affect the finished order of service, we will contact you first so it can be reviewed or corrected.
Extra help is available when the date is close
You can ask us for help at any point, and eligible orders can add urgent delivery protection when the funeral date is close.
Please note: this is not a full proofreading service, so please check all names, dates and wording carefully before submitting your design.
Would you rather we create the booklet for you?
Not everyone wants to learn a design tool while arranging a funeral. Find a template you like, send us the wording and photographs, and Esmee will create the whole order of service for you. You will receive a proof and can request any changes before it is finalised.
What Design It for Me actually involves
Send us the wording. Some families email a Word document, some upload photographs of what the funeral director printed off, and some send a mix. Whatever is easiest. We then type everything up cleanly, drop the photographs into the design, tidy up any low-resolution images, and send back a proof.
You review it. Tell us what to change. We revise and send another proof. Once you are happy, we finalise it. Most families need one or two rounds. Approvals usually happen within a day.
All included with any booklet order: unlimited proof revisions, photograph tidy-up, layout adjustments, page-count changes. Nothing charged on top.
This happens more than you might think. A lot of families start the booklet themselves, get the first few pages looking how they want, then ask us to add the rest of the photographs, tidy up the layout and put in extra pages. We pick up exactly where you left off. Once we send the proof back, you can still make your own tweaks in the editor before approving.
Stuck while you are actually designing?You do not have to give up and hand the whole thing over. We offer live design help while you are working. If a photograph will not sit right, a text box has gone somewhere odd, or you just want a second opinion on colours, message us on live chat or send us an email and we will help you sort it, right there in the editor.
Speak to Esmee and the teamThree ways to use a template
Edit an existing design yourself, request a different visual style, or send everything to us and we will put the complete order of service together for you.
Edit it yourself
Open a design in the online editor and replace the example wording and photographs at your own pace.
Browse the templates →Request a different style
If the design you have in mind is missing, tell us the colours, theme or idea and we will create a new template for you to personalise.
Request a template →Let us do it for you
Send us the wording and photographs and Esmee will lay out every page, send you a proof and make any changes before it is finalised.
Use Design It for Me →Can’t find the template you have in mind?
Tell us the style, colours or theme you are looking for and we will create a new starting design for you to personalise online.
Would you rather we create every page? Use the free Design It for Me service.
Would you like us to take care of the design?
Send us the wording and photographs and Esmee will put your funeral order of service together, send you a proof and make any changes before it is finalised. The Design It for Me service is free when you order your printed copies.
Let Esmee design my bookletChoose a template from the gallery and personalise it in your browser. If you have any questions along the way, Esmee and the team are here to help by live chat or email.
Browse funeral templatesFree Word & PDF downloads
Prefer to work in Microsoft Word or print at home? Download a free printable funeral order of service template in Microsoft Word or PDF format. Open it on your computer, replace the sample wording and photographs, then print it at home, or send it to us for a professionally finished booklet on 350gsm silk card.
A simple, formal layout with room for a cover photograph, service order, one hymn and a thank-you message.
A contemporary layout with space for two hymns, readings, a short biography and up to six photographs.
A softer floral layout with watercolour flower borders, space for two hymns, one reading and several photographs.