The news of a family member’s death is certainly
heartbreaking. Creating a funeral programme might be very hard if you are in
the process of mourning the death of a member of your family. But thanks to the
Internet, there are now lots of resources that can help you with the process of
creating the programme. There are free templates available for you to use. Here
are some tips on creating the programme.
Funeral Programme for the Deceased
Brainstorm
Brainstorming is the first step to creating any type of
funeral programmes. So gather friends and family members and ask everyone to
write down their fond memories of the deceased and have them include messages
for the deceased person.
The process might be emotional but sharing your feelings to
everyone in the family can somehow help to ease the pain. There should be
someone who will be tasked to collate all the messages which will soon be
included on the programme.
Design
The next step is to think of a theme for the overall design
of the funeral programme. This could be something that is related to the
deceased or some of his or her interests. For instance, if the deceased person
loved to play basketball, then you can make use of the basketball theme as the
overall design of the programme.
You can also attach a photo of him while playing the game or
perhaps an image of his jersey. The color should be something that was the
favorite of the deceased. So if he loved the shade of blue then make use of
that as the color of the text, the border, etc. Basically, the key here is to
come up with a programme with a design that can relate to the deceased person.
Template
To make the task easier, refer to the templates of funeral
programmes in the World Wide Web. These templates are so easy to use and some
sites will provide instructions and video demonstrations that can serve as your
guide. All you need to do is to edit them and then print them on a special type
of paper.
What’s even better is that most of these templates are free
to use so you will not spend anything except for the paper that you will use
and the ink for printing. The templates come in different designs and you can
choose whatever type of layout you want for the funeral programme¸ whether it
is bi-fold, tri-fold, or quad fold.
In this day and age of the Internet, preparing for the
memorial service of a deceased family member is no longer as hard as it was
before. All you basically need to do is to search for templates that you can
use. This is great for those who can’t seem to find time in creating the
programme from scratch. As you know, getting over from the loss of a dear
family member is not that easy and it might be a bit hard to create funeral
programmes for the upcoming memorial service.
Creating funeral pamphlets might be therapeutic to others
who are emotionally depressed due to the loss of a loved one. But the task is
not that easy especially if you do not have any knowledge with how the pamphlets
look like and if you do not have any idea on what information should be
included on the funeral program. You can choose to order the pamphlets from
companies that offer printing services or perhaps, create one yourself. If you are on a tight schedule, then you
might as well look for companies that can print these pamphlets for you.
If you do not have enough money to spend for professionally
made funeral pamphlets, the best option is to look for downloadable funeral
pamphlets and use them as your guide in creating the pamphlets. These templates
are often available for free, but there are also some websites that would
charge a fee before you can download them. Those that come with a fee have more
elaborate designs and include designs on the front and the back cover of the
pamphlet.
Here are some tips on where to get pamphlets made for a
funeral.
Funeral Parlors
When someone dies, there will be a funeral director who will
take charge of the funeral arrangements. It is the director who will collect
all of the information needed for registering the deceased and then he will
send the information to the relevant government office. In addition, the
director will ask the surviving family members on whether they would need
assistance with the preparation of the memorial service and that includes
creating the funeral pamphlets.
If you choose to order the funeral pamphlets from the
funeral parlor, the funeral director will present to you different samples of
pamphlets with different designs and themes. You just need to choose from those
pamphlets and then they will take care of everything.
Everything is so convenient but you have to remember that
this comes with a fee. On average, a funeral could cost $6,000 – $10,000 and
this does not include some of the miscellaneous fees, including the funeral
pamphlets. So if you are on a limited budget, the best option is to make use of
those free funeral pamphlet templates and create one yourself.
Churches
There are some churches that actually provide the funeral
pamphlets for religious funeral services. So if you are holding a religious
service for the memorial of the deceased person, then you might as well inquire
from your church if they can provide the pamphlets. Since the memorial service
is religious, you can expect that these pamphlets will contain bible verses and
quotes, as well as religious images such as the symbol of the church, a cross,
rosary, cherubs, angels, etc.
As for the fee, the price would vary depending on the
church. There are even some churches that will offer the pamphlets for free
especially if the deceased is one of their church members. But for those who
are not having a religious memorial service, they can use downloadable funeral
pamphlets
Bookstores
Another option is to go check out your local bookstores and
supplies stores and see if they sell ready-made funeral pamphlets that you can
use. These pamphlets can be personalized so you can include details about the
funeral, such as the name of the deceased, time and date of the funeral
service, and several other important details. You can choose to write these
details or perhaps print out the information on the sheets.
Buying ready-made pamphlets is a good option especially if
you do not want to go through the process of creating the funeral pamphlets from
scratch. But then there is also lot of work involved with this option since you
will have to personalize it and in addition, buying ready-made templates is also
a bit expensive. So if you think that this option is not ideal for you, then
continue reading to find out where to get pamphlets made for a funeral that
would require less effort and will not cost you a lot of money.
Internet
So if you do not have enough money to purchase funeral
pamphlets, the best option is to go online and search for free templates that
you can use in creating the pamphlets. Looking for these templates is not
really that hard in this day and age. Simply search for “free templates for
funeral pamphlets” and you will be given with so many search results. Aside
from the fact that these templates are free for you to use, they are easy to
use as well so even if you have not tried creating funeral pamphlets before,
you can certainly manage to create one on your own.
Once you found the ideal template, simply click on the link
and then you will be taken to the website in order to download it. Once you
download the template, all you will have to do is to personalize it by
providing the information needed, such as the name of the deceased, date of
birth and death, details about the funeral service, and other important
information.
These free funeral pamphlet templates also come in several
different designs and themes so choose something that is relevant to the
deceased. For instance, if the deceased is a young female, the template that
has pink as the color of the theme would be an ideal choice.
Of all the options stated above, the best option is to go
online and search for free templates for funeral pamphlets. There are also
downloadable funeral pamphlets that you can purchase from the World Wide Web
and all you need to do is to personalize them and then print them out on
special paper.
These templates are so easy to use, so aside from saving a
lot of money, you get to save a lot of time too. Furthermore, creating your own
funeral pamphlet is a great way to show your devotion and respect to the
deceased and this might also help you in coping up with the death.
You should act your best when at a funeral service. After
all, you’re there to pay your respects and to sympathize with the family and
friends of the deceased. It’s not just a matter of showing up. You need to show
your respects by following proper funeral service etiquette.
This is easier said than done for most people especially if
it’s their first time to attend a funeral service. This is especially true
since there are different religions and cultures and their funeral services
have different etiquette requirements.
What should you wear? What should and shouldn’t you say?
What’s the proper etiquette when it comes to the funeral procession? How about
funeral card etiquette?
In this complete guide on proper funeral service etiquette,
we’ll answer these questions when it comes to Catholic, Christian and Muslim
funerals.
Proper Etiquette during
a Catholic Funeral
Here are the questions and answers on proper etiquette
during a Catholic funeral:
What should you wear?
You can’t go wrong with black. The
color black signifies mourning. For men, a black suit is typically worn at
Catholic funerals. A black dress is best for women. As a general rule, you
can’t wear too much black at a Catholic funeral.
Avoid wearing anything flashy like
flashy jewelry. Dress modestly.
What should you say to the
family?
Offer words of sympathy to show
that you’re grieving with them. It’s also a good idea to offer words of hope.
For example, you can say something like, “He’s in a better place now.” These
words are best said at the vigil.
How to act during the
funeral procession?
Follow the hearse and the family in
the procession in your private vehicle. Don’t overtake them.
How about a funeral card?
The family should have funeral cards
printed for a smoother funeral. It can include the order of service. For their
part, the guests can refer to the funeral card to make sure that they get to
pay their respects the right way and on time.
Proper Christian
Funeral Service Etiquette
Here are some etiquette tips that you should follow during a
Christian funeral:
What should you wear?
Just like in a Catholic funeral
service, you can’t go wrong with black. Don’t wear anything celebratory. What
you’ll wear should match the supposed mood of the funeral which is somber. On
that note, you can also wear clothes in charcoal gray.
This is not to say that you can
just wear a black t-shirt, black shorts and black flip-flops. Wear what you’d
wear to an office, but it should be somber. On that note, a black or charcoal
gray suit for men and a black or charcoal gray dress for women are ideal.
What should you say to the
family?
Plan ahead on what you’re going to
say to avoid saying something inappropriate. Keep it short and simple. Don’t
blurt something without thinking if it’s appropriate or not.
You can say sorry for their loss.
It’s also a good idea to say that you’ll miss the deceased. Say something
comforting. Just make sure that it’s heart-felt and sincere. The last thing
that you’d want to do is to say something robotic.
How to act during the
funeral procession?
The procession forms and starts at
the church. Cross and banners are carried by mourners as they carry the
deceased towards the graveside. The Trisagion is often sung during the
procession.
How about a funeral card?
A Christian funeral card typically
has several bible verses. This is because the family of the deceased gets
strength from these bible verses. For example, the Psalm 9:9 verse is a popular
choice as it talks about the Lord being the “refuge in times of trouble”. Psalm
18:28 is another popular choice as it talks about the Lord providing light in
moments of darkness.
Proper Muslim Funeral
Service Etiquette
A Muslim funeral is very different from a Catholic and
Christian funeral. Here are the things that you should keep in mind:
What should you wear?
If you’re a Muslim, you’re expected
to dress according to traditions. What if you’re a non-Muslim? If you’re a
male, attend the funeral service wearing a dark suit over a dress shirt and
tie. Don’t expose the skin of your lower body so shorts are not welcome. Your
dress shirt should also cover a good part of your neck. Don’t wear clothes that
will attract attention so don’t wear anything too tight. This applies if you’re
a female as well.
If you’re a female, remember that
Muslims are very conservative so make sure that you dress conservatively. Make
sure that your arms are covered and wear a dress with a higher than the usual
neckline. It should also be longer than the usual.
While not a must, wearing a head
covering will be appreciated by the Muslim family. In addition, don’t wear
anything flashy like flashy makeup and jewelry.
What should you say to the
family?
This is a bit tricky as Muslims
have different religious beliefs and traditions. This means that you can’t
refer to religious figures not recognized by Muslims. It’s best to play it safe
and just offer words of sympathy.
Muslims also have their version of
heaven and hell in the form of Jannah (paradise) and Jahannam (hell). You can
refer to Jannah if you’re comfortable doing that. Just make sure that you don’t
sound condescending and that you’re not trying too hard.
It’s common for guests to offer a
reminder to the family of the deceased that life is trivial and everything
belongs to Allah. But of course, you don’t have to say that if you’re not
comfortable. When in doubt, stick to words of sympathy.
How to act during the
funeral procession?
The funeral procession really
depends on the region as they have different customs. For example, women are
generally discouraged from joining the procession in Middle Eastern countries.
Generally speaking, Muslims believe
that those who joined the procession will get rewarded by Allah. They believe
that you will get a Qeeraat of reward if you join the procession and pray for
the deceased and that you will get two Qeeraat of reward if you do so and join
the procession until the body’s burial.
How about a funeral card?
If you’re the one organizing the
funeral, a funeral order of service is a must especially if you have
non-Muslims attending. This allows your guests to pay their respects the right
way as they’re able to follow the flow of the program. This is especially true
nowadays unlike before when only Muslims familiar with the rites and traditions
attend the funeral.
If you’re a non-Muslim and you’re
attending a Muslim funeral, make sure to grab a copy of the funeral order of
service card and follow the program as best as you can.
General Etiquette
Rules
As you can see, different funerals have different traditions
and cultures. However, there are general proper funeral service etiquette tips
that you should follow like the following:
There’s nothing celebratory in a
funeral. While it’s true that some families would rather celebrate the life of
the deceased rather than mourn the death of the deceased, it’s still rude to
show up in a colorful and celebratory outfit at a funeral. Stick to dark and
somber colors. You can’t go wrong with black.
As a general proper funeral service
etiquette tip, don’t show too much skin at a funeral. This is especially true
at a Muslim funeral.
This is the best way to play it
safe if you’re not familiar with the traditions and cultures. When in doubt,
stick to words of sympathy and even encouragement. Make sure that your words
are sincere and heart-felt.
Join the procession and
follow the flow.
The procession is your last chance
to pay respects to the deceased. It’s a chance for you to accompany the
deceased to his or her final destination. It’s just proper funeral service
etiquette to join the procession.
A funeral card can help.
If you’re the one organizing the
funeral service, a funeral card with the order of service can help. If you’re a
guest at a funeral service, grab a copy of the funeral card and follow the
program.
You don’t have to worry if you
don’t know how to make one. You can download a free template online and use
that to make a funeral card with an order of service.
Pay Your Respects
It doesn’t matter if you’re attending a Catholic, Christian
or Muslim funeral. The most important thing is that you pay your respects to
the deceased and his or her family. Show sympathy as well while paying your
respects and make sure that you show sincerity. It’s a challenging time for the
family and one of the most effective ways for the family to cope is to see a
lot of people paying their respects to the deceased.
