What Should Be Included in a Funeral Programme?

A funeral programme does two jobs.

It tells people what is happening today, and it becomes something the family may keep for years.

That is why it deserves more care than simply filling pages.

What should usually be included?

A practical Kenyan funeral programme may contain:

• full name of the deceased
• photograph
• date of birth and date of death
• funeral date and location
• order of service
• hymns or songs
• obituary
• family tribute
• church or clergy details
• acknowledgements
• burial location

Keep the obituary readable

A funeral programme does not need to contain every event in a person’s life.

Focus on the things that help readers understand who they were.

Their upbringing. Family. Faith. Work. Character. The people and places they cared about.

Check names carefully

Funeral programmes often include many names.

Parents, spouses, children, grandchildren, siblings, in-laws and church leaders.

Check spelling before printing.

A small error feels much larger when it appears in a document the family intends to keep.

Do not print before the programme is settled

Last-minute changes to speakers, church order or burial arrangements are common.

Confirm the final sequence before sending the programme to print.

Remember

A funeral programme is not merely stationery.

Years later, somebody may open it and meet that person again through a photograph, a hymn, a paragraph or a name.

Make it useful on the day, but worthy of keeping afterwards.