Deciding what to include in a memorial program may be one of the harder parts of planning a memorial service. You want to make sure that what you include truly encapsulates the life of your loved one and all they meant to you. It is also good to make sure that your program provides all the necessary information for those who will be receiving it. So what in particular should you include?
Informative
One of the first things a memorial printing service will ask you for when collecting the content of a memorial program is the date of birth and the date of death of your loved one. More useful information to provide is the order of the service, or when things will be presented to the attendants of the memorial service, and the date, time, and place of the funeral, so that those who wish to can attend both. If you have a larger memorial program, you may even wish to include part of the deceased’s obituary for information about their family and life, though this is not as necessary as the aforementioned material.
Meaningful Words
Memorial programs usually include beautifully written words to honor the life of the deceased. It may be a favorite passage of Bible scripture, or part of a poem that they loved, or even a quote that they repeated often. Some families may know exactly what words to put in the memorial, but others may have a harder time, and so many memorial printing services will provide a list of texts to choose from. Whatever you choose should have meaning behind it both to the deceased and their family, in order to properly pay homage to them.
Photographs and Images
The most important piece of the memorial program is an image of the deceased by which to remember them by. It should be a recent and good quality photograph, with a clear view of the deceased from either the shoulders or the waist up. Ideally, they should be smiling and wearing one of their best outfits, though they could also be working at a job they love or doing a favorite activity. Inside the program, you may wish to include additional images, such as the deceased with children or grandchildren, or an image of something they loved, such as a favorite sports team or favorite animal. Additional images, depending on your printing service, may come at additional cost, however.
Program Theme
Should your memorial program have a simple theme, an elegant one, or a fun one? Ultimately, that is your decision, based on the kind of life your loved one lived. Were they elegant and classy, or did your loved one lead a heroic and active life? Were they outspoken, or did they prefer to stay modest? A good memorial printing service will provide dozens of program themes for you to choose from, often with matching products such as memorial cards and prayer cards. A matching theme can bring an entire service together and provide stronger memories for the attendees of the service.
