Celebration of life program template
Make a free program for a relaxed, personal celebration of life, then print it at home.
How a celebration of life differs from a funeral
A funeral usually follows a set religious or funeral home order, often with the body present, and is held within days of the death. A celebration of life is shaped by the family. It can be held anywhere (a park, a backyard, a restaurant, a club, a church hall) and often weeks or months later, especially after a cremation, which gives people time to travel.
The tone is lighter. There is usually a host instead of an officiant: a family member, a friend, or a hired celebrant. Guests are invited to share stories, music matters more than hymns, and food and drink are part of the event rather than something that happens afterward. Some families hold both: a small private funeral or burial, then a larger celebration of life.
That changes the program. A funeral program lists a fixed order of service. A celebration of life program is closer to an event guide: what will happen, who is speaking, what guests can take part in, and where to find the food, the photos and the memory table.
What to include in a celebration of life program
The four pages of the program each do one thing.
Keep it short and warm. Guests will hold the program while they stand, eat and talk, so a clear order of events and a good photo matter more than long text. The same details can fill the rest of the matching set, from invitations to thank you cards.
- Cover: a title such as "Celebrating the Life of" or "A Life Well Lived", the full name and the name people used, a photo that looks like them on a good day, the years, and the date, time and place of the gathering.
- Order of events: the welcome, the speakers, the music, the slideshow, the open mic and the toast, with the host named at the top.
- Life story: a few warm paragraphs about who they were, what they loved and the people they leave. Stories beat a list of dates. Print the full obituary on its own page with a free obituary template.
- Back page: a poem or favorite quote, a thank-you from the family, anything guests are invited to do (sign the memory book, take a seed packet, share a photo), and a QR code to an online memorial where people can leave memories.
Examples of celebration of life programs
Four sample celebration of life programs you can copy and change. The names and places are examples.
A relaxed afternoon gathering
Private room at a restaurant, 2 to 5 pm
Welcome and a few words about Dave, from his daughter Karen
Slideshow: Dave through the years, set to his favorite music
Stories from the family
Remembering Dave: friends from the fire department and the Tuesday bowling league
Song: "Here Comes the Sun"
A toast to Dave, led by his brother Tom
Lunch and time together
Please add a memory to the book by the photo table.
A park gathering with an open mic
Pavilion 3, Riverside Park, Saturday at 11 am
Music as guests arrive
Welcome, from Jess's best friend Alana
A reading: "Remember" by Christina Rossetti
Jess's life, told by her sister Nicole
Open mic: share a story, a song or a memory
Music by friends from the band
Closing words
Wear something green, her favorite color.
Food, lawn games and the photo wall until 3 pm. Bring a chair and a story.
A church hall celebration with light faith elements
Fellowship hall, following a private burial
Welcome, Pastor Ruth Allen
Opening prayer
A reading: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Grandma's life, shared by her grandson Marcus
Slideshow of family photos
Hymn, sung together: "Amazing Grace"
Memories from the grandchildren
Closing prayer and blessing
Lunch is served in the hall. Everyone is welcome to stay.
A small gathering at the graveside
Cemetery, 10 to 11 am, then home
Welcome, from Ruth's son Daniel
A reading: "Crossing the Bar"
Memories from friends and neighbors
Placing of flowers from Ruth's garden
A moment of silence
Closing words
Coffee and cake at the house afterward. All are welcome.
Celebration of life order of events
Most celebrations of life run one to three hours. The formal part is usually 30 to 60 minutes, with time before and after to talk and eat.
| Part | What happens | Typical length |
|---|---|---|
| Arrival | Music plays, guests sign the memory book and look at photos | 15 to 30 minutes |
| Welcome | The host thanks people for coming and explains how the gathering will go | 3 to 5 minutes |
| Life story | A family member or friend tells the story of the person's life | 5 to 10 minutes |
| Tributes | Two to four planned speakers, each with one story | 10 to 20 minutes |
| Music or slideshow | A favorite song, live music, or a photo slideshow | 5 to 10 minutes |
| Open mic | Anyone may share a short memory; the host keeps it moving | 10 to 20 minutes |
| Closing and toast | A reading or closing words, then a toast | 5 minutes |
| Reception | Food, drink and time together | The rest of the event |
For an open mic, ask two or three people ahead of time to go first so no one has to break the silence.
Celebration of life program wording
Ready-to-use lines for the cover, the welcome and the back page. Change the names and details.
Cover titles
Celebrating the Life of
A Celebration of Life
A Life Well Lived
Join Us in Remembering
Forever in Our Hearts
Opening words for the host
Thank you all for being here. Mom wanted today to feel like one of her Sunday dinners: good food, too many stories, and everyone welcome.
We are not here to be sad all afternoon. We are here because Dave made our lives better, and he would want us to laugh about it.
Some of you knew Jess for forty years and some for four. Every one of you has a story, and we hope you will share it today.
Inviting guests to take part
The open mic is for everyone. One story is plenty.
Please write a memory in the book by the door so the grandchildren can read it one day.
Scan the code on the back to add your photos and memories to her online memorial.
Thank-you lines for the back page
Thank you for the calls, the meals, the cards and the company. You have carried us, and we are grateful.
Dad loved a full house. Thank you for filling this one for him today.
Poems and readings for a celebration of life
Most of these are not religious. Two are from scripture, for a gathering with a light faith element.
Remember
Christina Rossetti (1862). 111 words, best on a program page.
Remember me when I am gone away, Gone far away into the silent land; When you can no more hold me by the hand, Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay. Remember me when no more day by day You tell me of our future that you planned: Only remember me; you understand It will be late to counsel then or pray. Yet if you should forget me for a while And afterwards remember, do not grieve: For if the darkness and corruption leave A vestige of the thoughts that once I had, Better by far you should forget and smile Than that you should remember and be sad.
Crossing the Bar
Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1889). 102 words, best on a program page.
Sunset and evening star, And one clear call for me! And may there be no moaning of the bar, When I put out to sea, But such a tide as moving seems asleep, Too full for sound and foam, When that which drew from out the boundless deep Turns again home. Twilight and evening bell, And after that the dark! And may there be no sadness of farewell, When I embark; For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place The flood may bear me far, I hope to see my Pilot face to face When I have crost the bar.
Death Is Nothing at All
Henry Scott Holland, from a sermon at St Paul's Cathedral (1910). 228 words, best on a program page.
Death is nothing at all. It does not count. I have only slipped away into the next room. Nothing has happened. Everything remains exactly as it was. I am I, and you are you, and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged. Whatever we were to each other, that we are still. Call me by the old familiar name. Speak of me in the easy way which you always used. Put no difference into your tone. Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow. Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together. Play, smile, think of me, pray for me. Let my name be ever the household word that it always was. Let it be spoken without an effort, without the ghost of a shadow upon it. Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever was. There is absolute and unbroken continuity. What is this death but a negligible accident? Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight? I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just round the corner. All is well. Nothing is hurt; nothing is lost. One brief moment and all will be as it was before. How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!
Requiem
Robert Louis Stevenson (1887). 58 words, fits a prayer card.
Under the wide and starry sky, Dig the grave and let me lie. Glad did I live and gladly die, And I laid me down with a will. This be the verse you grave for me: Here he lies where he longed to be; Home is the sailor; home from sea, And the hunter home from the hill.
An Irish Blessing
Traditional Irish blessing. 47 words, fits a prayer card.
May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, and the rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, King James Version. 158 words, best on a program page.
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
A life well lived
Lovekept. 24 words, fits a prayer card.
You gave your days to the people you loved, and every one of us is better for it. Thank you for all of them.
Forever loved
Lovekept. 18 words, fits a prayer card.
You were loved every day of your life, and you are loved still. That part does not end.
Celebration of life program ideas
Small touches that make the program feel like the person.
The back page is the easiest place to be personal. Families print a favorite recipe, a list of the person's sayings, a short playlist, or a few lines they always wrote in birthday cards. A photo of their handwriting also works well.
If the gathering has an activity, put it in the program so people know to join in: planting a tree, a walk along their favorite trail, a slideshow guests can add to, a memory table with objects from their life, or a dress code such as a sports jersey or a favorite color.
- A favorite recipe or drink, with their notes
- "Things Dad always said", five or six lines
- A playlist of the songs played today
- A note on where to find the memory book and photo table
- A QR code to an online memorial where guests can post their photos afterward
How to print your celebration of life program template at home
Each program is one US Letter sheet, printed on both sides and folded to 5.5 x 8.5 in.
Print one test copy
Print one copy on plain paper, fold it and check that the pages run in order and the back page is upright.
Set two-sided printing
Choose Letter, landscape, actual size, and two-sided printing flipped on the short edge. On a one-sided printer, print the first side, reload the stack and print the second.
Use paper that folds cleanly
A 24 to 32 lb premium paper or a matte brochure paper made for your printer looks good and folds without cracking.
Count and fold
Print one per expected guest plus 10 to 20 percent. Fold each sheet with the cover facing out and crease it with a ruler.
More free funeral templates
- All funeral templatesWhat to print for a funeral, how many, and by when.
- Obituary templateFill in the obituary and print it on Letter pages.
- Funeral programFolded 4-page program with the order of service and life story.
- Prayer cardsWallet-size cards with a photo and a prayer, 6 to a sheet.
- Thank you cardsFolded cards with your message printed inside, 2 to a sheet.
- Invitation5 x 7 invitations for a funeral, memorial or celebration of life.
Questions families ask
What is a typical program for a celebration of life?
A typical celebration of life program has a welcome from the host, a life story, a few planned tributes, music or a slideshow, an open mic for guests, and closing words or a toast. The formal part usually lasts 30 to 60 minutes, followed by food and time together.
What should be included in a celebration of life program?
Include the person's name and photo, their years, the date and place of the gathering, the order of events with the host and speakers named, a short life story, and a poem or quote. Many families add a thank-you and a QR code to an online memorial on the back.
What is the order of events at a celebration of life?
The usual order is arrival and music, a welcome, the life story, tributes, music or a slideshow, an open mic, closing words and a toast, then the reception. There is no required order, so the family can move or drop any part.
Is a celebration of life a service?
A celebration of life can be a service, but it does not have to be. Some are held in a church with prayers; many are informal gatherings with no officiant, closer to a party in the person's honor.
How is a celebration of life different from a funeral?
A funeral usually follows a set religious or funeral home order, often with the body present, within days of the death. A celebration of life is planned by the family, is usually less formal, can be held anywhere, and often takes place weeks or months later.
How soon after a death do you have a celebration of life?
There is no rule. Many families hold it a few weeks to a few months after the death, which gives people time to travel. Some choose a date that meant something, such as a birthday. Send celebration of life invitations about 3 to 4 weeks ahead, earlier if people will travel.
What activities do you do at a celebration of life?
Common activities are an open mic for stories, a photo slideshow, live or recorded music, a memory book or memory table, and a toast. Some families add something the person loved, such as planting a tree, a group walk, or their favorite food.
What are good opening remarks at a celebration of life?
Good opening remarks thank people for coming, say in one or two lines who the person was, and explain what will happen, including when guests can share. Keep it under five minutes and set the tone the family wants, whether that is quiet or full of laughter.
Can a celebration of life program be non-religious?
Yes. This template starts with no religious wording, so it also works as a non-religious funeral program. You can add a prayer or a scripture reading if part of the family wants one.
Is this celebration of life program template editable?
Yes. Every word in this celebration of life program template can be changed, and parts of the order can be added, moved or deleted. It is free with a Lovekept account, which keeps your work safe.
Is there a celebration of life program template for Word?
This template has no Word file. It works in your browser, prints directly, and can be saved as a PDF from the print dialog on a computer, which any print shop accepts.
What is proper etiquette for a celebration of life?
Follow what the family asks on the invitation or program, including any dress code. Arrive on time for the formal part, keep an open mic story to a minute or two, and sign the memory book if there is one.
Make the program, then enjoy the day
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