Funeral Order of Service Planner
Planning a funeral happens in a few difficult days. This planner gives you a calm, complete running order — from the family’s arrival to the gathering afterward — so you can focus on the words and the people rather than the timings.
min | |||
min | |||
min | |||
min | |||
min | |||
min | |||
min | |||
min | |||
min | |||
min | |||
min | |||
min | |||
min |
Reorder by dragging, save versions, invite vendors, and export branded PDFs in the full app — see all features.
A clear order of service is a kindness to everyone carrying it
A funeral is usually planned in a handful of days by people who are grieving, and it is run on the day by people — family, a minister or celebrant, the funeral director, whoever is on the sound desk — who each need to know exactly what happens next. A written order of service does that work quietly. It tells speakers when they are on, tells the organist or AV person what to play and when, and lets the family follow along without holding any of it in their heads. This planner builds a complete running order from a few choices and gives every part a realistic length, so the service fits the time the venue allows and nobody has to watch the clock.
More on Sharing & Participants →Give every speaker a backup
The most important detail in any funeral plan is the one nobody wants to think about: a speaker who cannot finish. It happens often, and there is nothing to be ashamed of in it, but it is far easier on everyone when it has been planned for. Ask each person giving a eulogy to name a backup — a sibling, a friend, the celebrant — who sits nearby with a printed copy and can step up and read the rest. Ask speakers for about five minutes and plan for seven, because grief slows people down and the tributes that run long are usually the most loved. The planner sizes the eulogy block by the number of speakers, so the running order stays honest.
More on Task Management →Plan the committal and the gathering as part of the same day
The service is only part of the day. If there is a burial, the journey to the graveside takes longer than the map suggests once cars have formed up behind the hearse, and the committal itself needs time that should never feel rushed. If it is a cremation, the committal may happen in the same chapel or at a separate crematorium, and the timings differ. Then there is the gathering afterward, which is often where people talk most openly about the person they have lost. The planner carries the schedule through all of it, so the family can see where they need to be and when, and the venue for the gathering knows when to expect everyone.
More on Exports →Prefer a written guide?
This builder generates a live schedule you can edit and print. For worked examples with downloadable PDF & Word templates, read the guides:
Common questions
How long is a funeral service?
Most funeral services run forty minutes to an hour. Two or three eulogies, readings, music, and a tribute fit comfortably in that. A viewing beforehand, the journey to a graveside, and a gathering afterward make the whole day considerably longer.
What is the order of service for a funeral?
A typical order is the entrance, a welcome, readings and music, eulogies and tributes, prayers or a moment of reflection, closing words, and the recessional, followed by the committal. Religious and non-religious services follow the same broad shape with different readings.
How long should a eulogy be?
Around five minutes — roughly 600 to 700 words, spoken slowly. Plan for seven, since speakers often need a moment, and give each speaker a backup who can read it for them if needed.
Is this funeral order of service planner free?
Yes. You can build, edit, and print the running order with no signup, and share it with the celebrant, speakers, and funeral director so everyone works from the same plan.
Do more than build a schedule
Save versions, generate with AI, coordinate vendors, and export branded PDFs — free 7-day trial, cancel anytime.