If someone close to you has passed away, you may be tasked with creating the program for their memorial service. If you have never had to do this before, you might be anxious or feel overwhelmed. Don’ worry. We are going to walk you through everything you need to know about creating a beautiful program after your loved one’s cremation services in Thousand Oaks, CA. 

What is a Memorial Program? 

First, let’s talk about the program as not everyone is familiar with these. The program is a pamphlet that is given to guests of the service. This pamphlet outlines the order of the service as well as contains additional information such as the obituary, special messages from the family and more. 

Determine the Size 

The program can honestly be any size or length you wish. Most often these programs are four pages long and the size of a piece of copy paper held in landscape view and folded in half. You can also have the program simply be one page printed on the front and back. The length of the program just depends on how much information you would like to include. 

Gather the Information 

With a typical four page program, the information you should include is pretty standard and is arranged like this: 

• Front Cover- Image of the deceased as well as their name, birth date, date of passing, and details about the service such as date and location 
  
• Two Inside Pages- These pages will include the order of the service as well as the names of the people delivering any readings, passages, eulogies, etc. It may also have the official obituary printed 
  
• Back Cover – This space is reserved for any special notes of appreciation the family would like to share. You might also find a special poem or passage. 

Design the Program 

If you are not a graphic designer, don’t worry. There are several memorial program templets available online that you can use. These templates can be found in various formats and apps and are built so that you simply pick out the design you like and replace your images and text with the ones in the template. 

If you’d like to have a more custom design, you could design one yourself if you have the skills, or hire someone to design one for you. 

Printing the Program 

If you have a very small service, you might be tempted to print the program on your home printer, While this may sound like a good option, many home printers do not have a super clear output such as professional printers do. This can cause any images that are used to come out a little blurry. Due to this, it is recommended that you have the programs professional printed. 

While creating a memorial program for your loved one after their cremation services in Thousand Oaks, CA can seem daunting, if you take it step-by-step you will be able to create a beautiful program in no time. If you need additional help, don’t be afraid to reach out to another family member or the funeral home for help and advice.