When preparing a funeral program, there are many ways you can personalise it to suit the memory of your loved one. These will let you craft a unique ceremony in honour of the deceased. Here are some ideas on how to incorporate your own beautiful and personal tributes.

Talk with Friends and Family

It's a good idea to begin the funeral program preparations by talking with family members and close friends of the deceased. This will give everyone a chance to express their memories and feelings. Together, you can decide how you wish to personalise the ceremony. Speaking with the officiant can also help to give you ideas on how to weave such tributes into the day. Featured Design: 'Funeral Announcement Cards - Male Modern Photo Collage'

Memorial Service Venue

When organising the venue for the service and the wake, choose locations to show what was important to your loved one. There are many kinds of venues which are open to use for funerals. The service could be held in a place of worship that was important to them. For those who loved nature, there are woodland areas you could use for the ceremony and the burial itself. And, if they were interested in history or art, you may be able to hold the ceremony in a historical building to suit those interests. Consider what was important to your loved one and choose a location that will reflect their life.

Order of Service Design

The order of service can contain much more than the funeral schedule. You can personalise the booklet with a small biography, touching photographs, and poems or prose that holds special significance. The choice is yours, allowing you to design a tribute that funeral attendees can treasure forever. Many orders of service also feature a design, which helps you match the stationery to their personality. Featured Design: 'Funeral Order of Service - Ornate Scrolls & Butterflies'

Music and Images

Music and images can spark memories of a person. Think about songs that were special to your loved one and include them in the funeral program. Where appropriate, live performances could also be used to add a personal touch. For images, you could create a display stand featuring photographs of the deceased. You might include shots from important days in their life, such as their wedding. If they were a lover of art, you might include paintings or other artwork that they held dear. Perhaps your loved one was an artist themselves, creating paintings, music, poetry, or something similar. Including their own pieces into the funeral program would be a wonderful way to pay tribute to them. You can also speak with your funeral director about the possibility of adding a video tribute to the program. This can let you combine all these elements into a beautiful video you can look back on time after time.

Keepsake Favours

Use small favours to let mourners carry a memory home with them. Once again, you can theme these keepsakes around the deceased's hobbies and interests. For example, if they had a passion for cookery, you could make food favours using their recipes. This could also be a touching choice for the reception food, too. Alternatively, printing out their signature recipes onto beautiful stationery and giving these to the attendees is another way to show their love of cooking. For an avid gardener, you could hand out bags of seeds. Forget-me-not seeds are a popular choice of favour. Personalised bookmarks are another option that will always remind the mourner of your special one. If the departed was a writer or a lover of books, it makes a particularly touching choice. Featured Design: 'Funeral Bookmark - Angel Wings'

Charity Donations

Usually, funeral mourners will bring flowers for the deceased. However, if there was a charity or organisation that held special significance for the departed, you could kindly request donations in place of flowers. By highlighting a cause that they felt passionate about, you can pay tribute to their interests and personality.

Collect Memories

Make it truly personal by inviting attendees to share their special memories of the deceased, too. You can display a condolence book where people can pay tribute in their own words. There are also alternative options to a guest book, such as tags, stones, or other small items that mourners can write on to create a unique display. Featured Design: 'Watercolour Bird & Butterflies - Condolence Guest Book'

Creating a beautiful funeral program (or 'order of service') is much easier than it sounds. Here is our quick guide to funeral program wording:

What to include on a Funeral Program

There are a few important things to include on your funeral program. Front Page The front of your funeral program will include the key details:

• Your loved one's full name, as well as their maiden name
• Their dates of birth and death
• Time, place and date of funeral

You may also wish to include a beautiful photograph of your loved one on the front, as well as a thoughtful message, such as 'In loving memory of'. This will turn your programs into the perfect keepsake. Featured Product: Funeral Order of Service - Red Rose Scroll Inside The inside of your funeral program will go into the details of what will be happening at the funeral, including the words from any readings and poems, as well as lyrics from hymns. Here are some things that you may wish to include:

• A special poem or reading
• Short biography of the deceased
• Names of family members
• Service outline
• Name of Soloist
• Name and role of the person delivering the service
• A thank you for sharing this day with the family
• An invitation to the reception

You can really add as much or as little as you would like. Back You don't need to add any details to the back of your program, but you can if you want to.

How to create a Funeral Program

Creating a lovely funeral program with Dotty about Paper is so easy! Here are our simple steps. Find your ideal design First, take a look at our funeral programs to find a design that suits your loved one. Featured Product: Funeral Order of Service - Celtic Border We have a wide range of designs to suit anyone. So whether they loved fishing, music, or religion, you can really find a design to match their personality. Add your wording Next, type your wording into the text boxes. We have a separate box for each section of your program, making it super easy to complete. You will want to have prepared your wording in advance as it can take a while to get it just right. Then upload your photograph, making sure it's high quality. Order Then you're ready to order. Decide how many you would like, and add to basket. Place your order, and within one working day, we’ll provide an email proof for your approval. Delivery Once you have approved your email proof, your order will be printed and dispatched. If you need your order urgently, contact us and we will do our very best to help. Featured Product: Funeral Order of Service - Pink Peony We hope you have found this blog useful. If you would like some help creating your funeral program, be sure to get in touch. We are more than happy to help!

When someone close to you has passed away, you will want to cherish the special memories. A funeral bookmark is a lovely way to remember that special person, and they will be much appreciated by funeral guests at the funeral or after the funeral. Here is how to personalise a funeral bookmark:

Image

On your funeral bookmark, you'll want to put a beautiful image of your loved one. Whether that's a photograph of them years ago or a picture not long before they passed away, it's completely up to you. Choose something that makes you happy to see. Featured Product: Funeral Bookmark - Forget Me Not Bouquet Your photograph will be the main focal point of the funeral bookmark so be sure to choose something that you will look fondly upon and that is full of happy memories.

Wording

For your wording, you can write whatever you like. Normally people will write a short message to their loved ones, write about their life, or put a special poem. A poem is the more popular choice, as it is very beautiful and sentimental, too. You may wish to use a poem that is being read at the funeral. Featured Product: Funeral Bookmark - Girls Traditional Photo Above your poem, you will want a couple of lines of text that read the name of your loved one, as well as their date of birth and date of death. You may also want to title the bookmark with some wording to say 'In Loving Memory Of'.

Design

Make sure you choose a design that suits your loved one, whether that's a simple design, or something outgoing. Featured Product: Funeral Bookmark - Fishing Here at Dotty about Paper, we have a wide range of lovely designs, from pretty red roses to fishing, as well as beautiful religious designs. It's easy to find something that they would have loved. We also have a selection of poems that you can choose from - or you can add something completely unique. We hope this blog has helped you personalise your funeral bookmarks. For more help and advice on funeral stationery, be sure to check out our other funeral blogs.

A memorial card is a small card that is given out at funerals, which makes a thoughtful tribute to the person who has passed away. They contain a few details about the person, as well as a photo to remember them by. They are just the right size to be kept in a wallet or purse, making a beautiful reminder of that special person that friends and family will cherish.

What do you put on a memorial card?

Memorial cards don't need a lot of details on. Usually, we recommend that the front of the card contains the name of the person who died, the date of when they were born and when they died, and a lovely photograph. On the reverse, you may like to add a quote, poem, or song lyrics to remember your loved one by. A poem that will be read at the funeral is also a good idea. Featured Product: Funeral Memorial Cards - Celtic Border You can personalise your cards however you want - add your own photos and wording to complete. It's a great way to remember your loved one's personality, whether they were outgoing, creative, or funny. Featured Product: Funeral Memorial Cards - Pink Peony Here at Dotty about Paper, we have a wide range of memorial cards with many different designs available. Our cards are easy to personalise; you can choose from eight different poems or add your own wording. If you have any questions about your funeral stationery, feel free to get in touch. We will be happy to help.

A funeral order of service is a booklet containing details about the schedule of a funeral ceremony. They are given to mourners when they arrive at the funeral. It contains a range of hymns, readings, or poems that will be read or sung at the funeral. It's a lovely way to commemorate a loved one's life. Here is what you should include.

The Front Cover

The front cover of your order of service will usually be simple. You can choose from a range of different designs to find something to suit your loved one. Featured Product: Funeral Order of Service - Red Rose Scroll The front cover would usually include: • A photo of the deceased • Their full name • Their date of birth and date of death • The location, date, and time of the service You may also wish to include a special quote.

Inside

The inside of your order of service will contain many different things. You may wish to include: • The titles of the songs being played upon guests' arrival • An introduction by the person who is conducting the service • The wording to any hymns or songs • The wording to any readings or speeches, as well as the names of the individual speakers • Group prayers • Details about the closing music Featured Product: Funeral Order of Service - Celtic Border

Final page

On the last page of your order of service, you may wish to include a photograph of the deceased. You might opt for a more fun photograph than you used on the front of your order of service, such as a family photograph. If you are wishing for charity donations, this is a good place to note this, too. Featured Product: Funeral Order of Service - Poppies & Butterflies If you have any questions about funeral stationery, you can contact our professional team by phone or email. They will be happy to help you.

Funeral announcement cards are sent to let family and friends know the details of a loved one's funeral. Here is what you should include.

A photograph

A special photograph of your loved one will remind everyone of how amazing they were. It also makes your announcement cards such a beautiful memento. Featured Product: Funeral Announcement Cards - Ornate Border Some people choose to put a special old photo on the stationery, perhaps showing their loved one on their wedding day or another significant moment. Others may prefer to choose a recent photo that really captures their personality. It's your choice.

Name of the deceased

Include the person's full name, as well as any nicknames that they had, e.g. Ernest 'Ernie' Jones. This is a great way to show their personality, and it means that everyone will feel familiar with the names used. If they were a married woman, you may also want to include their maiden name, too.

The date of death

You might want to mention the date that they passed away. This is particularly important for friends that you haven't been in touch with recently, as they may not know as many details. Featured Product: Funeral Announcement Cards - Pink Peony Some people also choose to mention how they died, e.g. 'after a short illness', but this is completely up to you.

The date of the funeral

Mention the date of the funeral. Include what day of the week it is, too, especially if it falls midweek.

The location of the funeral

Write where the funeral venue is and how to get there, particularly if it is a remote location.

Any extra details

Other things you may want to include are the location of the funeral reception, whether or not you are accepting flowers, and if you want donations sent to a particular charity. Featured Product: Funeral Announcement Cards - Single Candle You know your loved one best, so write whatever you think suits them and their personality.

Some wording examples:

The Brown Family are sad to announce the passing of Mary Jane Brown on 6th June, 2020. A service will be held at St Mary's Church, Bridgnorth, on 20th June, 2020 at 2 o'clock. In loving memory of Mary Jane Brown. Beloved mother and grandmother. Forever in our hearts. Please join us at St Mary's Church, Bridgnorth, on 20th June, 2020 at 2 o'clock to celebrate her life. It is with our deepest sorrows that we inform you of the death of our beloved grandmother, Mary Jane Brown. A private family memorial service will be held on 20th June, 2020 at 2 o'clock, at St Mary's Church, Bridgnorth. We hope you have found this blog useful. Please get in touch if you need any help with your funeral stationery - we are always ready to give a helping hand.

Memorial cards are small cards designed to fit into a wallet or purse. They serve as a reminder of the deceased. Cards might also be placed in memorial gardens or in cemetery flower bouquets placed by a grave. Most stationers offer laminated cards to provide extra protection against wear and tear. Family members and close friends traditionally receive them. There is no set time or etiquette for sending out memorial cards; you can think about them whenever you feel ready. Writing memorial cards is never easy. It can be hard to find the words to reflect how special your loved one was and how much they mean to you. So, to help you through this challenging time, we’ve compiled some ideas to help you with the wording.

Wording Memorial Cards

Many choose to add a meaningful phrase or quote to their memorial cards, either in tribute to them or to remind them of that person's life. Write a short sentence that captures an aspect of the deceased’s personality. Consider basing it on a treasured memory. Or you might prefer to add a message of love and remembrance:

"Those that touch our lives stay in our hearts forever."

"You will never be forgotten."

"The memory of you will always be in our hearts."

"Your love will light our way, your memory will forever be with us."

You may want to commemorate a quote or words of wisdom the deceased once said, or choose a saying that they loved. Alternatively, here are some beautiful quotes you could use:

"The song is ended, but the melody lingers on." - Irving Berlin

"There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart." - Mahatma Gandhi

“To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.” - Thomas Campbell

"Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened." - Dr. Suess

If the loved one was religious, you could also add a favourite scripture or piece of religious text.

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Memorial Poems

The backs of memorial cards usually show a poem. Selecting the verse for your card can be difficult due to the amount of choice. To help you pick, consider using poems that your loved one enjoyed so you can be reminded of them when you read it. And if you’re still having trouble deciding, here are a few to inspire you:

Afterglow by Helen Lowrie Marshall

I'd like the memory of me

To be a happy one,

I'd like to leave an afterglow

Of smiles when life is done,

I'd like to leave an echo

Whispering softly down the ways,

Of happy times and laughing times,

And bright and sunny days,

I'd like the tears of those who grieve

To dry before the sun

Of happy memories that I leave

When life is done.

Memories Build a Special Bridge by Emily Matthews

Our memories build a special bridge when loved ones have to part,

To help us feel we’re with them still, and soothe a grieving heart,

Our memories span the years we shared, preserving ties that bind,

They build a special bridge of love and bring us peace of mind.

Do Not Stand At My Grave and Weep by Mary Frye

Do not stand at my grave and weep,

I am not there,

I do not sleep,

I am a thousand winds that blow,

I am the diamond glints on snow,

I am the sunlight on ripened grain,

I am the gentle autumn’s rain,

When you awaken in the morning’s hush,

I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circled flight,

I am the soft stars that shine at night,

Do not stand at my grave and cry;

I am not there,

I did not die.

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Memorial Card Design

Words can express so much, but there’s more you can do to turn a memorial card into a treasured tribute to your loved one. Choose a design that represents your loved one in either its patterns or artwork. For instance, if they were a gardener, you could pick a card with a floral pattern. Likewise, if they were religious, a symbol of their faith would be fitting. In addition, you could choose something that represents a hobby they loved. Finally, complete the card with a photograph of your loved one. This is a wonderful chance to pay tribute to their life, so pick your most treasured picture. Featured Design: 'Ladies Gardening'

We are pleased to announce that we now offer an extensive range of funeral stationery. Organising a funeral is never going to be easy, but we aim to make this part as stress-free as possible with beautiful designs expertly printed and backed by our caring customer service. Our range of stationery includes everything you need to make the day go smoothly plus a selection of keepsakes to help keep memories of your loved one close. All items are fully personalised and can include a photograph – just email it to us once you’ve placed your order. Announcements / Invitations Letting people know about the funeral is no longer as easy as putting a notice in the paper. Sending announcement cards makes sure you can contact everyone who wants to pay their respects without spending hours on the telephone. Order of Service The Order of Service not only guides people through the ceremony – it also provides a lasting keepsake. There are designs for all styles of funeral - whether you are having a traditional church service, a catholic mass or something more unusual like a humanist funeral. Our booklets are A5 size and extra pages can be added inside if required. On the Day When it comes to the day of the funeral itself, we can help make things just that little bit easier. Ask everyone to complete an attendance card and not only will you have a reminder of who was present (useful for people like work colleagues you may not have met) but you will also have some lovely messages to read through later. And with charity contributions now more popular than flowers, a donation box is a practical way to collect those gifts. Thank You Cards It’s comforting to receive cards and letters of sympathy, but writing thank you letters at such a difficult time can seem very daunting. Personalised thank you cards make it just that little bit easier. Happy Memories Completing the collection are three simple keepsake ideas for keeping those precious memories close. Memorial cards are designed to slip into a purse or wallet while a bookmark is practical and useful too. And a book of condolence is perfect for keeping together all those messages that mean so much. Our Designs Our wide range of designs means you can find something suitable whatever the person’s age, interests or type of funeral. This includes styles suitable for the funerals of babies, children and teenagers. Exceptional Customer Service Our helpful customer services team are here to guide you so if you have any questions just give us a call. We aim to make the whole process completely stress-free.