Funeral Service Announcement: Wording, Templates, and Tips
It’s never easy when someone you care about passes away. It’s an emotionally trying time and there are several practical matters you need to attend to as well. One of those is sending a funeral service announcement so others can gather and pay their respects.
These announcements don’t just notify friends and family of the person’s passing, they also allow you to honor the individual’s legacy. As a weighty document, it’s important to choose the right words.
In this guide, we’ll offer advice for writing and distributing funeral service announcements. You’ll find information on what to include in the announcement and appropriate wording ideas. We’ll also highlight tips for choosing the necessary channels for distribution and share a few funeral announcements to send out to loved ones.
How to Send a Funeral Service Announcement
A funeral announcement shouldn’t be confused with an obituary. A funeral announcement typically is only sent via email, text message, or mail and doesn’t need to be published. It may contain a short obituary, but the focus is more on listing the details of the gathering to honor the person. It functions as a funeral invitation to honor the individual by attending a memorial service, mass, gathering, or similar event.
On the other hand, an obituary is usually published in the newspaper and includes a longer history of the person’s accomplishments, personality, and life story. While you can certainly choose to publish your funeral service announcement, it’s typically not as long as a true obituary.
In most cases, you’ll send your funeral service announcement via email if you’ve chosen digital invitations. You can also share these on social media to reach more of the person’s loved ones and close friends. If you’ve chosen printable announcements, you can post them in the local newspaper or through groups the person was part of, like a church group or business organization.
You can choose who to send your funeral announcement to. If you want to keep it private, limit the announcement to just immediate family members and friends. For a more public gathering, you can send the announcement to family, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances — or invite anyone who knows them to attend.
What to Include in a Funeral Service Announcement
A funeral service announcement works like an invitation and needs to include key details. That way, attendees know exactly what to expect and can pay their respects in an appropriate manner.
Your funeral service announcement should include things like:
- The full name of the deceased person (as well as any titles or nicknames if desired)
- A photo of the deceased individual
- The deceased person’s area of residence
- The deceased person’s date of birth and date of death
- Details of the funeral arrangements including the date, time, and location of the event (be sure to mention if it’s a private gathering at a funeral home or an event that’s open to the public)
- The names of any surviving family members
- Requests for donations, along with instructions
- Required dress codes or attire
- A brief obituary, if desired
Additional details you may want to include are the person’s place of employment and any significant accomplishments or awards they received. You may also choose to include a short religious quote, if applicable, or a short one- or two-sentence message from the family.
Funeral Service Announcement Wording Ideas
Finding the right words to say when someone has passed away is tricky, especially if you’re in charge of writing the official funeral service announcement. Start by matching the tone of the invite to the formality of the event. If you’re hosting a celebration of life where you don’t want anything to be sad or heavy, use wording to reflect that. If you’re hosting a somber gathering, choose phrasing that imparts that feeling.
Here are some wording examples for your funeral service announcement:
- While we announce the death of Sandra Thomas on July 9 with heavy hearts, she would have hated to see us sad. Instead, she would have wanted us to gather to laugh and reminisce with smiles on our faces. You’re invited to join in a special celebration of life including a potluck picnic at her favorite park. In lieu of flowers, we ask you to donate time to your favorite volunteer organization.
- With deep sorrow, we announce the death of Clarence Phillips from Los Alamos on January 18 after a long battle with illness. We invite you to attend a private service in the presence of God at the Dove Funeral Home this coming Saturday at one o’clock in the afternoon. Please wear black attire and make a donation to the church in lieu of flowers.
- In loving memory of Augustus Johnson, born June 15, 1956, we announce his passing on September 29 at his longtime residence in Georgia. Please join us in a celebration of life at the community park next Sunday at three o’clock in the afternoon. We invite you to share your condolences in a card that we’ll make into a memory book for his surviving spouse, Margaret.
6 Heart-Wearming Funeral Service Announcements
Once you have an idea of what you’ll say in your announcement, it’s time to pick out a funeral card. The style should match the formality of the funeral service you are hosting. In general, these cards tend to be formal but you can use colors to add a little cheer for a celebration of life or to reflect the vibrant personality of the deceased person. Here are some ideas for funeral announcement designs.
1. Heartfelt Wishes Announcement
Design: Mansi Verma Design
This funeral invitation card is simple and elegant, featuring an image of the individual and a sophisticated gold foil border. There’s plenty of room for the funeral service details and the delicate typography adds a refined touch.
2. Rose Remembrance Announcement
Design: Signature Greenvelope
This beautiful funeral announcement template is colorful, yet respectful, making it ideal for celebrations of life and similar gatherings to honor a deceased person’s life. It’s customizable with three artist-curated designs or you can pick a custom color that the deceased individual loved.
3. Serene Forest Announcement
Design: Signature Greenvelope
Use this memorial announcement to ask guests to attend a service honoring a recently departed loved one. It features depictions of wispy fog and soft clouds amongst a forest, offering a serene feel.
4. Wildflower Frame Announcement
Design: Becky Nimoy Stationery
Invite family members, friends, and colleagues with this floral funeral invitation template. The front of the card has a large photo slot for a photo of your loved one surrounded by wildflowers. Underneath, there’s room for the individual’s name along with their dates of birth and death. The supported backside has extra room for a brief obituary, or a longer death announcement, or you can use it as a detailed funeral program template.
5. Starry Night Announcement
Design: Signature Greenvelope
This funeral announcement card has an uplifting feel, with a background depiction of a night sky shimmering with stars. The large text box features a header like “In Memoriam” or “In Loving Memory” and leaves room for the complete event details.
6. In Memoriam Announcement
Design: Shari Margolin Design
Use this elegant funeral service announcement to ask guests to honor a loved one. Upload a photo of the individual to the photo slot, which is framed by gold foil corners. Write the details of the event and send it off with just a few clicks.
Send Loving Funeral Service AnnouncementsÂ
Saying goodbye to a loved one is hard, but gathering with people who care about them can help ease the pain. With these funeral service announcement ideas, you have what you need to craft a thoughtful card that honors your loved one.Â
Choose a funeral service announcement card from our collection that matches the formality of your gathering and the personality of the deceased individual. Each one is customizable and easy to send. Just use the handy dashboard to fine-tune the design, upload your contacts, and hit send to deliver the invite by text message or email.
Funeral planning isn’t easy, but you’ll find resources to navigate this difficult time on our Stationers blog. In addition to wording ideas for announcements and condolences, you’ll find supportive ways to show you care.
