Celebration of Life Program Template

A celebration of life has no fixed structure, so this template stays flexible: a welcome, a life-story or slideshow moment, room for a reading or a favorite song, invited speakers, and a closing. Nothing here is forced to be religious, and you can add a hobby, career, or “in lieu of flowers” section if it fits.

What’s usually included in a celebration of life?

Common celebration-of-life program sections (all optional, in any order)

Section	What it covers
Welcome / gathering music	Music as guests arrive; a brief welcome from an officiant or a family member
Life story or slideshow moment	A short spoken life story, a video, or the memorial slideshow itself, shown to the room
Open mic or invited speakers	One or more people asked in advance, or an open invitation for anyone to speak
A reading or song	A favorite poem, quote, or piece of music — religious or not
Closing remarks	A final word from the officiant or a family member
Reception information	Where and when guests are invited afterward
Optional: favorite quote	Printed on the cover or an inside page
Optional: career or hobbies	A short section celebrating what the person did and loved
Optional: "in lieu of flowers"	A named charity or cause, if the family prefers donations to flowers

Is a celebration of life religious?

Not necessarily. Many celebrations of life are entirely secular, built around a person’s life and relationships rather than a faith tradition. Others include a single prayer, hymn, or reading because it mattered to the person or the family, without the whole event being organized as a religious service. This template doesn’t assume either direction — build it however fits your family.

What order should the program follow?

Whatever fits the people speaking and the space you’re in. A pattern many families land on is: welcome, then a life story or slideshow moment, then speakers, then a closing reading or song, then reception information — but there is no required order, and skipping or reordering sections is completely normal for this kind of service.

Can I add a favorite quote or a hobby section?

Yes. Common additions include a favorite quote (on the cover or an inside page), a short paragraph on the person’s career or hobbies, and an “in lieu of flowers” line naming a charity the family would like donations directed to instead. None of these require a specific format — a sentence or two is enough.

What if some family members want a prayer included anyway?

That’s common, and it doesn’t have to change the character of the whole service. A single prayer or reading can sit as one element among the others — for example, right before the closing remarks — without turning a celebration of life into a religious service overall. If your family wants more structure around that element specifically, the program wording examples page and public-domain readings page both have ready wording to draw from.

Questions families ask

What's usually included in a celebration of life?

A welcome, a life story or slideshow moment, one or more invited speakers or an open mic, a reading or favorite song, closing remarks, and reception information. Not every service uses all of these, and the order is flexible.

Is a celebration of life religious?

Not necessarily. Many are entirely secular; others include a prayer or reading at a family's request. This template doesn't assume either way — add or remove a spiritual element as your family wants.

What order should the program follow?

Whatever fits the people speaking and the venue. A common pattern is welcome, then life story or slideshow, then speakers, then a closing reading or song, then reception details — but there's no wrong order for a celebration of life.

Can I add a favorite quote or a hobby section?

Yes — these are common, optional additions: a favorite quote on the cover or inside, a short section on the person's career or hobbies, or an "in lieu of flowers" line naming a charity.

What if some family members want a prayer included anyway?

That's common too. A celebration of life can include a single prayer or reading without becoming a religious service overall — add it as one program element among the others, rather than restructuring the whole event.

Sources

This page describes a flexible, non-religious format rather than a specific tradition’s fixed order of service, so it has no specific tradition to verify against and no external sources are cited. It was reviewed for plain, inclusive language by Candlefold.