Free Celebration of Life Templates
Planning a celebration of life while you're grieving is a lot. To make it a little lighter, we created some celebration of life templates families ask for most: a program (order of service), invitation and announcement wording, a eulogy outline, thank-you card wording, and simple guest-list and budget trackers.
Every template below is free to use. Copy the one you need, fill in the blanks, and make it your own. There's nothing to download and no sign-up required.
If you'd rather fill these in online and keep everything in one place, you can do that for free in our Celebration of Life app, more on that at the end.
What's included in this post:
● Program / order of service template
● Invitation wording (3 versions)
● Announcement wording (2 versions)
● Eulogy / tribute speech template
● Thank-you card wording (3 versions)
● Guest list & RSVP tracker
● Budget & vendor tracker
● Information about our Celebration of Life app
Celebration of Life Program
The program is the keepsake guests hold during the service. It usually has the person's name and dates on the front, the order of events inside, and a note of thanks on the back. Here's a template you can adapt:
Front cover
In Loving Memory of [Full Name]
[Date of Birth] – [Date of Passing]
“[A short quote, lyric, or phrase they loved]”
A Celebration of Life
[Date] · [Venue / Location]
Order of service (inside)
Welcome & Opening Words: [Host or officiant]
Opening Reading or Prayer: [Reader], “[Title of reading]”
Musical Tribute: “[Song title]” by [Artist or performer]
Eulogy: [Speaker]
Sharing of Memories: an open invitation for guests to speak
Poem or Reading: [Reader]
Slideshow / Video Tribute
Closing Words: [Name]
Reception to follow at [Location]
Back cover
With heartfelt thanks from the family of [First Name].
Your presence, love, and memories mean more to us than words can say.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to [charity or fund].
It’s OK to keep the order flexible, there's no “right” sequence. Move things around so the service feels like the person you're honoring. That’s kind of the point.
Celebration of Life Invitation
Whether you send printed cards, an email, or a text, the essentials are the same: who you're honoring, when, where, and how to RSVP. Here are three tones to choose from.
Version 1: Warm and simple
You're invited to celebrate the life of [Full Name].
Please join us as we gather to remember, share stories, and honor a life well lived.
[Day, Date] at [Time]
[Venue Name, Address]
Light refreshments to follow.
Kindly RSVP to [contact] by [date].
Version 2: Uplifting
[First Name] asked that we not mourn, but celebrate.
Please join family and friends for a Celebration of Life honoring [Full Name].
[Date] · [Time] · [Location]
Wear [bright colors / their favorite color / casual attire] in [his/her/their] honor.
RSVP: [contact]
Version 3: With a line of verse
“[Short meaningful quote or lyric]”
In loving memory of [Full Name], [birth year]–[year].
We warmly invite you to a Celebration of Life.
[Date], [Time], [Location].
RSVP by [date] to [contact].
Celebration of Life Announcement
An announcement lets your wider circle know what happened and how they can take part. Two versions:
Version 1: Passing with details to follow
It is with love and sadness that the family of [Full Name] shares that [he/she/they] passed away on [Date]. A Celebration of Life will be held on [Date] at [Location]. All who knew and loved [First Name] are warmly welcome.
Version 2: Brief public notice
[Full Name], [age], of [City], passed away peacefully on [Date]. [He/She/They] will be remembered for [a few words, warmth, humor, devotion to family]. Friends and family are invited to a Celebration of Life on [Date] at [Location]. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to [charity].
Eulogy / Tribute Speech
A eulogy doesn't need to be polished, it needs to be honest. Ideally, incorporate an amusing story or talk about their passions. Use this outline as a starting frame and fill in your own memories.
Opening. “Thank you all for being here today. For those who don't know me, I'm [Name], [relationship to the person].”
Who they were. “[First Name] was [a few defining words, a devoted mother, a stubborn optimist, the friend who always picked up the phone].”
A story. “I want to share one memory that captures [him/her/them]. [Tell a short, specific story, a moment, a habit, something they always said].”
What they gave you. “[First Name] taught me [lesson or value]. What I'll miss most is [a small, specific detail].”
Closing. “[First Name], thank you for [something]. We'll carry you with us. [A final line, quote, or simply 'Rest easy.'].”
Aim for three to five minutes (about 500–750 words). Read it aloud once or twice beforehand. It's okay to pause, and it's okay to laugh, the best tributes often do both. Try to avoid a speech that goes on for too long.
Thank-You Card
After the service, a short note means a great deal to the people who showed up for you. You don't need to write much.
Version 1: General
On behalf of our family, thank you for your kindness during this difficult time. Your [presence / thoughtful words / generous gift] meant more to us than we can say. The family of [First Name]
Version 2: For a specific gesture
Thank you so much for [the flowers / your donation to [charity] / simply being there]. It brought us real comfort to know [First Name] was so loved. With gratitude, [Your name(s)]
Version 3: Brief
Your support has helped carry us through. Thank you for celebrating [First Name]'s life with us. The [Family Name] family
Guest List & RSVP Tracker
Keeping track of who's invited and who's coming takes a surprising amount of mental energy. This simple table keeps it in one place:
Guest name | How you know them | Invited? | RSVP | # in party | Contact | Notes
Jane Doe | Mum's colleague | Yes | Yes | 2 | jane@email.com | Vegetarian
[Name] | [Relationship | Yes/No | Yes/No/Maybe | 2 | [phone/email] | [Notes]If you have a spreadsheet, that is a great way to set this up!
Budget & Vendor Tracker
A celebration of life can be as simple or involved as you like. A tracker just helps you avoid surprises and keep vendor details handy.
Item / Vendor | Contact | Estimated | Actual | Deposit paid | Balance due | Notes
Venue | [name/phone] | $ | $ | $ | $ | [date booked]
Catering | [name/phone] | $ | $ | $ | $ | [headcount]
Flowers | [name/phone] | $ | $ | $ | $ |
Celebrant | [name/phone] | $ | $ | $ | $ |
Programs | [name/phone] | $ | $ | $ | $ |
Music/AV | [name/phone] | $ | $ | $ | $ |
Keepsakes | [name/phone] | $ | $ | $ | $ |
Total | | $ | $ | $ | $ |
There you have it. Take whatever is useful to you, you don’t have to do all of this. However you want to bring people together, remembering someone well is the only thing that matters..
Prefer to fill these in online?
Every template above works beautifully on paper. But if you'd like to keep it all in one place, and share the load with family or friends, our free Celebration of Life app turns each of these into something you can fill in, save, and share, plus a few things paper can't do:
● An organizer dashboard that holds your program, guest list, budget, and to-dos in a single view
● Venue and vendor recommendations, so you're not starting from a blank page
● Agenda suggestions tailored to the person you're honoring. Their interests, their story
● A memorial site to gather photos and memories from everyone who loved them
● Co-organizer access and automatic invitations and RSVPs, so you're not carrying it alone
It's completely free while in beta.
Custom Memorial page with RSVP
Memorial site with event details for guests. Guests can post memories, send flowers and RSVP!
Celebration of Life Planning tool
This is the checklist view for the organizer. Add, remove and edit the items. You can even invite others to help out!
Related reading: Celebration of Life Checklist · Celebration of Life vs. Funeral · Celebration of Life Invitation Wording.