Guides
Short, practical answers for the week nobody prepares for.
Every guide below exists because a family somewhere had to figure it out alone at midnight. Borrow freely — and when you're ready, the editor turns it all into a printed programme in about twenty minutes.
How to make a funeral program The complete craft: what goes in, the folding trap, printing. The funeral order of service Traditional, Catholic mass, homegoing, SA service, non-religious — real structures. Acknowledgement wording The family's thanks — copyable wording for the back page and cards. Obituary examples Complete examples by relationship — short, warm, and faith-centred. South African programmes Seven languages, the vigil, and the tombstone unveiling. The unveiling programme The full order of proceedings and invitation wording. The umlindelo: the night vigil, its songs, and the programme it needs What happens at an umlindelo, the night vigil before a South African funeral: who hosts, the order of hymns and prayers, etiquette, and the programme. Tombstone unveiling invitations: wording examples and etiquette Three complete tombstone unveiling invitation examples — formal, family and faith-centred — plus the details every card must carry and the etiquette. Funeral notice wording: newspaper, radio and community examples How to word a funeral notice for newspaper, community radio and the church bulletin: a complete example of each, what to include, and what to never publish. How to write a funeral announcement for WhatsApp Three ready-to-send WhatsApp funeral announcement templates for South African families, plus forwarding etiquette and how to update details when they change. Being the programme director at a funeral What the funeral programme director does, and how to run a service well: preparing the order, saying names right, keeping time, working with the minister. Choosing pallbearers: who, how many, and what they do How many pallbearers you need, who to ask and how, what they do at church and graveside, honorary pallbearers, and listing their names in the programme. The graveside committal: what happens, and in what order The graveside service is short. Here is the order — procession, words of committal, the lowering, the soil and the wreaths — who speaks, how long it takes. Livestreaming a funeral: a simple, dignified setup that costs nothing Family abroad can still be there. A phone, a tripod and data are enough — compare WhatsApp, YouTube and Facebook, get the sound right, and keep it private. Photos for the programme: choosing, scanning and gentle fixes The truest photo isn't always the newest. How to choose the cover, scan old prints with your phone without glare, make small fixes, and how many you need. How to write an obituary that sounds like the person How to write an obituary that sounds like the person: the reliable structure, length for programme vs newspaper, common mistakes, and a worked example. How to write a eulogy from two or three true stories How to write a eulogy that isn't a CV: choose two or three true stories, open and close honestly, and deliver it — even when you might cry. Memorial service or funeral? What changes, and what to print Memorial service or funeral? The real difference is whether the body is present. What changes in the order of service, and what to print for each. How to write the acknowledgements for the back page How to word the acknowledgements on a funeral programme's back page. Four ready-to-adapt examples, naming rules, and a warm way to say thank you. Bringing a loved one home: repatriation basics for South African families A plain-language guide to bringing someone home for burial — within South Africa or from abroad. Who to phone first, what to ask, and rough costs. Ten funeral programme mistakes — and how to avoid each one The ten funeral programme mistakes families notice too late — misspelled names, wrong hymn numbers, too few copies — and a simple, kind fix for each. Planning the unveiling: a timeline that works backwards from the stone How to plan a tombstone unveiling: the realistic timeline from ordering the stone to the ceremony, what to book, who to tell, and the paper the day needs. Unveiling etiquette: who does what, and how to be a good guest Etiquette at a South African tombstone unveiling: the family's roles, what guests wear and bring, graveside conduct, and the meal afterwards. What an unveiling really costs, and where the money goes The realistic budget for a South African tombstone unveiling: the stone, the ceremony, the meal — typical ranges, where families overspend, and where the paper fits.
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