Who Hands Out The Funeral Programs?
The funeral program is a printed memorial that is distributed at the funeral service or ceremony. The family will create this document as a way to share and celebrate highlights of the loved one's life with all attendees. It can be an important part of the funeral service that should not be overlooked. Although the immediate family will assume responsibility for creating the funeral program, they are not necessarily the ones who will hand them out to each attendee.
It is customary to hand out a program when attendees arrive. The immediate family is seated at the front row of the service so may not have the time or emotional state to hand out this printed memorial. This task can be delegated to a close friend or family member not within the immediate family. Usually it is one person who will take on this task unless it is a larger service. The designated person can stand in front of the funeral service room and greet and hand out a program to each person or each family as they arrive. If there are a limited amount of programs, this is a good method since it ensures only one program is distributed to each family and not each person.
Some may think of placing a program in each area of the pew or seat. If each seat is not taken or occupied, it will leave the program at each place. You will need to gather them or assign a friend to retrieve the unused programs after the service. Another way would be to set the funeral programs on a table or near the funeral guest book for attendees to take one as they sign or enter the service room. If there is an abundant amount of programs, then you may feel that each person can take one since there are plenty programs to go around. In this way, if there are programs left, they are all within one place.
You will need to decide which option works best for you and your family members since all funeral services and circumstances differ. At the end of the day, it is always up to the immediate family members and what is the most convenient way and will help them alleviate any undue, additional stress.