What Are Funeral Cards, and How Do You Use Them?

Whether planning a final tribute to a loved one or outlining for your funeral wishes, you may have noticed that many memorial or funeral packages include printed funeral cards. But for those who haven’t had to plan a funeral before, what is memorial stationery? Does this mean funeral brochures or something else? We outline what each of these funeral stationery pieces is below, and you can decide which ones best fit your needs.

Defining Printed Funeral Cards

Memorial cards are commonly used as a keepsake distributed at memorial or funeral services. They usually include basic information about the deceased to serve as a visual reminder of a lost loved one and typically have a quote or photo. The nice aspect about printed funeral cards is they're smaller, so they're easy to slip into a purse or wallet and carry with you.

Folded Memorial Cards

You can personalise this Australian funeral card in many ways, and it is smaller. You’ll find them at memorials, viewings, wakes and visitations. It’s also possible to send a folded memorial card as an invitation to the memorial or funeral service. You should include the service information somewhere on this card.

Memorial Bookmarks or Prayer Cards

A prayer or holy card is the most common printed funeral card from the Catholic faith. There is usually a religious symbol, personal information about the deceased and a prayer. Many people use them as keepsakes or as a reminder to pray for the family routinely.

Additional Funeral Stationery to Accompany Your Printed Funeral Cards

Along with having printed funeral cards available, there are other pieces of stationery you may want to have present at the funeral. Your attendees can take them with you when they leave, and they are a great way to make everyone feel included and connected to the service and the deceased's legacy. The two big stationery pieces include:

Funeral Brochures

Also known as memorial folders, this brochure is a folded pamphlet. You’ll typically include the order of service, which are the details of what will happen during the funeral or memorial. It’s common to print funeral brochures on decorative paper and fold them in halves or thirds, and they can be as complex or simple as you want.

Also, funeral brochures are a great place to personalise things. For example, along with the service details and name, you can include your favourite photos of the deceased, a favourite recipe, a passage or poem or the obituary. If they were religious, there is a place to include a relevant verse or scripture.

Acknowledgement Cards

An acknowledgement or thank-you card is very common in a memorial stationery set. Throughout the entire planning process, family and friends take on responsibilities and roles to assist the deceased’s grieving family. After the funeral, the family may want to thank the people who helped out the most. You can send acknowledgement cards to anyone who sent a sympathy gift or flowers, gave a donation, prepared meals or did anything meaningful and kind to make the planning process easier.

Designing Australian Funeral Cards

Now that you know what funeral cards are and how you can combine them with funeral brochures or acknowledgement cards in a memorial stationery package, you want to make the design as perfect as possible. Maybe your loved one had a favourite scripture or colour, or they were really involved in their hobbies. Whatever it may be, you can incorporate almost anything into your design.

At Baileys Print, we offer high-quality stationery and printing for any occasion, including commemorations and funerals. We have a broad range of templates available, or we can work with you to design something that perfectly captures your loved one. No matter how many you need, our line of print funeral cards is the perfect way to honour someone’s life and give the funeral attendees something tangible to remember their legacy.