Plan a goodbye that sounds like them, calmly, in the days you have
A complete kit for organising a funeral, memorial service, celebration of life or remembrance gathering: the method, the workbook, the forms and the words for the hardest moments, for every tradition and for none.
- A 12-sheet Memorial Planner workbook: decisions, quote comparison, budget, guests, an order of service that times itself, a food calculator and a dashboard
- Five fillable forms, from the first decisions to the remembrance plan, plus eulogy and order of service templates
- 41 announcements, invitations, requests and exact words for hard moments, and 12 thank-you and after letters
- A 10-chapter e-book with a worked example, traditions and country notes, an AI prompt pack and a two-week calendar plan
The Memorial Service Organiser · Bodhih Pro Kits · 125 by Bodhih Training, trainers to 2,000+ companies since 2008.
How do you plan a memorial service or funeral?
Check for the person's wishes, complete the legal first steps where you live, agree one lead and a budget ceiling, choose the type of service, compare itemised quotes, tell people closest first, build the service in minutes inside the venue's slot, plan the gathering safely and arrange thank-yous and remembrance dates. The Memorial Service Organiser kit from Bodhih Training gives you the method and every tool.
Want the full free guide first? Read How to Plan a Memorial Service or Funeral, Step by Step.
You already feel the problem. Here is what it is costing you.
Everything feels urgent at once
Within hours, people ask when the funeral is, while you are still waiting for a certificate. The kit separates what must happen now from what can wait a day or a week, so you can breathe and sleep.
Signing before comparing
Kind people sell funerals, and it is easy to agree to a package on the first visit. The quote comparison sheet and the exact words to ask for time help you compare line by line and decide the next day.
Family disagreement
Different beliefs, different wishes and grief make decisions hard. A one-page family agreement settles who leads, what you spend and how you decide, before anyone argues.
The service runs over
Venues often book fixed slots, and too many speakers means the last one is rushed. The order of service builder times every part and warns you before the day.
The blank page eulogy
Writing about someone you love, quickly, is hard. A four-step worksheet and eight templates turn memories into a spoken eulogy of the right length.
Picture the next few weeks with the kit open beside you.
Imagine this evening, a little calmer. You open the start-here map, fill in page 1 of the First Decisions Sheet, and make the three calls that matter. The rest of the list is written down, in three columns, and it can wait until tomorrow.
Tomorrow, as you send the price request to three providers, you notice how much easier it is to say we will decide by the morning when the family agreed the ceiling last night. The quotes go into the workbook, and the dashboard shows the difference in seconds.
By the end of the week, the order of service fits the slot with six minutes spare, the eulogy has been read aloud twice, the food labels are printed and the stream has been tested on mobile data. Whether you start with the workbook tonight or the message library in the morning, every step has a file.
And on the day, you get to be what you most need to be: someone who loved them. One helper answers the phone, the running order is in three pockets, and the people far away can watch. Afterwards, the thank-yous and the dates that matter are already in the calendar.
20 files that do the work for you
The e-book shows you how. The tools make it happen. Here is exactly what you download.
The Memorial Service Organiser (e-book, PDF)
The guide: methods, worked examples, scripts and exercises
Start here: the map and the first three days
The whole job as a 12-step flow with the file to open at each step, your first hour, the first three days and a 30/60/90 day plan.
Memorial Planner workbook
Twelve-sheet workbook: settings, decisions with owners, funeral director quote comparison, costs budget, guest and notification list, contributors, a self-timing order of service builder, the gathering, a food calculator with safe serving times, first-year remembrance dates and a dashboard with chart.
First decisions sheet
Three-page fillable sheet for the first 48 hours: known wishes, who decides, the legal first steps where you live, budget ceiling and the first five choices.
Service plan
Three-page fillable plan for the service itself: setting, leader, timings, words, music, readings, rituals, streaming and access.
Eulogy writing worksheet
Three-page fillable worksheet that takes you from memories to a timed, spoken eulogy or tribute in four steps.
Day-of running order
Two-page fillable running sheet for the day: times, who does what, key phone numbers, the bag to pack and what to do if something goes wrong.
Remembrance plan
Two-page fillable plan for the first year and beyond: ashes or memorial decisions, dates that matter, ways to remember and checking in on each other.
Announcement, invitation and message library
41 announcements, invitations, requests, provider messages and exact words for hard moments and the day itself, ready to adapt.
Eulogy and tribute templates
Eight fill-in templates: life story eulogy, short tribute, letter to them, shared tribute, a complicated life, a child, a prayer meeting opening and anniversary words.
Order of service templates
Four ready-to-print layouts (service, celebration of life, prayer meeting, graveside card) plus place cards, food labels and memory cards.
Thank-you and after letters
Twelve ready-to-send letters and notes: thank-yous for every kind of help, bereavement leave and school notes, cancelling bookings, asking about ashes, and an anniversary invitation.
Family memorial agreement
One-page agreement the family can adopt: wishes first, who leads and decides, budget and approvals, roles, how we talk, inclusion and what happens after.
Worked example pack: celebrating Arthur Mensah
The main forms filled in for one composite family, from first decisions to the remembrance plan, so you can see what good looks like.
AI prompt pack for memorial organisers
27 tool-agnostic prompts grouped by step, from the first 48 hours to remembrance, each with what to paste in and what to check before you use the output.
Decision card: choosing the service
If this, consider that: ten situations, five service types at a glance and a two-question test.
Mistakes families regret
Seventeen common mistakes, why they hurt and what to do instead.
Traditions and country notes (correct at October 2026)
Respectful examples of customs across traditions, country first steps and consumer protections, help with costs and food safety from official sources.
Two-week plan and first-year remembrance dates
24 calendar reminders: a gentle two-week plan from day 1 to thank-yous, then remembrance check-ins across the first year. Import, then drag events to your own dates.
Memorial task board import
27 tasks in six stages, ready to import into Trello, Asana, Notion, Planner or Jira.
Chapter by chapter
Each chapter opens with a real situation, gives you a method and ends with something to do today, using the tools in your kit.
- Format
- PDF e-book + XLSX + fillable PDF + DOCX + ICS + CSV
- Files
- 20 files plus a one-click ZIP
- E-book
- 63 pages
- Works with
- Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice, Word, Google Docs, Acrobat Reader, Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, Outlook, Trello, Asana, Notion
- Best for
- Families and friends organising a funeral, memorial, celebration of life or remembrance gathering, in any country
- Currency
- Any: amounts carry no symbol; set your own label
The First Forty-Eight Hours
What genuinely has to happen in the first two days, the three-column method, and what changes when tradition sets a short timetable.
What They Wanted, and What You Need
Honouring written wishes and their spirit, choosing one lead, and a one-page family agreement on budget and decisions.
Choosing the Kind of Goodbye
Funeral, direct cremation or burial, memorial, celebration of life or prayer gathering: the two-question test across traditions.
Funeral Directors, Community Bodies and Honest Quotes
Who you might work with, consumer protections, the three layers of every quote, and comparing three providers line by line.
Telling People and Inviting Them
Telling people in rings, the Guests sheet as a telling list, and invitations that answer every question including time zones.
Shaping the Service
Building the service in minutes inside the venue slot, choosing music and readings, and a moment of quiet for every belief.
Writing and Giving the Eulogy
Gather, choose, shape and rehearse: a specific, spoken eulogy with one thread, plus what to do if your voice goes.
The Gathering After
Venue, access, children, food quantities, labels and safe serving times from official food agencies, with alcohol never assumed.
The Day Itself
A shared running order, one job per helper, a phone person, the day-of bag, stream testing and plan B.
After the Service, and the Dates That Matter
Thank-yous, receipts, ashes and memorial decisions, the dates many families mark in the first year, and looking after yourself.
Not just reading. Tools you will actually open again.
E-book
- The Memorial Service Organiser: 10 chapters, a worked example family, traditions and country notes, and a questions appendix
Start here
- 00-Start-Here-Map-and-First-Three-Days.pdf: the job as a 12-step flow with the file for each step, your first hour, the first three days and a 30/60/90 day plan
Spreadsheet
- Memorial Planner workbook: 12 sheets including Settings, Decisions, Quotes comparison, Budget, Guests, Contributors, Order of Service builder, Gathering, Food Calculator, Remembrance dates and a Dashboard with chart
Fillable PDF forms
- First decisions sheet
- Service plan
- Eulogy writing worksheet
- Day-of running order
- Remembrance plan
Word templates
- Announcement, invitation and message library: 41 items
- Eulogy and tribute templates: 8 templates
- Order of service templates: 4 layouts plus place cards, food labels and memory cards
- Thank-you and after letters: 12 ready-to-send letters
- Family memorial agreement: one page
Worked example and AI
- Worked example pack: celebrating Arthur Mensah, the main forms filled in for one composite family
- AI prompt pack for memorial organisers: 27 tool-agnostic prompts
Cheat sheets
- Decision card: choosing the service
- Mistakes families regret: 17 mistakes and what to do instead
- Traditions and country notes, correct at October 2026
Calendar and task board
- Two-week plan and first-year remembrance dates: 24 calendar reminders (ICS)
- Memorial task board import: 27 tasks (CSV for Trello, Asana, Notion, Planner or Jira)
When you have worked through it, you will be able to…
Every outcome is practised with a worked example and a tool, not just described.
- You will be able to separate the genuinely urgent first steps from everything that can wait
- You will be able to agree who leads, what you spend and how the family decides, on one page
- You will be able to compare funeral quotes line by line and spot optional extras
- You will be able to build a service that fits the venue's time slot, with room for every belief
- You will be able to write and deliver a specific, spoken eulogy of the right length
- You will be able to plan a gathering with safe food, labelled allergens, access and children in mind
- You will be able to run the day with a shared running order, helpers and a plan B
- You will be able to plan thank-yous and the remembrance dates that matter to your family
Know your starting point. Prove your progress.
People who measure before and after improve faster and can show it. AssessAll, our sister assessment platform, has AI-graded assessments that pair with this kit. Take one now, work through the kit, then re-take it.
Family & Elder Caregiving Judgment
Take the assessment →AssessAll assessmentPlan Strength Assessment with an Eight-Week Re-Measure
Take the assessment →AssessAll assessmentEmotional Intelligence Profile
Take the assessment →JobularyIf-then plans that make habits stick (Jobulary)
Make it a growth plan →A taste of Chapter 5
Abena phoned Kofi and Auntie Akosua on Monday morning. Kofi called his children's school and told Esi. On Monday evening, Abena asked the choir leader and Derek from the bus garage to tell their groups, and to hold off posting until Thursday. Eleven lines went on the Guests sheet, each with a How to tell. On Thursday, after registration, the announcement went out: "With great sadness, we share that Arthur Kwame Mensah died peacefully on 14 September, aged 81. Dad, grandad, bus driver for 35 years and tenor in the choir." The invitation followed with the 11:00 start written as 06:00 in Toronto and 10:00 in Kumasi, a note that Arthur wanted colours rather than black, and the kidney charity for donations.
The honest comparison
| Free templates and typical advice | This kit | |
|---|---|---|
| Method | A checklist with no order or reasons | Six stages, each with the file to open and what to do |
| Costs | A blank budget | Quote comparison by layer, budget with who pays, ceiling warnings |
| Service timing | A fixed template | An order of service builder that times itself against your slot |
| Words | A few generic verses | 41 messages, 8 eulogy templates, 12 letters, exact words for hard moments |
| Traditions | One culture assumed | Examples across traditions and none, framed as choices, with sources |
| Gathering | Not covered | Food calculator, safe serving times, allergens, access and children |
| Countries | One country's rules | Dated notes for the UK, US, India, Canada, Australia, UAE and Singapore |
Made for you if…
- Anyone suddenly asked to organise a funeral, memorial or celebration of life for a parent, partner, relative or friend
- Families spread across countries who need to plan together and stream the service
- Mixed-belief families who want a service that includes everyone
- Friends, neighbours and community volunteers who help families with arrangements
- People planning ahead for themselves or for a parent who has asked them to
- Faith and community groups who want a clear, reusable planning system
Probably not for you if…
- Anyone looking for legal, financial or religious rulings: the kit is educational and points you to the right people
- Estate and probate administration: see The Executor's Kit
- Weddings and celebrations: see The Wedding Controller
Built by trainers, tested in real rooms.
Bodhih Training has designed and delivered corporate programmes since 2008. Bodhih Pro Kits package what works in those workshops into a guide plus the exact tools we use, so you can apply it the same day without a facilitator in the room.
From here to using it in three steps
- STEP 1
Tap Get the kit
Name, email and country. UPI, card or netbanking in India; international cards everywhere else. No account to create.
- STEP 2
Download instantly
Your download page opens at once, with every file and a one-click ZIP. A permanent link lands in your inbox too.
- STEP 3
Open the first tool
Start with the quick-start chapter, then the main spreadsheet or planner. Most buyers use something from the kit the same day.
You do not have to hold it all in your head
Open the start-here map tonight and write the three things for tomorrow. Whether you begin with the First Decisions Sheet or the message library, every step from here has a file, and the words are ready when you need them.
Personal licence for the buyer's own use (and use with your own family and the people helping you organise the service). Please don't share or resell the files. Team and company licences: solutions@bodhih.com.
The Bodhih family, when you are ready for more
The Wedding Controller
For weddings of every size.
Meal Plan to Grocery Bill
Plan the food and the shopping.
AssessAll
250+ AI-graded assessments to measure skills and earn verified credentials.
Jobulary
Individual development plans that start from evidence and stay yours.
Bodhih Training
Run this topic as a live workshop for your team, in person or online.
Pewple
Book a vetted coach for career, leadership or communication. Pay per session.
Bodhih.org pathways
Certification pathways in Applied AI, Workplace English and management.
The Memorial Service Organiser: FAQs
Read the free guideAlready bought? Resend my linkWhat should I do first when someone dies?
Complete the legal first steps where you live, such as the medical certificate and registration, tell the closest people by voice, and check for written wishes. Most other decisions can wait a day or two. The start-here map and the First Decisions Sheet walk you through it.
How do I compare funeral quotes?
Ask two or three providers for itemised prices and enter each line on the Quotes sheet. Separate core services, third-party fees and optional extras, mark your must-haves, and decide the next day. Check the consumer protections where you live in the country notes.
How long should a eulogy be?
Many eulogies run three to seven minutes. At about 130 spoken words a minute, a five-minute eulogy is roughly 600 to 700 words. Ask the venue how long the whole slot is first, and read your draft aloud with a timer.
Does the kit work for my faith or for a non-religious service?
Yes. The method works for religious, non-religious and mixed services. Customs are described as examples families may choose, never as instructions, and the kit encourages you to ask a leader or elder from your community.
Can I use it if the funeral must happen within a day?
Yes. When tradition sets a short timetable, the community body or funeral director usually leads. The kit helps you tell people, support the arrangements and plan a later remembrance gathering for those who could not come.
Does it work in my country and currency?
Yes. Amounts carry no currency symbol, and the dated country notes cover the UK, US, India, Canada, Australia, the UAE and Singapore as examples. Always check the official source where you live.
Is this legal, financial or religious advice?
No. The kit is educational. It teaches a method and gives you planning tools and wording. Check local rules with your registrar, funeral director, faith or community leader, or the official source, and get qualified advice where the stakes are high.
How can I measure my starting point?
If you want to understand your own strengths in this kind of work, AssessAll offers the Family & Elder Caregiving Judgment, the Plan Strength Assessment with an Eight-Week Re-Measure and the Emotional Intelligence Profile. They are optional and separate from the kit.
How do I turn what I learn into a development plan?
Jobulary has a practical guide to if-then plans, which help new habits stick: for example, if it is Sunday evening, then I call Auntie. It works well for the checking-in rhythm in the remembrance plan.
Which apps do I need?
Any spreadsheet app such as Excel, Google Sheets or LibreOffice; any word processor such as Word or Google Docs; a PDF reader that fills forms, such as Acrobat Reader; and any calendar that imports ICS files.
How much does The Memorial Service Organiser cost?
₹699 including 18% GST for buyers in India, or $19 for buyers outside India. One-time payment, no subscription, with an automatic invoice.
How do I get the files after paying?
Instantly. Your download page opens the moment payment succeeds, and a permanent download link is emailed to you. Download each file separately or everything in one ZIP.
What software do I need?
Any of the usual tools: Excel or Google Sheets for spreadsheets, Word or Google Docs for templates, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Preview, Xodo or GoodNotes for the fillable PDFs, and Google, Outlook or Apple Calendar for the calendar plan.
Can I get a refund?
Because it is a digital download, kits are not refundable once downloaded. We always refund a duplicate charge or a failed delivery, and if a file is corrupted and we cannot fix it within 3 working days. Full terms: bodhih.org/refunds.
Can my company buy this for a team?
Yes. Team and company licences, and workshops on this topic run by Bodhih Training, are available. Write to solutions@bodhih.com or call +91 99000 11601.
