Tips for Choosing the Right Prayer Cards

At funerals or memorial services, guests often receive keepsakes in remembrance of the dearly departed. You may have received a prayer card at the service of a deceased friend or family member. We’ll discuss more about them and cover some tips for choosing the right prayer cards.

What Is a Prayer Card?

Prayer cards are a type of memento passed out at a funeral, memorial service, or celebration of life. They can have a variety of designs and include different details about the deceased or the service. Their small size allows them to be easily portable, so you can remember the dearly departed wherever you go.

People originally used prayer cards in Roman Catholic funerals. However, members of other branches of Christianity have since embraced them. One side of the card traditionally features a prayer or scripture chosen to provide comfort to those in mourning. Today, some choose to include a funeral poem or quote to honor the character of their loved one on the card.

When Are Prayer Cards Used?

Memorial prayer cards can be at any service honoring the life of someone who has passed away. Their distribution usually occurs either before a funeral service or afterward at the reception. It may be a good idea to leave the cards out so that guests can pick them up if they wish, in case not every guest would like one.

Following the service, loved ones of the deceased may choose to display or keep the card in a place they see every day. This is why families should carefully design their prayer cards so that they best honor and represent the dearly departed.

Decide What To Include on a Prayer Card

Our first tip for choosing the right prayer cards is to collect the information you’d like to display on it. We have compiled a list of components usually present on a prayer card.

Information About the Deceased

The most essential information to include is basic information about the deceased. This could include simple details, such as their name, date of birth, and date of passing. Since prayer cards aren’t very big, there’s not much room to include other personal details.

Information About the Service

Besides the deceased’s personal information, you may choose to include details that are specific to the service honoring their life. Some examples include the name of the funeral home and the cemetery where you will have them buried.

A Portrait Photo of the Deceased

Another essential element to include is a portrait of the dearly departed. Choose a high-quality photo that shows their whole face and does not have a distracting background. If you don’t wish to include a portrait photo, you can choose to decorate the front of the card with imagery related to religion or loss.

A Prayer or Scripture

On the back of a prayer card, you will commonly find a prayer or scripture related to losing a loved one. The intention of the prayer is to bring solace to the deceased’s friends and family while they are processing grief. Prayers and verses serve as a reminder that their passing is not a final goodbye but rather a transition into a new beginning.

A Funeral Poem

If the deceased or their family are not religious, they may choose to include a funeral poem instead of a prayer on the card. Funeral poems tend to be spiritual in nature and still reflect gratitude for the times loved ones shared with the dearly departed.

Select the Appropriate Theme and Template

After you have chosen everything you’d like displayed on the prayer card, you can browse different themes and templates for its design. When picking a theme, think about what the dearly departed enjoyed the most while they were alive. For example, if your loved one who has passed away loved to be in nature, you can choose a serene landscape as the background for their prayer card.

One rule of thumb is to avoid overcrowding the card with too much text or different images. You want guests to be able to read the contents of the card easily.

The themes and templates available to you will depend on the company you choose to order funeral memorabilia from. At Honor You, we have several elegant templates and background images available for you to insert your own text and portrait photo if desired.

Decide if You Want a Customized Prayer Card

Designing a completely customized prayer card is the best way to ensure that it’s as unique and special as your loved one who has passed on. These can include any background of your choosing, such as a photo collage or a religious image.

However, it’s easier to go overboard with a totally custom card than with a template. So use your best judgment or have someone take a second look at your design before you submit it for printing. Honor You has professional designers who can help you create a fully custom prayer card and send you a proof for approval in 24 hours.

Print on High-Quality Materials

Our next tip is to choose high-quality materials so that your memorial prayer cards are long lasting and durable. Your budget and the number of cards you plan to order will likely determine the material you choose. We suggest laminating your prayer cards so that they don’t easily become torn or damaged. Cards consisting of cardstock are more likely to develop stains and creases when carried around.

Prayer Cards From Honor You

A prayer card serves as a thoughtful reminder that our loved ones are always with us, even after their passing. We understand the importance of providing solace and closure whenever you’re navigating difficult emotions after losing someone close to you. At Honor You, we can provide high-quality memorial products that honor your loved one in a special way.

Providing personalized prayer cards is just one way to remember the legacy of your deceased loved one wherever you are. Our team can help you along the way with creating and producing memorial keepsakes to help you find comfort in hard times. We’re dedicated to helping the living cherish the memories of the dearly departed for years to come.