Tombstone unveiling programme maker
The programme, the invitation and the order of the day — one kit, in the same design, from details you type once.
The unveiling comes about a year after the burial, when the stone is ready and the family can gather. It deserves paper made with the same care as the funeral's — and it takes minutes here, not days. Choose "Tombstone unveiling" and the order pre-fills with the unveiling structure for your tradition and language; then rename, reorder and add until it is your family's day.
Start an unveiling kit — free →Free watermarked PDF · $11.95 once cleans all three pieces · never a subscription
The order of proceedings
- Opening hymn and prayer
- Scripture reading and words of remembrance
- Procession to the graveside
- Unveiling of the stone and reading of the inscription
- Dedication and blessing
- Closing prayer · refreshments with the family
Every line renames freely, and the full explainer walks through how the day runs, tradition by tradition.
Invitation wording that travels well
“The Dlamini family warmly invites you to the unveiling of the tombstone of the late Margaret Nomvula Dlamini — Saturday 21 November, 10:00, Westpark Cemetery. Refreshments follow at the family home.”
“We dedicate this stone in memory of a life that blessed ours. May her rest be peaceful and her name be honoured.”
Designs made for unveilings
Seven designs made for this ceremony — dignified, print-safe, and shared by all three pieces of the kit. Every other design on the site works too.
Wording, order and what to say
Everything families ask before an unveiling, with wording you can lift directly:
The Order of Proceedings at a Tombstone Unveiling
The order of proceedings from the opening hymn to the unveiling of the stone, with a programme you can build free.
What to Write in an Unveiling Programme
The cover line, the order of proceedings, remembrance wording and the thank-you — with copyable examples.
Scripture Readings for an Unveiling
Passages families lean on, how many readings the ceremony needs, and where they sit in the order of proceedings.
Words of Dedication at the Stone
Dedication wording for leaders and family members, religious and non-religious, with copyable examples.
Announcing the Unveiling on WhatsApp
Wording that forwards cleanly, what details to include, and the printed invitation that matches the programme.
Unveiling invitation wording
What to write on the invitation itself — with copyable examples.
Planning the whole day? Tombstone unveiling invitations: wording examples and etiquette · Planning the unveiling: a timeline that works backwards from the stone · Unveiling etiquette: who does what, and how to be a good guest · What an unveiling really costs, and where the money goes
If we made the funeral programme here
Then the hardest part is already done. On the device where the funeral programme was built, starting the unveiling carries everything over — the name, the photo, the family list, the life story — and resets only the order and the day's logistics. Nothing was ever uploaded to us; it has been on your device all along, which is exactly why it is still there when you need it a year later.
Start — details carried overCommon questions
What is a tombstone unveiling?+
A ceremony, usually held around a year after the burial, where the family gathers at the grave, lifts the cloth from the new tombstone, reads the inscription aloud, and dedicates the stone — then shares a meal at the family home. It is a South African tradition kept across many churches and communities.
What does the unveiling kit include?+
Three matching pieces in the design you choose: the folded A5 programme booklet, an A5 invitation card, and an A5 order-of-the-day card. You type the details once; all three are made from them.
Is it really free?+
Yes — you can build, preview and download everything free, with a small watermark. One payment of R199 (South Africa) or $11.95 removes the watermark from all three pieces of the kit. No subscription, no account.
Can the programme be in isiZulu or another language?+
Choose the language in the builder and the programme headings switch to isiZulu, isiXhosa, Sesotho, Sepedi, Setswana or Afrikaans, following common published-programme usage while native-speaker review is under way — including the traditional "Unveiling of the Tombstone of the Late…" cover line.
We made the funeral programme here — can we reuse the details?+
Yes. If you built the funeral programme on this device, the unveiling can start with everything carried over: name, photo, family list and life story. Only the new date, time and venue need typing.
How do we print it?+
The download includes the pages in reading order for a print shop, fold-ready duplex sheets for a home printer, and a one-page print guide. The invitation and order-of-the-day cards print as simple A5 pages.
Who unveils the stone, and does the programme say so?+
The family decides — often the eldest, the surviving spouse, or the person who provided the stone. Naming them in the programme honours them and keeps the graveside moment certain.