In the days after a death, families are asked to make decisions quickly—some large and permanent, others small but surprisingly tender. Prayer cards fall into that second category. They are simple enough to hold in your palm, yet meaningful enough that people tuck them into wallets, slip them into Bibles, keep them on a dresser, or place them beside a framed photo. If you are trying to order them while planning a service, you are not alone in feeling the pressure of time.
This guide is here to make funeral planning a little steadier by clarifying three things families ask most: what funeral prayer cards cost, what determines prayer cards turnaround time, and where to print prayer cards when you need them soon. We will compare funeral home packages, local print shops, and online ordering, then walk through the files you need, common mistakes that delay printing, and a simple timeline you can follow from death to service.
Why Prayer Cards Matter (and Where They Fit in the Service)
Prayer cards are a kind of “portable memory.” In many Catholic and Christian traditions, they include a prayer, scripture verse, or devotional image. In other families, they are more like memorial cards: a photo, name, dates, and a few lines that capture a life. Either way, they help guests participate in the service and leave with something gentle to hold onto afterward.
If you are unsure how prayer cards relate to other printed pieces—like a program or order of service—start with Funeral.com’s guide to what a typical funeral program includes. Programs guide people through the ceremony; prayer cards tend to become the keepsake. Funeral.com also explains the basics of whether funeral homes typically provide them in Do Funeral Homes Provide Prayer Cards? If you already feel stretched thin, that article can help you quickly understand what may be included and what may be optional.
Where to Print Prayer Cards: Funeral Home, Local Print Shop, or Online
When families ask where to print prayer cards, the “best” option is usually the one that matches your timeline, your energy, and how much customization you want. The three most common routes are funeral home packages, local print shops, and online vendors.
Funeral Home Packages
Many funeral homes can create and print prayer cards as part of their stationery offerings, and the biggest advantage is convenience. Your funeral director may already have templates, a workflow for approvals, and a printer relationship that makes the process simple. If you are coordinating a visitation, service, and burial or cremation logistics all at once, letting the funeral home handle prayer card printing can reduce one more task on your list.
There are two cautions worth keeping in mind. First, “included” sometimes means “included with a specific package,” not automatically included in every arrangement. Second, pricing can vary significantly. The good news is that you have the right to ask for clear prices. The Federal Trade Commission’s guidance on Complying with the Funeral Rule explains that funeral providers must give a General Price List to anyone who asks in person about funeral goods, services, or prices. If you feel uncertain, it is reasonable to ask for the funeral home’s printed price list and confirm what prayer cards include: design, printing, quantity, paper, and whether the funeral home needs your photo in a specific format.
Local Print Shops
A local print shop is often the best balance of speed and control, especially if you are trying to keep things local or you need same day prayer cards (or next-day) and want to avoid shipping. Many local shops can print short runs quickly once the file is ready, and you can usually pick up in person. If you are prone to feeling uneasy about color or photo quality, being able to see a proof or talk to a human can be reassuring.
Local print shops tend to work best when you bring them something close to print-ready: a PDF with correct sizing, margins, and resolution. If your file is incomplete, the shop can still help—but design work may add cost and time. The tradeoff is that you can often solve problems quickly. If your photo is grainy, if the text runs too close to the edge, or if you need an urgent change, a local shop may be able to turn that around faster than an online queue.
Online Vendors
Online ordering is the most common choice when families are arranging from different cities, when a service is scheduled a week or more out, or when you want easy access to templates and ordering tools. For many families, memorial prayer cards online feels simpler because you can do it from home—especially late at night when the day finally quiets down.
The main drawback is timing. Online printing can be fast once approved, but you still need production time and shipping time. If you are on a tight schedule, you will want to look specifically for prayer cards turnaround time in business days, not just “ships in 24 hours,” and you will want to confirm what “rush” means before you checkout. This is where planning for a funeral prayer cards rush order matters: a vendor may rush production but not guarantee delivery speed unless you pay for expedited shipping.
Funeral Prayer Cards Cost: What Drives Pricing (and What You Can Control)
Families often expect prayer cards to be inexpensive—and they can be—but costs can rise quickly depending on choices that feel small in the moment. It helps to think of funeral prayer cards cost as a combination of printing basics and personalization details.
- Quantity and “bulk” pricing: Most vendors price prayer cards in tiers. The per-card price usually drops when you order bulk prayer cards, but the total cost rises because you are purchasing more cards overall.
- Paper and thickness: The simplest option is standard cardstock. Upgrades include heavier stock, textured stock, or premium finishes.
- Finish and durability: Matte and gloss are common; soft-touch coatings and lamination add cost but can make cards more durable for long-term keeping.
- Color, photo placement, and double-sided printing: Full-color photos, backgrounds, and printing on both sides can increase cost compared with a minimal design.
- Design time: If you use a template and upload text and photo, design may be included. If you need custom layout or significant photo editing, you may pay a setup or design fee.
When families compare funeral home prayer cards price with local or online options, the most useful approach is to compare “apples to apples.” Ask: How many cards are included? Is it single- or double-sided? What paper type and thickness? Is a proof included? Are revisions included? Is there a rush fee? Without those details, two prices can look very different while describing completely different products.
If you are trying to keep stationery costs modest, it can help to prioritize what actually matters to you. Some families spend on a durable finish because they want the cards to last for decades; others focus on having enough cards for everyone who attends. If you are also weighing larger funeral expenses, you may find it calming to review a broader cost picture, including how much does cremation cost, using Funeral.com’s guide: How Much Does Cremation Cost?
Turnaround Time: How Fast You Can Realistically Get Prayer Cards
The phrase prayer cards turnaround time can be confusing because it blends three different clocks: design time (getting the content ready), production time (printing and finishing), and delivery time (pickup or shipping). Families usually get stuck not on printing, but on approvals—waiting for a photo, debating wording, or discovering a spelling issue at the last moment.
If you truly need same day prayer cards, your best odds are with a local print shop and a simple design. Same-day printing may be possible when you choose standard cardstock, minimal finishing, and a straightforward layout. If you need lamination, rounded corners, or special coatings, production time may extend. Funeral homes sometimes can move quickly as well, but it depends on their workflow and whether they print in-house or outsource to a partner.
For online vendors, “rush” options vary. A funeral prayer cards rush order often means your file enters the print queue sooner, but shipping still matters. If the service is in two or three days, consider whether it is wiser to print locally, or to print a small run for the service and order a larger run online for later distribution to extended family and friends who could not attend.
What Files You Need: Photo Quality, Wording, and Print-Ready Details
Prayer cards are small, which means every detail is visible. The most common delay is a photo that looks fine on a phone screen but turns soft or pixelated when printed. As a general rule, you want a clear, well-lit photo and enough resolution to print crisply at card size. If you are unsure, a printer can often check your file and advise whether it will print cleanly.
Most printers will ask for the same core items, even if they use different terminology. Here is what you can gather before you start order prayer cards online or request a quote from a local shop.
- A photo file: Ideally the original image (not a screenshot), with enough resolution to print clearly.
- Name and dates: Confirm spelling, preferred middle name or initial, and the format for birth and death dates.
- Wording and faith tradition: A prayer, scripture verse, poem, or short message that fits your loved one. If your family is divided on wording, choose something simple and universally comforting to avoid last-minute conflict.
- Service details (optional): Some families include the service date and location; others keep the card timeless and leave event details to the program.
- A point person for approval: One person who can review and approve the proof quickly, with a backup person if they become unavailable.
When you receive a proof, read it slowly. Check spelling, dates, punctuation, and capitalization. Look closely at the photo crop—especially around hairlines, shoulders, and the top of the head. If you are placing a prayer or scripture on the back, confirm line breaks and whether the text feels readable at the chosen font size. In grief, it is easy for eyes to slide over a detail; a second reader can help.
Mistakes That Cause Delays (and How to Avoid Them)
The most frustrating delays tend to happen when families are doing everything “right,” but one small detail blocks the print queue. Knowing the usual pitfalls can save you time and prevent the stress of redoing work hours before a service.
A low-resolution photo is the most common issue. Another frequent problem is last-minute wording changes after a proof has already been approved, especially when multiple relatives weigh in at different times. A third is uncertainty about quantity. Families sometimes order too few because they only count chairs in the chapel, forgetting that people often take a card for a spouse who could not attend, or for a friend who asked them to share one afterward.
Finally, watch for timing assumptions. “Printed tomorrow” does not always mean “in your hands tomorrow.” If a vendor ships, confirm whether production time is separate from shipping time. If you pick up locally, confirm pickup hours and whether a proof must be approved by a specific cutoff time for same-day printing.
A Simple Timeline From Death to Service
Every family’s schedule is different, and services can be held within days or weeks. Still, many families find relief in having a basic sequence to follow. Use this as a flexible guide rather than a rigid checklist.
- Day 0–1: Choose a funeral home or cremation provider, confirm service timing, and collect essentials (photo, full name, dates, preferred wording).
- Day 1–2: Decide where to print prayer cards based on your timeline (funeral home, local print shop, or online), then request a proof.
- Day 2–3: Review and approve the proof quickly. If multiple relatives need input, name one final decision-maker to prevent delays.
- Day 3–5: Printing and pickup/delivery. If time is tight, consider a small local run for the service and a larger online order for later sharing.
If you are planning a memorial service after cremation, you may also be balancing decisions about what to do with ashes. Funeral.com’s memorial service guide can help you think through the flow of the gathering and what comes next: Memorial Service: How to Plan a Meaningful Tribute (and What to Do With Ashes Afterward)
How Prayer Cards Connect to the Keepsakes Families Choose Later
Prayer cards often become part of a larger memory space at home: a framed photo, a candle, a small dish for rosary beads or a wedding ring, and a few cards from the service that feel too meaningful to throw away. This is also where families begin to make decisions about ashes, especially as cremation becomes more common. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, the U.S. cremation rate is projected to be 63.4% in 2025, and the burial rate 31.6%. The Cremation Association of North America reports a U.S. cremation rate of 61.8% in 2024 and projects continued growth.
In practice, this means more families are navigating questions like keeping ashes at home, water burial, and how to share a small portion of ashes among relatives. If you are building a memorial space where prayer cards will live, you may also be choosing a container for ashes—either now or later. Funeral.com’s collections provide a range of options, whether you want a central memorial or several shared keepsakes:
If you are choosing a primary urn, explore cremation urns for ashes. If you prefer something more compact for a shelf or for sharing among family members, consider small cremation urns and keepsake urns. Some families also choose cremation jewelry and cremation necklaces as a private, wearable form of remembrance, especially when loved ones live far apart.
For pet loss, prayer cards and small keepsakes can matter just as much. Many families create a small memorial for a dog or cat with a photo, a paw print, and a card or blessing. If you are honoring a companion animal, Funeral.com offers pet urns and pet urns for ashes, including pet cremation urns and pet figurine cremation urns that feel like sculpture, and pet keepsake cremation urns for families who want a small shared tribute.
If you are still deciding what will feel right in the long run, Funeral.com’s guide to keeping ashes at home can help you think through placement and household comfort, and the guide to water burial can clarify what to expect if a shoreline or ocean ceremony feels meaningful.
A Final Word for Families Ordering in a Hurry
Prayer cards are not meant to become another pressure point. They are meant to be a soft place to land—something that helps guests participate, and something you can return to later when the house is quiet and grief surfaces in a new way. If you keep the process simple—choose the printing path that fits your timeline, gather your photo and wording early, and approve the proof carefully—you can get prayer cards done without letting them take over your energy.
And if you do not get everything perfect, that is okay. In the end, the card is not the love. It is a small vessel for it. Your presence, your care, and the way you honor a life will matter more than any finish or font. The goal is not flawless printing. The goal is a meaningful goodbye and a keepsake that feels like them.
