A family tree for a memorial service, kept living on
Not a line in a funeral program that gets filed away. This is a real family tree centered on the person you lost, printed for the service if you want that, and left open afterward so relatives keep adding photos and memories.
Free for 10 people · $9.99 once to go unlimited · No subscription, ever
What a memorial family tree actually is
A family tree for a memorial service is a chart centered on the person being honored, showing parents, siblings, children and grandchildren, used at the service and kept afterward as an ongoing record. FamBranch builds it as a living tree: free for up to 10 people, unlimited on that tree for a single $9.99 payment once more relatives need adding.
Most families start this in a hurry — a service to plan in days, and someone remembers a photo family tree would be a nice thing to have at the reception. That's doable. What usually goes wrong is treating it like a one-off craft project: an afternoon in a design tool, a print run, done. Two months later a cousin who couldn't travel wants to see it, a grandchild wants to add their own kids, and there's no way back into the file. If you're starting from nothing, how to make a family tree covers the basics before you get into the memorial-specific parts below.
A tree that's still open solves that. Print it for the day if you want a physical copy on an easel, and keep the link alive afterward so it becomes the place the family adds to, not a memento that gets boxed up.
This isn't a funeral program insert
Search around and most of what comes up under "family tree for a memorial" is a section inside a printed program, or a poster-board idea for the reception table — both static, both finished the moment they're printed. Those have their place. They're also not what this page is about.
A one-time printed page
A family-tree section inside the funeral program, or a poster board at the reception. It exists for one afternoon, in one format, decided before the service starts.
Once it's printed, it's fixed. A name spelled wrong, a grandchild missed, a relative who couldn't be reached in time — none of that gets corrected later.
A tree that's still open
A real family chart, printable for the service the same as any other page, but also a live link relatives can keep visiting and adding to.
A photo added six months later. A great-grandchild born the following spring. The tree holds all of it, at the same address, indefinitely.
Plenty of families do both — a printed insert for the day itself, and a FamBranch tree, often reached through a QR code on the program, as the place that keeps growing after everyone's gone home. Some later turn the finished tree into a printed keepsake gift for relatives who couldn't travel to the service.
What goes into a memorial tree
Four pieces, roughly in the order families add them.
- The person being honored, centered
- Start with the person the service is for, then add parents, siblings, spouse, children and grandchildren around them — the tree reads better centered on one life than built outward from you.
- A QR code on the program
- Share the tree's private link as a QR code printed on the order of service, so anyone at the memorial can open it on their phone during or after the service.
- Co-editors among close family
- Invite a sibling or adult child to co-edit so photos and memories keep getting added after the service — this is only available on the Complete Tree ($9.99) or Premium Bundle ($19.99) tiers.
- A template that reads calmly in print
- Heritage Classic and Royal Archive tend to print well for a memorial context; Modern Minimal suits a simpler order-of-service insert. All 5 come with the Premium Bundle, $19.99.
A program insert vs. a tree that's still open
The honest comparison, laid out plainly.
Scroll the table sideways on a phone
| What matters | Program insert or poster board | FamBranch |
|---|---|---|
| Open to corrections after printing | No | Yes, any time |
| Relatives can add their own photos later | Not possible | Yes, by email invite |
| Reachable after the service is over | Only if someone kept the paper | Same link, indefinitely |
| Cost for unlimited relatives on one tree | Varies by print shop, per order | $9.99 once |
| Shareable with family who couldn't attend | Requires mailing a copy | One link, sent or QR-coded |
| Still useful at a future gathering | Not without reprinting | Yes, it's still the same tree |
"Varies by print shop" is stated honestly, not vaguely — we have no verified figure for what a given funeral home or printer charges, so we're not guessing one. The FamBranch column is our own real pricing.
What it costs, and when the free tier stops being enough
Start free. Ten people across the Heritage or Minimal template covers the immediate family in most cases — the person being honored, their children, their siblings, maybe their parents.
Where it breaks: grandchildren, in-laws, cousins who want to be included, and extended family who ask to be added after the service. That crosses 10 quickly in a large or close-knit family. A one-time $9.99 payment removes the cap on that tree, adds one premium template, a private link, timeline and gallery views for photos, and the ability to invite relatives to co-edit. For all 5 templates and the option to switch later, the Premium Bundle is $19.99, also one-time.
Compare that to a printed program insert: a fixed cost per copy, decided once, unchangeable once it's at the printer. $9.99 buys a tree that's still open next year when a grandchild wants to see it, or when someone finds an old photo worth adding. There's no subscription in either direction — FamBranch doesn't have a recurring plan at all.
How to decide what you actually need
A few honest questions before you start.
-
How many people belong on this tree?
Count immediate family plus anyone likely to be added later — grandchildren, in-laws, a cousin who asks. Ten fills up fast once extended family is included.
-
Who besides you should be able to add to it?
If a sibling or adult child is likely to want to add photos or names after the service, invite them as a co-editor rather than collecting everything yourself in advance.
-
Do you need a printed copy for the service itself?
If yes, build and check the tree with enough lead time to get a good print made — see the honest limitation below before promising it for a specific date. The printable family tree guide covers layout and paper-size choices once the tree itself is ready.
-
Should it keep growing after the service?
If relatives are likely to want to add memories or photos in the months after, a program insert can't do that. A tree that stays open can.
Where this isn't the right fit: if you need a printed insert finished by tomorrow for a service that fast, building a full family tree first isn't realistic — a simple photo or a short written tribute in the program will serve better on that timeline. This also isn't the tool for formal genealogical documentation, like proving lineage for probate or an estate matter; that needs certified records, not a shareable family tree.
Common questions
What exactly does a memorial family tree include?
The person being honored, centered, with parents, siblings, spouse, children and grandchildren around them. Photos and short memories can be added by anyone invited to co-edit, and it stays open after the service rather than being finished once.
How many people can I add before I have to pay?
Ten, on the free tier, using either the Heritage or Minimal template. A one-time $9.99 payment removes that cap on the specific tree — there's no subscription and nothing recurring.
Can other family members add photos after the service?
Yes, on the Complete Tree ($9.99) or Premium Bundle ($19.99) tiers, which include inviting family to co-edit and timeline and gallery views for photos. The free tier is single-editor, so it's better for the initial version than for ongoing additions.
Can I share this at the service itself?
Yes — the Complete Tree and Premium Bundle both include a private shareable link, which many families print as a QR code on the order of service so anyone there can open it on their phone.
Can I get this ready in time if the service is this week?
You can start it and share the link even if it's incomplete — relatives can help fill in names afterward. A printed copy needs more lead time; if the service is only days away, plan on the link rather than a print, and add a print later.
Does this replace a genealogy or records site?
No. Sites like Ancestry, FamilySearch or MyHeritage are for historical record search and DNA matching. FamBranch is for building a tree centered on someone's life that looks good, prints well, and stays open for the family to keep adding to.
Is there a recurring cost for a larger family?
No. Every FamBranch upgrade — the $4.99 single template, the $9.99 Complete Tree, the $19.99 Premium Bundle — is a one-time payment per tree. There's no plan to cancel later.
Build a tree that keeps honoring them
Add the immediate family, invite the relatives who'll want to keep contributing, and print it if the service calls for that. Ten people costs nothing; going unlimited is $9.99, once.
Free for 10 people · $9.99 once to go unlimited · No subscription, ever
Prices, template names and limits reflect FamBranch's current one-time-payment pricing at the time this page was written and are subject to change.