How to make a funeral slideshow

A slideshow lets everyone at the service see the whole life of the person they are there to remember. It does not need to be perfect, and it does not need editing skills. Here is a calm way to do it, step by step.

1. Ask the funeral home three questions first

• When will it play: during the service, before it, or on a loop at the visitation or reception?
• How long can it be? During a service, 3–5 minutes is typical.
• How would they like the file: USB drive, download link or DVD? Is there any guidance on music?

2. Gather the photos

Aim for 50–80 photos for a 5–7 minute slideshow. Ask relatives to send their favourites; a shared album or a single email address helps. Include:

• Childhood and school years
• Milestones: weddings, graduations, new homes, births
• Work, hobbies, travel and the places they loved
• Friends and the wider family, so everyone sees themselves in the story
• One clear, recent portrait to close

For printed photos, a phone scanning app in good daylight is usually enough. Crop out borders, and leave out blurry duplicates.

3. Put them in order

Chronological order is the easiest for people to follow. Phone photos carry the date they were taken, so a tool can sort them for you; scanned prints may need a quick manual check. Keep the final recent portrait last.

4. Choose the music

One song is roughly 3–4 minutes and fits 40–50 photos; two songs fit 80–100. Instrumental music keeps the focus on the photos. If the family has a song that meant something to the person, that is almost always the right choice. Make sure the music fades out rather than stopping mid-phrase.

5. Add a title and a closing card

Open with the full name and years, for example “Celebrating the life of Margaret Ann Collins, 1941 – 2026”, and end with a short line such as “Forever in our hearts”.

6. Create the video and test it

Save the slideshow as an MP4 video in 16:9. Watch it all the way through once, ideally with another family member, then copy it to a USB drive or send the link to the funeral home a day before the service. Bring a second copy on the day.

Questions