How to Create a Funeral Slideshow: A Complete Guide

Making a funeral slideshow is a heartfelt way to honor a loved one. It brings comfort to family and friends while keeping memories alive. This guide will help you create a slideshow that truly captures the essence of your loved one's life.

Whether you're tech-savvy or not, we'll cover everything. From choosing software to adding music, we'll guide you every step of the way. You'll learn to make a beautiful memorial that celebrates a life well-lived.

Planning Your Memorial Slideshow

Before starting, planning your slideshow is key. The best ones capture the essence of who the person was and what they meant to others.

Gathering and Selecting Photos:

Begin by collecting photos from your loved one's life. Ask family and friends for pictures you might not have. Having more photos than you need lets you choose the best ones.

For a 5-minute slideshow, you'll need about 60-75 photos. Include:

• Childhood photos
• Major life events (graduations, weddings, births)
• Candid moments that capture their personality
• Photos with family and close friends
• Images that showcase hobbies and passions
• Recent photographs

Digitizing Old Photographs

Many meaningful photos are only in physical form. You'll need to digitize them for your slideshow. Here are your options:

DIY Digitizing

Use a scanner or smartphone app to digitize photos yourself. Scan at 300 DPI and crop as needed. Apps like PhotoScan by Google can help capture old photos without glare.

Professional Services

If you have many photos or limited time, professional services can help. Many local photo shops offer this service, or you can use mail-in services that specialize in photo preservation.

Choosing the Right Software for Funeral Slideshows

Choosing the right software is important for creating a polished slideshow. Look for software that is easy to use but offers the features you need.

Free Software Options

These programs offer basic slideshow creation for free:

• Google Slides - Simple, cloud-based, works on any device
• Photos App (Windows) - Built-in for Windows users
• iMovie - Free for Mac and iPhone users

Can I Use PowerPoint?

Yes. PowerPoint is a popular presentation software from Microsoft that lets you create funeral slideshows with photos, text, and music. It has benefits like:

• Familiar interface many people already know
• Easy to add transitions and simple animations
• Can export as video for playback anywhere
• Available in Microsoft 365 subscription. Get a free trial of Microsoft 365 here.

Our PowerPoint funeral slideshow templates make the process simple and professional. Each template comes pre-designed with elegant layouts, photo placeholders, and text areas so you can easily add your loved one’s photos, captions, and music. PowerPoint slideshows are easy to play at a memorial service, whether on a laptop, TV screen, or projector, and can be saved as a video to share with family and friends afterward.

View our PowerPoint Funeral Slideshow Templates here

Can I Create a Slideshow with Canva? 

Absolutely! Canva is an easy online design tool that works right in your web browser, perfect for creating slideshows without needing any design experience. Benefits include:

• Free to use with optional premium features
• Works online in any web browser, no software download needed
• Drag-and-drop editor makes it beginner-friendly
• Easy to collaborate and share with family members
• Can export as video, PDF, or presentation for playback anywhere

If you prefer an online design tool, our Canva funeral slideshow templates are a flexible and beginner-friendly option. With Canva’s drag-and-drop editor, you can quickly customize the pre-designed photo layouts, names, and special quotes directly in your browser. No software download required. These templates also make it easy to collaborate with family members, and once complete, you can download the slideshow as a video or PDF to play during the service or share online. 

Explore our Canva Funeral Slideshow Templates here

Designing your Funeral Slideshow

Chronological Order vs. Thematic Storytelling

There are two main ways to organize your funeral slideshow:

Chronological Order:

Most slideshows start with childhood and move through life stages. This approach tells the person's life story naturally. It's also the simplest to organize.

A chronological structure might include sections for childhood, young adulthood, career, family life, and golden years.

Thematic Approach:

You can also organize photos by themes important to your loved one. This could be family, career achievements, hobbies, travels, or special celebrations.

This method is good when certain life aspects were very meaningful. It's also useful when photos from certain times are limited.

How Long Should a Memorial Slideshow Be?

The ideal length for a funeral slideshow is 5-8 minutes. This length honors your loved one without being too long. Here are some guidelines:

Slideshow Length	Number of Photos	Display Time Per Photo	Music Tracks
3-4 minutes	40-50 photos	4-5 seconds	1 song
5-6 minutes	60-75 photos	4-5 seconds	1-2 songs
7-8 minutes	85-100 photos	4-5 seconds	2-3 songs

Adding Music to Your Slideshow

Music adds emotional depth to your memorial slideshow. Choose songs meaningful to your loved one or that evoke the right emotions. Consider:

• Your loved one's favorite songs
• Music that reflects their personality or interests
• Songs with lyrics that speak to their life or your feelings
• Instrumental pieces for a subtle background

Make sure the music timing fits your slideshow length. Most slideshow software lets you adjust photo timing to match the music.

 

What to Title a Slideshow for a Funeral

A thoughtful title sets the tone for your memorial slideshow. Consider these approaches:

Name-Based Titles

• "Celebrating the Life of [Name]"
• "In Loving Memory of [Name]"
• "[Name]'s Journey: 1945-2025"

Thematic Titles

• "A Life Well Lived"
• "Forever in Our Hearts"
• "Beautiful Memories"
• "The Legacy of Love"

Transitions, Text, and Final Touches

Best Transitions for a Funeral Slideshow

Transitions between photos should be subtle and respectful. Avoid flashy or distracting effects. Recommended transitions include:

Fade

A gentle fade between images creates a soft, respectful transition. It works well for memorial slideshows.

Dissolve

Similar to fade but with a slight overlap, dissolve transitions create a flowing, dreamlike quality between photos.

Gentle Slide

A slow slide transition (left to right or top to bottom) can work well when used sparingly between related images.

All our funeral slideshow templates come with a 1 second fade or dissolve transition between slides set at 9 second intervals. The type of transition and timing can easily be adjusted within PowerPoint or Canva settings by following these steps.

How to Adjust Slide Transitions in PowerPoint:

• Open your slideshow and select the slide you want to edit.
• Click the Transitions tab in the ribbon.
• Choose a transition style (fade, wipe, dissolve, etc.) and preview it.
• Adjust the duration and set it to play automatically after a set time (After) or on click (On Mouse Click).

Use Apply to All to keep transitions consistent throughout the slideshow. 

How to Adjust Slide Transitions and timing in Canva:

• Open your slideshow design and click on 'Pages' (bottom right-hand corner) to show thumbnails
• Click on one of the transition icons between a slide
• Choose from transition options like dissolve, slide, or wipe.
• Adjust the transition duration
• Apply to one slide or select 'Apply to All Pages' for a consistent look
• To change slide timing, click 'Edit Time' button from the top toolbar, adjust 'Timing' and select 'Apply to All Pages'.

Adding Text and Captions

Adding text to your slideshow can make it more meaningful. You can include:

• Dates and locations for important events
• Names of people in photos
• Short quotes or memories for specific photos
• Quotes or poems on special slides

Use a simple font that's easy to read. Light text works best on dark photos, and dark text on light photos.

How to End a Memorial Slideshow

The last slides should bring closure and comfort. Here are some ideas:

Closing Message

End with a meaningful message like:

• "Forever in our hearts"
• "Until we meet again"
• "Thank you for the memories"
• A favorite quote of the deceased

Final Image:

Choose a photo that means a lot:

• A recent photo of them smiling
• A sunset or peaceful nature scene
• A group photo with loved ones
• A photo that shows their true self

Technical Considerations and Presentation

Testing Your Slideshow

Test your slideshow before the funeral to avoid problems:

• Preview the whole slideshow to check timing and transitions
• Make sure all photos show up right without getting cut off
• Text should be easy to read from far away
• Check that the music plays without stopping
• Test it on the equipment you'll use at the service

Troubleshooting Common Issues

• Blurry photos: Make small images from low-resolution ones
• Music stops: Make sure music files are in the presentation
• Playback issues: Save as a video file (MP4) for best results
• File too big: Compress photos before adding them

Presenting at the Funeral Service

Work with the funeral home or venue early to make sure everything goes smoothly:

• Check what equipment they have (projector, screen, sound system)
• Bring your slideshow on different devices (USB drive, laptop)
• Save in different formats (PowerPoint file, MP4 video)
• Get there early to set up and test
• Have someone handle the tech during the service
  

Sharing Your Memorial Slideshow

Many people who couldn't come to the service will want to see the slideshow. Here are ways to share it:

Digital Sharing

• Upload to a private YouTube channel
• Share via Google Drive or Dropbox
• Email a smaller version
• Post on a memorial website
• If using Canva, you can share your slideshow as a public view link

If you're feeling overwhelmed or short on time, consider using one of our pre-made slideshow templates or slideshow editing service to help create your memorial slideshow.

BROWSE POWERPOINT FUNERAL SLIDESHOW TEMPLATES

BROWSE CANVA FUNERAL SLIDESHOW TEMPLATES