Creating a Meaningful Slideshow for a Funeral or Memorial Service

I hate that I even have any expertise in this. It was truly the most horrendous task. But if you are like me, and you were tasked with creating a memorial slideshow for a funeral or memorial service, I hope I can offer a little comfort and let this be your guide. Creating a memorial slideshow can be one of the most meaningful ways to celebrate the life of a loved one. Photos have the power to tell stories that words often cannot. And at a time when words may be hard to come by, they offer a great way to express the fullness of someone's life. Even a life that might have been gone too soon. 
After my younger brother suddenly passed away, I was set with the difficult task of creating a memorial slideshow. It was a task I dreaded. You'd think that after a 15-year long career in content creation, often making reels and videos with photos and snapshots of life, that this would have been second nature. I thought that too. It was not. And after quick google searches on how to make a memorial slideshow, I came up empty.
Here's the good news. You don't need to be a tech expert or hire a professional to create a beautiful slideshow. I want to walk you through the steps on how you can design a heartfelt tribute with ease because this shouldn't be something that needs to consume you when you are grieving.

How to Create a Meaningful Slideshow for a Funeral or Memorial Service

First off, I'm sorry that you are here. I am sorry that this is something you just searched up on Google and found, likely out of necessity and while burdened with grief. 
Memorial slideshows have become standard and expected at funerals and memorials, and honestly, until I was tasked with the job, I never knew what a great burden it was. That said, it also provided a lot of joy to those of came to celebrate my brother's life, but I was very much relieved when I was done with it!
Please give yourself grace while you are creating this. I took a lot of breaks and was emotionally drained nearly every time I opened it to work on it. I was so grateful to complete it, and I'm here to help you get through this as efficiently as possible.

Why Create a Memorial Slideshow

Before diving into the how-to, it's worth understanding the why. A slideshow isn't just a filler between speeches or songs. It's a way to visually celebrate a life well-lived. Photos can capture moments that words can't always describe. At a time when it's easy to focus on the end, it's a good reminder that there was a life that was lived before. For those who may not have known the person well, or at various times of their life, a slideshow offers a deeper glimpse into their life, and for those close friend and family members, it brings back cherished memories.
A thoughtfully crafted slideshow can be played on a loop before the service as people are taking their seats, and during the service. It can also be used at the memorial reception to help trigger more memories and stories of the person that was lost. You can also upload the slideshow to a memorial website or shared on social media. It can also be saved as a digital keepsake for those that loved them.

How Long Should a Memorial Slideshow Be?

When we were planning my brother's memorial, the pastor said that people often make the slideshow too short. But what is too short? I started doing some research and I found that you should aim for 5-10 minutes. My brother's slideshow was 8 minutes long. I found that it was a good length and I was able to add multiple images per slide so it had a fair amount of photos which I felt was more engaging than if I had a slideshow that had a photo on every slide for 5-6 seconds. But that was personal preference.
If you are adding video clips or audio messages, you might need to extend the time slightly. But I'd say to ideally shoot for no longer than 10 minutes. A shorter, focused slideshow is more likely to keep everyone engaged and emotional in the best possible way.

Choosing the Right Photos

This was probably one of the hardest parts. Selecting the photos can be incredibly time-consuming, but it is also one of the most meaningful parts of the process. Here are some tips on choosing the right ones:
1. Aim for Variety: Include baby photos, childhood, school years, family events, vacations, hobbies, and candid moments. I tried to put the photos in chronological order to show how his life played out.
2. Highlight Relationships: Make sure to include images that show the person with their loved ones. Include family, friends, pets, and even coworkers.
3. Ask for Help: Invite family members and friends to contribute photos. They may have meaningful photos that you haven't seen. I created a shared Google album they could be put into. Set a deadline for submission, so you aren't getting bombarded with new photos and having to rework the whole slideshow.
4. Don't Stress With Tech: I took photos of photos in order to have a digital copy. I did scan a few of them, but also, I did what I could do. And you know what? It was just fine. Don't stress with technology. 
Once you've gathered your photos, organize them in a folder and if you can, put them in the order that you want them to appear. This will make uploading easier when you start creating the slideshow.

Creating a Slideshow in Canva {It's Free and Easy!}

Knowing what platform to use was one of my roadblocks when creating a slideshow. I did a bunch of research so you don't have to. Canva is one of the most user-friendly design platforms out there, and yes, it's free! You don't need any design skills to create a professional-looking slideshow. Here's how:

Set up a Free Canva Account

Go to Canva.com and sign up for a free account. Canva also has mobile and desktop apps if you prefer working on your phone or table.

Choose a Presentation Template

Once you log in you on the left hand side, there is a tab that says templates. You are going to be choosing a premade slideshow template because no one has time in their grief to start from scratch. Give yourself some grace here. 
Click on that and then in the search bar, type in "memorial slideshow". A bunch should show up. You want to select the one that says video or presentation or slideshow so you can the right size for your video screen. If you see a crown or a dollar sign, those will have an extra fee to purchase. I didn't choose one of those. You don't need to either!
You are going to want to select a clean, simple template and then once you open it, you should be able to have it open in a new tab so you can see what it looks like and if you like what it has to offer. 
The one I chose for my brother had the option to add multiple images per slide, and that allowed for more photos. You are going to spend a lot of time starting at this template and you are going to get quite good at making transitions, adding photos and maybe even adding audio.
Every premade template will have a + at the end of the preview. You simply click that to add pages to your template.

Upload Your Photos

Click "upload" on the sidebar and drag your photo files into the upload box. Once uploaded, you can simply drag and drop photos into your slides. If you are using a premade template {as we discussed!}, you will be swapping the first few photos and texts that have been provided. Once you add slides, it will be blank and you'll just be uploading as you go.

Design Each Slide

Each slide can contain a single photo or collage. Don't add too much information or bother with captions or dates or text boxes. People will figure it out! 

Add Music

I added music at the end but I will tell you that Canva is very big into copyright protection. They will not allow you to upload anything that has a copyright. You can sometimes get around this by using covers of songs. There is also a fade in and fade out feature so you can select portions of the song and add several songs that are meaningful to the slideshow.
Canva also has royalty-free music that you can use. But if you have a loved one that had a favorite song, uploaded that can add a really powerful emotional touch.
Fade is your friend. You can select the section of the song you want played and then fade it in and out to make the transition smoother.

Download and Save

Once your slideshow is finished click share and download. You can choose whatever format works best for your venue or location. You can also present it directly from Canva during the service if you have a reliable internet connection and screen setup.

Pro Tip: Download the slideshow to a USB and also save it to a cloud account like Google Drive just in case there are any technical issues at the venue. You want a back up for your back up!

Tips for a Smooth Presentation

Test the slideshow in advance! I was able to send it to the pastor a week before the memorial service. He assured me that it was working on the equipment that was being used that day.
Have a backup plan! I can't say this enough. Have a backup for your backup! Put it on a USB, store it on a laptop, have an online version. I had all three and thankfully didn't need any of them, and I still was stressed out!
Keep the transitions simple and respectful. You don't need a zap or twist between photos. 
Consider adding a title slide with your loved one's name, birth/death years, and a meaningful quote or scripture.
Give yourself plenty of time! Thankfully we had a memorial that was about six weeks after my brother died. I was able to give myself some time to put it together. This isn't something that can be thrown together day of, so make sure you give yourself some time to do it.
I'm not going to sugar coat this, it was one of the most emotionally draining tasks I've ever had to do. If you can outsource this to a friend or family member that isn't quite as close to the grief, absolutely, do that! 
A funeral or memorial slideshow isn't about creating the perfect digital masterpiece. It's about honoring a life, so give yourself some grace while making it. It's ok if not every photo is professionally taken or perfectly edited. What matters is the life behind each one.
Take a deep breath, gather those memories, and start creating. It's a labor of love that will mean the world to everyone who watches it.

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