How to make a memorial slideshow, step by step

A memorial slideshow is often made in a hurry, by someone who's grieving, in the few days before a visitation or funeral. This is the simplest plan we know that still turns out something the family will be proud of.

1. Ask for photos, with a deadline

Message the family: "Please send photos of Mom by Wednesday at 6pm." A shared folder (Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud) or plain email both work. Ask especially for photos from the years you don't have. Then stop at the deadline; late photos can go in a longer version for the reception.

Old prints? Scan them with your phone in an evening.

2. Choose the songs

Pick 2 to 4 songs they loved, about 10 to 15 minutes in all. The music sets the length and the mood, so choose it before the photos. If you're stuck, see these song ideas.

3. Choose the photos

Aim for about 8 to 12 photos per minute of music: roughly 100 for a 10-minute slideshow. Faces first, one per moment, every chapter of their life covered, and a few funny ones. More detail: how many photos you need.

4. Put them in order

Chronological is the natural shape: childhood, young adulthood, love and family, the later years and grandchildren. Splitting the slideshow into those chapters, each with its own song, makes it easier to organize and lets the music follow the story.

5. Add a few words

An opening title: their name, their years, and "In loving memory" or "Celebrating the life of".
A closing slide: a favorite photo with a verse, a poem, their own words or a thank-you from the family.
Keep text slides short and on screen long enough to read twice.

6. Watch it once, full screen

Look for the duplicate, the sideways photo, the one that's too dark, and the song that's much louder than the others. Then stop editing. It doesn't need to be perfect; the room will be looking at the faces.

7. Get it to the service

Ask the funeral home whether they want a USB stick or a video file, and test it on their screen if you can. Bring a backup. See how to play a slideshow at a funeral home.

Doing it with Porchlight Slideshow

We make Porchlight Slideshow for exactly this job, on Mac and Windows:

Drag in photos and songs, and it fits the photos to the music, so the last photo fades out as the last note ends.
Each chapter can be its own scene with its own song; one click sorts photos by date.
Publish to a USB stick with the free Porchlight Player, which plays full screen on any Mac or PC without installing anything, or export an HD or 4K video.
Everything stays on your computer: no account, no uploads.

It's free to download and build the whole slideshow; a one-time $39 license lets you publish and export it.