Preparing photos for a funeral or memorial

When someone dies, families are often asked for photos at short notice: one for the order of service, a few for display, and sometimes a slideshow to play during the service or at the gathering afterwards. This guide is meant to make that part a little easier.

Choosing the photos

• One main portrait. A clear photo where their face is sharp and well lit, often used on the order of service and beside the coffin. Choose the sharpest print you can find, even if it isn't the most recent.
• A handful across their life. Childhood, wedding, family, holidays, grandchildren. Ask relatives to look through their own albums too.
• For a slideshow, 20 to 40 photos is plenty for a few minutes of music. Put them roughly in order, from young to old.

Getting them scanned quickly

Scan the photos at 600dpi so they can be printed clearly and enlarged a little. Your funeral director or printer will ask for a digital file for the order of service.

Be aware that a very small or blurred print can only be enlarged so far. A passport-sized photo will look soft if it is printed large. If the best photo of someone is small, ask us about scanning it at a higher setting, and restoration can tidy up scratches, creases and fading.

If time is short, send us a WhatsApp. Where we can, we'll scan urgent photos the same day.

Making a slideshow for the service

• Check with the venue first. Most crematoriums and many churches can play a video, but each has its own system. Ask the funeral director what format they need, usually a video file on a USB stick or sent by a link, and how long it can be.
• Keep it short. Three to five minutes is usually right, about the length of one or two pieces of music.
• Music. The venue can normally play the music separately from the pictures. Ask them how they prefer to do it.
• Test it. If you can, send the file to the venue a few days before, so they can check it plays.

Sharing with family who can't be there

Scanned photos and a slideshow can be shared with relatives abroad or unable to travel, by a private link or on WhatsApp. Many families find that sharing photos afterwards becomes part of remembering together.

Looking after the originals

In the days around a funeral, photos are often passed around, taken to the venue and displayed. Once they are scanned, you can print or display copies and keep the originals safely at home.

If there are many more photos to go through later, there is no need to rush. See our guide to digitising family photos for when you are ready.