Ask two or three family members to send you their favourite photos today. A text message or email with phone snaps of printed photos is completely fine.
Updated for 2026
Funeral Slideshow: How to Make One When Time Is Short
Most funeral slideshows are made in the few days between a loss and the service โ often by someone who is also writing a eulogy, ringing family, and handling arrangements. This guide is written for that reality.
It covers how many photos you need, how to choose them quickly, what music is appropriate, what to do with old printed photos, and where a done-for-you option fits when you simply do not have the hours to spare.
How to Make a Funeral Slideshow in a Few Days
Services often follow within a week of a loss. This is the shortest reliable path from a box of photos to something ready to play.
Aim for 20 to 60 photos in total. Do not wait for a perfect, complete set โ a smaller group of good photos is better than a delayed slideshow.
Put the photos in rough chronological order: early life, family years, recent memories. Perfect ordering matters less than a gentle overall arc.
Choose one or two songs that meant something to them. If you are unsure, ask the funeral director or celebrant what tends to work at their services.
Build the slideshow in a tool you already know, or use a service that assembles it for you if time and energy are short.
Ask the venue how they need the file delivered, and test playback the day before the service if you possibly can.
How Many Photos for a Funeral Slideshow?
The short answer: 20 to 60 photos for a 3 to 6 minute slideshow. Here is how to judge it for your service.
A 3 to 6 minute slideshow suits most funeral services. That usually means 20 to 60 photos.
Give each photo around 6 to 10 seconds on screen. Faster than that can feel rushed in a chapel or function room.
If the slideshow plays on a loop before or after the service, length matters less โ people drift in and out of watching.
When in doubt, choose fewer photos. A slideshow that ends while people still want more is better than one that outstays the moment.
Choosing the Photos
Start with one or two early photos โ childhood or young adulthood โ so the room sees the whole life, not just recent years.
Prioritise photos where they are recognisably themselves: laughing, mid-conversation, doing something they loved.
Include the people they loved. Photos with a spouse, children, grandchildren, or old friends often mean the most to those attending.
Candid photos usually work better than formal portraits. One or two posed photos are enough.
Ask each branch of the family for a handful of photos rather than trying to gather everything yourself.
End on a warm, recent photo or a simple title card with their name and dates.
For a deeper look at structuring the photos and choosing songs, the memorial slideshow guide goes through it section by section.
Funeral Slideshow Music: What Is Appropriate
Their music first
A song they genuinely loved almost always lands better than a song chosen because it sounds like funeral music. If they had a favourite artist, start there.
When lyrics feel too pointed
Instrumental or acoustic versions are a safe choice when lyrics feel too raw for the room. Piano and string covers of familiar songs work well for this.
Check with the venue or celebrant
Funeral homes and celebrants play music at services every week. They can tell you what works in their space, what to avoid, and how they need the audio supplied.
One song is usually enough
A 3 to 4 minute slideshow fits one song. Only add a second if the slideshow runs longer โ two contrasting moods can feel disjointed in a short tribute.
What to Do With Old and Damaged Printed Photos
For many families, the most meaningful photos are prints in a shoebox, not files on a phone. They are easier to use than you might think.
You do not need a scanner. Lay printed photos flat near a window in daylight, turn off the flash, and photograph them straight-on with your phone.
Do not discard photos because they are scratched, faded, or creased. At a service, a worn photo of the right moment beats a pristine photo of the wrong one.
Photos still in frames can be photographed at a slight angle to avoid glare, or removed from the frame if it opens easily.
If you use OnReplay, restoration and colorization are handled automatically โ faded and damaged photos are cleaned up as part of creating the film, with no extra editing work on your side.
DIY Tools vs a Done-for-You Funeral Slideshow
| Tool | Price | Time Needed | Result | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OnReplay | From A$9.90 | Minutes | Animated film with music | When time is short and you want the photos themselves to gently move |
| PowerPoint | Free / included | A few hours | Traditional slideshow | Full control if you are comfortable with the software |
| Canva | Free tier | A few hours | Templated slideshow | Clean templates and easy text slides |
| Google Photos | Free | Under an hour | Basic slideshow | The fastest no-frills DIY option |
| iMovie | Free (Mac) | A few hours | Video | Mac users who want editing control |
To be honest about the trade-off: if you have a spare afternoon and are comfortable on a laptop, PowerPoint, Canva, or Google Photos will make a perfectly respectful funeral slideshow for free. Nothing here requires a paid tool.
OnReplay is for the other situation โ when the service is days away and there is no afternoon to spare. You upload the photos, and it turns old photos into a finished film with gentle motion in the photos themselves and music already matched, ready in minutes. Films start at A$9.90 (about US$6.99), and old prints are restored and colorized automatically along the way.
When time is short
A Finished Tribute Film, Ready in Minutes
If the service is close and building a slideshow yourself feels like one task too many, OnReplay can take the same photos and return a finished memorial film โ motion, pacing, and music already handled.
The movement is deliberately gentle and the result plays well in a chapel, at a wake, or shared privately with family afterwards. Old and damaged prints are restored automatically, so a phone photo of a shoebox print is all you need.
Current paid plans are $9.90 / $24.90 / $79.90, positioned as an affordable way to create a lasting tribute when you want something more complete than a basic slideshow.
When it is most helpful
For celebration-of-life gatherings, memorial slideshows that need a more polished alternative, and tribute gifts you want to create on someone elseโs behalf.
What it avoids
No timeline editing, no prompts, and no need to manually stitch old photos together while you are already carrying a lot emotionally.
Back to the Memorial Hub. Also see the memorial slideshow guide for song ideas and structure, sympathy gift ideas for supporting a grieving family, and how OnReplay can turn a family's old photos into a film.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many photos do I need for a funeral slideshow?
20 to 60 photos is the usual range for a 3 to 6 minute funeral slideshow, at roughly 6 to 10 seconds per photo. If the slideshow will loop before or after the service rather than play once during it, you can comfortably use more.
How do I make a funeral slideshow quickly?
Ask family to text you their favourite photos, aim for 20 to 60 images in rough chronological order, and pick one meaningful song. Free tools like Google Photos or PowerPoint work if you have a few hours; OnReplay can turn the same photos into a finished film with music in minutes if you do not.
What music should I use for a funeral slideshow?
A song the person genuinely loved is almost always the right choice. If lyrics feel too raw, instrumental versions work well. Check with the funeral home or celebrant โ they handle music at services every week and can advise on what suits their venue.
What do I do with old printed or damaged photos?
Photograph prints with your phone in daylight, flat and without flash โ no scanner needed. Do not exclude photos because they are faded or scratched. OnReplay restores and colorizes old photos automatically as part of creating the film, so damaged prints are still usable.
How long should a funeral slideshow be?
Three to six minutes works for most services โ long enough to feel meaningful, short enough to hold the room. Ask the celebrant or funeral director how much time is allocated in the order of service before you finalise the length.