For the friends and family of a person who has recently passed, funeral services play an important role in supporting the grieving process and helping those individuals say goodbye. Many funeral services feature a number of traditional memorials and customs to support those people as they work through their grief, including the display of photos from the deceased individual's life.
From prominent portraits to collages to slideshows, there are many ways you can bring together photos to showcase the life of the person who has passed away. In many cases, you may choose to use more than one photo display idea in different parts of the funeral venue, or at different times during the funeral service.
As you brainstorm possible ideas for your loved one's service, here are a few different ways to display photos at a funeral.
Creating a Funeral Photo Collage
A funeral collage can take many shapes and sizes, and can be featured at multiple different points before, during and after a photo service. For example, you may choose to create a DIY funeral picture board that is set up in the entry way to the funeral venue, perhaps alongside other items, such as memorabilia or keepsakes from that individual's life.
Alternatively, you may choose to place a photo college in a reception area after the service where attendees may enjoy coffee and snacks while mingling with friends and family. When creating this collage, you may want to reach out to close friends and family of the deceased, asking for copies of photos that might be a good fit with your collage.
Setting a Picture On an Easel at a Funeral
Large photos are a common decoration featured during the funeral service—especially when the service is closed-casket, or when the deceased has been cremated. Typically, these pictures are placed at the front of the funeral venue, just to the side of the casket, where it can be viewed by all attendees throughout the service.
When choosing a photo for this display, be mindful of the resolution of the photo you are choosing and whether it's a good fit for the funeral photo display size you have chosen. A photo with low resolution may look blurry or pixelated when blown up for a display photo. A professional photo printing service can help you choose a photo that will look clear and beautiful even when blown up to the desired size of your display.
Creating Video Slideshows of Memorial Pictures for Funerals
Video slideshows can be a great way to feature a large number of pictures on a screen that is plainly visible and viewable by a large number of people. These slideshows can play before and after a funeral service and be featured throughout the venue, including the main ceremony area and the post-funeral community space.
Photo slideshows are popular because they can accommodate a large number of photos, can be paired with appropriate music, and often serve as a conversation starter among funeral attendees. And, after the service is over, you can even share the slideshow as a downloadable file, or by hard copies distributed to anyone who wants one.
Other Funeral Photo Display Ideas
Looking for more creative ideas for displaying photos at a funeral? While your own creative juices and brainstorming may be your best tool in coming up with a display that is both memorable and well-suited to your loved one, consider these additional ideas to complement your main photo displays:
Creating funeral cards with a photo of your loved one. Many people like to keep the cards or programs from funerals as keepsakes. This item can be even more memorable when it features a high-quality photo of the individual who has passed away.
Ordering a screen-printed cake. Many bakeries producing cakes for funerals are capable of screen-printing a photo onto the frosting of the cake. This can be a fun way to add even more personalization to the entire funeral and memorial service.
Building photo display boxes. Three-dimensional shadow boxes can be a great way to add depth and dimension to some of the individual's most treasured photos, while also pairing those photos with small items attached to the memory featured in the photo. A war veteran, for example, could be commemorated with a photo from their service days, along with any service medals or their dog tags elegantly placed in the box.
Photo displays play an important role in any funeral service, letting attendees view moments from a person's entire life to better learn about their history, their achievements, and the lasting mark they have left in the world. And for the individuals putting together these slideshows, the time spent pulling together these memories can be its own form of consolation and comfort as you go through the process of saying goodbye to someone special in your life.