How to Collect Photos from Family for Memorial Services
A practical guide for funeral directors on gathering photos from family members—without the stress and last-minute scrambles.
The Challenge
When a family loses someone, photos become incredibly important. They're the visual thread connecting decades of memories. But collecting these photos is often one of the most stressful parts of preparing for a memorial service.
The photos are scattered:
- On different family members' phones
- In old albums at relatives' homes
- On Facebook accounts the family can't access
- In email attachments from years ago
- With friends and distant relatives who live far away
Meanwhile, the service is days away, emotions are running high, and coordinating everyone feels overwhelming. This guide will help you establish a smooth process for gathering photos—reducing stress for both your team and the families you serve.
When to Start Collecting
Start immediately. The moment you meet with the family, mention photo collection. Don't wait until the service details are finalized.
Initial Meeting
Mention the memorial slideshow and ask who in the family might have photos to contribute. Identify a family point person who can help coordinate.
Share Collection Link
Send the family a simple way to upload photos. The easier you make it, the more photos you'll receive.
Gentle Reminder
Send a brief reminder. Many family members intend to contribute but forget amidst everything else happening.
Final Review
Stop accepting new photos. Review and organize what you have. Prepare the slideshow.
Collection Methods
There are several ways to collect photos. Here's how they compare:
- File size limits cause failed sends
- Photos scattered across multiple emails
- No way to track who has contributed
- Manual downloading and organizing
Shared Drive (Google Drive, Dropbox)
- Requires account or tech knowledge
- Confusing for older family members
- No moderation—everything goes in
- Better than email, but friction remains
Dedicated Upload Link
- One link to share with everyone
- Works on any device, no account needed
- You review photos before they're displayed
- Everything in one place, organized
The goal is to make it as easy as possible for family members to contribute. Every barrier you remove—account creation, app downloads, confusing instructions—means more photos for the memorial.
What to Tell Families
How you communicate with families about photo collection affects how many photos you receive. Here's guidance on what to say:
At the Initial Meeting
"We'd love to create a photo slideshow to display during the service. If you or your family members have photos you'd like to include, we can set up an easy way for everyone to contribute. Is there someone in your family who could help spread the word?"
In the Sharing Message
Keep it simple. Here's a template you can adapt:
Subject: Share your photos of [Name]
We're creating a memorial slideshow for [Name]'s service on [Date]. If you have photos you'd like to include, please upload them here: [Link]
Photos from any time in [Name]'s life are welcome—childhood, family gatherings, holidays, everyday moments.
Please share by [Deadline] so we have time to prepare the slideshow.
Thank you for helping us celebrate [Name]'s life.
For the Reminder
"Just a gentle reminder that we're still collecting photos for [Name]'s memorial slideshow. If you'd like to contribute, please upload your photos by [Date]: [Link]"
Types of Photos to Request
Guide families on what kinds of photos work well. This helps them choose meaningful images rather than feeling overwhelmed by their entire photo library.
Life Stages
- Childhood and youth
- Wedding or milestone events
- With children, grandchildren
- Retirement years
Personality
- Favorite hobbies or activities
- With pets
- Candid, laughing moments
- At their workplace or doing what they loved
Relationships
- With spouse or partner
- Family group photos
- With close friends
- Multi-generational photos
Memories
- Holidays and celebrations
- Vacations and adventures
- Everyday moments at home
- Recent photos (last few years)
Common Issues & Solutions
"We're not getting many photos"
Solution: Ask the family point person to personally reach out to key relatives. A personal text from a family member is more effective than a group message. Also send a reminder—people mean to contribute but forget.
"An elderly relative has photos but can't upload them"
Solution: Ask if a younger family member can help them, or offer to have someone from your team visit briefly to photograph the physical photos. A few extra minutes can yield irreplaceable images.
"We're receiving low-quality or blurry photos"
Solution: When possible, ask contributors for the original file rather than screenshots or photos sent through text messages (which compress quality). If older photos are being photographed from albums, suggest good lighting and a straight angle.
"Someone uploaded something inappropriate"
Solution: This is why moderation matters. Always review photos before displaying them. Having a simple approve/reject workflow prevents awkward surprises during the service.
"Photos are still coming in the day of the service"
Solution: Set a clear deadline in your communications (at least 24 hours before the service) and stick to it. Let families know late submissions can be added to the archive but may not make the slideshow.
Quick Checklist
Use this checklist for every memorial service:
- Mention photo slideshow at initial family meeting
- Identify a family point person for coordination
- Create memorial and get shareable link
- Send collection link to family with clear deadline
- Send reminder 2-3 days before deadline
- Review and approve submitted photos
- Arrange photos in slideshow order
- Download offline backup (just in case)
- Test slideshow on display equipment
Simplify Your Photo Collection
Gather Memories handles the entire workflow—from shareable collection links to photo moderation to slideshow display. One link for families, full control for you.
Request a Demo