I like the idea and doing your own with pictures you want is better. Gosh, my relatives would probably dig deep to find some really awful pictures just for the heck of it. lol

I'll have to get busy and do that, thanks for the idea.

I have seen this done, and it was really nice. It brought back so many happy memories and I like the idea of putting "something" together before.

Seems most of the funerals we have attended in the past few years have the videos...but not during the service. Unfortunately, 2 of them were kids. But they had really nice videos done with all the pics of the child through their short years.

We also did this for Dean's mothers funeral last summer. Actually, the funeral home put the video together with pics we brought in. Thankfully, I had been scanning in some of her childhood pics, so there were pics that some had never even seen of her before. It was great to have all the pics in our family Photobucket that I could pull up while in Minnesota.
I DON'T want a funeral!!! I want a gathering and lots of FOOD! LOL

My dad wrote his own obituary. He did not want anybody left out, or any feelings hurt as many times happen when obituaries are written by emotional family.
As he put it so gently, "I want the damn thing to be right!"

Trin

We've got our obituaries written :o) Sandy, I would prefer not to have a funeral either...maybe a memorial service with this video shown..

My DH and I have already chosen the music, does that count?

Jodi-

A song that makes DH and me both very emotional is Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole. It was used on ER when Dr. Mark Greene was dying.

Two years ago, we went to a friend's funeral, his wife told us to go watch the video for Dick. Before it started, that song started up...we were in tears before a single picture came up.
I think it's a beautiful idea.
JoanMN

I haven't seen any videos at a wake/funeral yet. But when MIL died, her two daughters made a beautiful photo collage of her life, everything from early childhood and school phots to her wedding pics to photos with her four grandchildren. It brought a tear to my eye.

I think they're the farthest thing from morbid, Maybee.

We've not only been to many funerals where it's been done, we've actually made the videos for many funerals. It's been a word-of-mouth thing for people we don't know. When my dad died this spring, I was staying with my mother, so my 3 daughters actually made the video and synched the photos to "Remember When" and a slow version of "Moon River." We weren't allowed to play it in the church, so we showed it on a big screen in the church basement, before the luncheon. You could've heard a pin drop, as it was the first time it had ever been done. We got hundreds of comments afterwards, about how wonderful it was.

They are beautiful tributes, and I know they are very beneficial in the grieving process. Just the physical act of putting the photos together is helpful. One thing I always recommend is to watch the video before the actual service. It's too difficult to see it for the first time right 'in the moment'. We've heard from so many people how often they watch them . . . and even if I've never even seen the person in the tribute, they always make me cry. Their photos tell the stories of their lives, and I think everybody should have one.

I've been to several funerals where that was done at the viewing before the funeral. I think it's a wonderful idea.

I've been going through my mom's pictures the past few days. I've scanned a lot of them to put on a disc for her. I'm going to set aside a disc to use for that purpose. I also have some cassettes of her singing gospel music. She has a beautiful voice and for years I've planned to have her songs played at the funeral. I never told her about it; I guess I should mention it.

Linda

A man that goes to our Church put one together for us when my husband died back in June. It was good..but I wish I could have done it. The pictures weren't in the order I would have put them in..but he did it out of the kindness in his heart and we really appreciated it.

My best friends BIL died back in March. There wasn't funeral, because he was cremated. My friend and her DH had a "Memorial" for him at their house a week or so later, and she wanted me to put together a DVD/Video to play while everyone was there. She brought me the pictures, her husband chose the music and I went to work on it. They were beyond pleased with it. I also done a DVD of pictures we'd taken when my friends 1st granddaughter was born.

You can view both of those videos by clicking on the link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Videos

I think it's a beautiful touch to the service.

I think it is a beautiful idea.

Many years ago, back in the '50's, one of my mother's friends died, and she did her own service...eulogy?? She knew she was dying and she taped a message/sermon that was played at her funeral. She was Quaker and very religious. Seemed odd back then, but I think that was pretty nice too. Anything to make a service more personal is nice. I have been to so many that were so impersonal.

I think it's a nice trend. The sweetest, most poignant by far, was the funeral for my friend, Geri, a couple of years ago. Not only did they have a very nice photo presentation, but in the background was none other than Geri, singing, "I'm going to roll in glory when the Glory Roll is called". Not a dry eye in the house, and yet it wasn't sad or morbid. We all felt that Geri was right there among us.

Any arrangements people make for themselves helps the families a lot because they don't have to figure out so much.

I went to Bumpkins husband funeral and had never met Ronnie before...i had a great view of the video and watched it several times while it played before the funeral started...by the time the funeral started I felt I really knew Ronnie...It was a wonderful video...

I don't think it's morbid at all...in fact I think it's a great idea...Picture story comes with windows and it's a really easy program to use...I just hope I've got awhile to get it done...

I made one for my neighbor last year. It turned out really nice. I put it to her favorite songs that her family had picked. I've made many copies for her family members too.

Not morbid to me either. But I'm pretty numb to a lot of things. Hardly out of my teens I had to start planning arrangements for my mother before she died. Due to the circumstances it had to all be arranged before she died or there'd be a lot more hassles. However it also helped in certain ways since there wasn't the pressure of the death just happening and have to have the sales pitch from the mortician not unlike a sheister used car seller.

The first person I ever really remember hearing of having a video at their funeral was Andy Kaufman. He was in it himself and sang a favorite song (Friendly World), insisting that everyone at the funeral sing along and even had the words on the screen and a bouncing ball! This could be an urban legend, but AFAIK it's true and believable of him!

I don't want a funeral or memorial service. Heck, nobody would come anyway! LOL Except I do think it would be fun to make a video or something to say a farewell to special people, tell off a few people I don't like and maybe start it out with something like This is Cynic talking to you from the grave.... wish you were here! Then ask the proverbial questions Just where am I and what am I doing in this handcart? Are you just dying to see me again? You told me where to go; I'm just following directions. Don't buy the cheap GPS... look where it got me! Death, it's not just for breakfast anymore!

OK, so I have a warped sense of humor... 'Tis a sad world that can't laugh, is my motto. :)

lol cynic...I, too, have a sense of humor like that and sometimes people just don't "get me", but that's all right..my husband evens things out...he doesn't "have" a sense of humor :o)
1945

Ah, the good ol' days when kids could climb up on cars without worrying about denting them or leaving a scratch!

I think it's a great idea, Maybee, and this way you'll get to pick the photos used and know in advance exactly how it'll look. I consider it a huge favor to the family, hopefully they will too.

Cute photo!

I haven't seen such a video, but often a set of pictures on an easel, sometimes at the church, or the funeral or memorial service at the funeral home, or at the lunch following either.

I think that many who attend find that it provides a personal link with not just one aspect the departed person's life, but many views of what the person was and did, which makes it much more personal for them.

Our church shows service order, Bible readings, hymns and pictures, etc. during service, and I doubt that they'd refuse to allow such a DVD or video to be shown.

Hi cynic,

Despite my current lack of decrepitude ... I doubt that I'll be around when your offering comes to view ...

... but I think that it'd be worth a trip to MN just to experience it!

Actually ... I hope that we can arrange a get together while both of us are still kicking: too bad that it didn't work, last summer ... but at least, I got to see your picture.

I end up with my humorous foot in my mouth, on occasion, as well.

Keep up the good fight.

ole joyful

Seven months after my father passed away, his volunteer fireman friends made a picture DVD of him to show at the annual installation dinner.

As Pixistix said above, you MUST view the pictures before the showing. I didn't and got very emotional/weepy watching my Dad's tribute.

~Carol~

My Mother in Law passed not too long ago and we did just that for her. It was such a hit. People just loved the video and what is amusing is that there were so many pictures included of her life when she was a young woman and there were many people at the funeral that were in the pictures as well. You could here people say...Oh look that's Aunt Kate...or my goodness that's my Mama....Look that's my sister and I ....We had DVD's made for all of the major players in her life .....We actually had two services, one here and one in Tampa and the one in Tampa was so much fun because that's the one where all her friends and family from the old days were in attendance...They loved the video.

We've decided not to have a funeral, just a small visit for the family before the Mass...But in the true Irish tradition, a huge wake after the burial, with lots of food and of course, drink...I've had a good live and I want people to celebrate my life not morn my passing...Just yesterday, I was getting dressed to go shopping and had on, what else, a cat sweat shirt and told my DH, this is want I want buried in, no frilly nightgown for me...I have all my little requests, clothes, music etc., written in a folder to be used, hopefully not in the near future..

One of my most treasured possesions is the video that was put together by my Son-in-Law for his wife's, (my daughter) funeral. Due to the circumstances of her unexpected death, there was 2 days to go through photos before the wake. It was a very difficult task for me and I wasn't very happy with the whole idea when my SIL presented it to me. Today, I bless him daily for this video. It is a perfect rememberence of my child as she went from infancy to childhood to a confident teen and a married woman. Any help you can give to your family with a rememberance of you will be a lifetime treasure for them after your passing.

I'm very interested in this, and did one on Power Point a few years ago, but didn't find away to put it on DVD. I don't know if we used the wrong type of disc or what. It was fine on the computer monitor. I had only seen it done at one viewing and really liked it. It was set up with a computer monitor and a pictue frame around the monitor. Our funeral home does them but they ae pretty expensive and as you say, the pics aren't necessarily what you would have pesonally picked.

What version of Windows has " Picture Story" I have windows XP.

Thanks again for this posting and any info you can give me, to do it for DVD.

At My Uncle's funeral a couple of years ago, they had a Video of his life. He was quite a character. He was a Bronco Buster and Rodeo Clown for a while. There were several pictures of him in the Bull Ring.

At the end. There was a picture of him on a horse that was on its hine legs and he was waving his Cowboy Hat. The caption read "Til we meet again". We was buried with his Spurs on.

Gayle

I "might" do this with Microsoft Moviemaker..ivamae...I am using XP and that is a program on my computer. I think if you have Roxio or some other CD burner, you can do that sort of thing also..I'm just familiar with Moviemaker. I have a site saved that tells how to do a DVD with powerpoint. I haven't looked over that site, but I intend to before I make my final move on doing this...right now, I am just assembling pictures. I think if you googlied powerpoint to DVD, you would come up with some answers. And...if all else fails, the funeral home I will be going to will do it for you if you have your pictures or your pictures on a disc. I like the idea of the Over the Rainbow song also...I love that rendition of it. The one I saw had about fifty pictures and it was just about the right length (you don't want to bore everyone :o) I have about thirty in a file now. My final frame is going to be a line from one of Carrie Underwood's songs: Don't Forget to Remember Me

Our funeral director wanted 50 bucks each to do it...I forget what the CD's cost but cheap compared to the $50 ....and my husband enjoyed doing it.

Thanks for the info. I'll look into it further.

Yes, I think that is what they charge here also...I just figured that, if I start now, I won't (maybe) die before I get it done..and it is sort of fun to do...although some of these old pictures make me cry :o(

A very good friend of mine is a radio show host on a smaller station. Her on-air partner died a little over a year ago. The station doesn't record the broadcasts but she does. So she put together some clips and had a tribute show the one night and she will every now and then play some clips of our old buddy and it's really nice to hear him again. It's really tough on his daughter though to hear it. She's still not over her dad's unexpected death.

Oh, and Joyful, A friend of mine once said You gotta stick your foot in your mouth every now and then just to remember what it tastes like! Pass the jelly please...

Eric has to make those at work. It can be crazy getting the pictures from the family- they tend to have disagreements on which ones to use! Glad to hear you are making your own. If you have already made arrangements with your funeral home (some people make them fairly early in life), you might want to give them a copy.

Some funeral homes charge to make the videos and others do it as part of the service to the family- you might want to ask yours.

We did it for my MIL and it went over well. It gave the people something to talk about and to look at and helped in conversations. I also did a scrapbook that also went over well.

Neither my DH or I want funeral visitations. We just want to be cremated and for the other to take our friends out for a meal at a restaurant for a celebration of life. We did this for my own mother and it went over very well with my mothers friends getting to reminice about her.

i know how you feel I sat down one day wrote a letter to my kids and hubby.
i bawled my eyes out writing them.I hid them in my one drawer.Theyll find them while getting rid of my used undies lol...Neat Idea.....

Make sure people can find those pics when you turn 75!

I believe that planning for disasters actually makes us much better prepared for everyday life, and minor crises.

One thing I've always been impresed w/ about Martha Stewart--she can put her hands on pics of herself when she was 8!