Through UitvaartSlideshow (my other company) I have had the privilege of creating hundreds of funeral presentations over the past years. It is perfectly normal for a funeral director to do this themselves or to outsource it to someone else. In some cases the funeral director asks whether someone in the family can take it on, and that often works out. Still, with this article I hope to show you why using this website will make things easier for you (or for the person doing it for you).
1. You do not need the PowerPoint program to create the file
No PowerPoint is needed to make a PowerPoint funeral presentation. All the work happens entirely within the application, which is set up to be as user-friendly as possible. You do of course need PowerPoint to check the file, but you can leave that to the funeral director or the venue. And there is no need to wonder how anything will look, because previews are available right inside the application.
2. It works on mobile and tablet
PowerPoint does not work on mobile devices, but through our application anyone can simply contribute from a phone or tablet as well. Received a photo via WhatsApp that needs to be added at the last minute? Does a different song need to play during the final farewell after all? Things like this can cause a lot of stress when there is no laptop with the presentation nearby, but through us they can be handled from a mobile device too.
3. It takes the tedious conversions off your hands
If you receive HEIC photos or MOV video files from iPhone or Apple users, PowerPoint (and Windows) struggle with them. They would first need converting, and that unfortunately leads you to online conversion websites full of adverts and risks. All of that means extra steps, whereas our application converts these files automatically on upload. Better still: you will not even notice the formats were different.
4. All the technical risks become irrelevant
Everything you would otherwise have to set up manually in PowerPoint is arranged automatically based on the block you select in the running order. For each block the correct settings are applied with complete certainty, so you can rely on a speaker slide waiting for a click to continue, and on a slideshow having every photo perfectly timed to the end of the music. If the running order is filled in correctly, there is simply no room for anything to go wrong in the presentation.
5. An automatic running order and instruction document
Finished filling everything in and made the funeral presentation final? Then you get two documents with it. The first is the running order: simply all the blocks neatly listed, ready to share with everyone involved. The second is the instruction document, which spells everything out in detail for the technical side of the service. How long is a song? When are the click actions? With this document the venue can test everything, see that it all matches, and know exactly how the service will run.
As the icing on the cake: if you are a funeral director, you can add your company logo and a closing text to your account, and they will be placed neatly on the document (with no advertising from us!).
6. A share link for unlimited downloads with no time limit
The moment you finalise, a share link is ready to be shared with everyone involved. Through it, the presentation and the documents mentioned above can be downloaded without logging in or registering. The share link is secure and stays active for as long as the presentation is available in your account. No fiddling with WeTransfer or USB sticks.
7. It is full of handy touches and lightning fast
The fixed memorial photo often returns throughout the service, so we built it in a way that lets you upload it once and then easily reuse it per block. The background is just as easy and flexible to set, and we have made it possible to crop any uploaded photo quickly and precisely.
8. It saves time
Hopefully everything above makes clear that besides ease of use and efficiency, the biggest advantage is that it simply takes less time to make a funeral presentation. For a standard service with 4 speakers and 3 songs, it saves at least 45 minutes when you build it from start to finish in our application.
Real-world example #1
It almost never happens that a funeral presentation is perfect in one go. When the family or others involved review it, there is nearly always one change or more. Fewer photos during a slideshow with music? Normally the timing would have to be adjusted per photo and everything checked again. Now you simply remove the photos in question and download the presentation again.
Real-world example #2
After seeing the first version, the people involved have lots of changes and hand over a list of removals and adjustments. Normally you would need to keep a very clear head, because as soon as you change something in the slides, the slide numbering shifts too. That is why you always have to work from back to front, so the slide numbers of earlier changes have not already moved. In short: a situation where you cannot afford to be distracted, and one that invites mistakes. With us, however, you always have the previously generated PowerPoint file available alongside, and you never have to change anything in it, because you process every change within our application.
9. Everything to the modern standard
Of course, you will check the first final funeral presentation yourself from start to finish. But you will find that over time, trust grows: when it is filled in correctly, the file is generated correctly for you.
On top of that, everything is fully secure: your data is protected on a European server and, in line with the GDPR, deleted within 30 days (after the funeral date). At any moment you can delete the presentation or your account, and with it all the data, straight away.
Hopefully you are at least somewhat convinced, and you will choose to make your funeral presentation on funeral-ppt.com. Are you a funeral director who would like to try it once from start to finish for free? Get in touch with us from your business email address and share your company registration number. We will then give you a free credit so you can test everything for one funeral from start to finish and see whether it is something you would like to keep using.
Frequently asked questions
I would love to see something changed. Is that possible?
Certainly, we can always add functionality for our customers. If something is missing, it means you need it for a funeral presentation, and others may well need it too. The tool is built exactly the way we consider perfect, but everyone works differently. Feel free to get in touch to discuss your wishes.
I download the running order PDF, but your logo is on it instead of mine. Why is that?
That is because you have not yet added your company logo to your account. In the left-hand menu you will see the option "My account", where you can add your logo and optionally fill in details that appear at the bottom of the document. Generate the files again afterwards, and your logo will appear on them.
Are there any hidden costs?
No, you can review and try out all our options and every setting in full. Finalising a funeral presentation is a one-off amount, and with it you can create as many versions of the presentation as you need. One small amount, per funeral. There are no hidden costs and no strings attached.
Alternatively, before finalising, download a trial version first (with a watermark). It works just like the final version, so you know exactly where you stand.