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How to Create a Memorial Slideshow in PowerPoint & Google Slides (...and save hours with AI automation)

Updated: Sep 14

Creating a memorial slideshow is one of the most meaningful ways to celebrate a loved one’s life. Whether it’s for a funeral service, a celebration of life, or a family gathering, a thoughtfully designed memorial video helps share stories, preserve memories, and bring comfort.

But if you’ve ever built one in PowerPoint or Google Slides, you know how much time it takes. Between collecting photos, organizing them chronologically, importing photos, and formatting each slide, the process can easily consume an entire day or weekend—precisely when time and emotional energy are in short supply.

This guide reviews:

  • The traditional process of making a memorial slideshow

  • Modern AI-powered enhancements that saves hours

Practical tips for creating an impactful memorial video


How AI saves time in PowerPoint and Google-Slides Memorial Videos

The Traditional Manual Memorial Slideshow Process

Here’s what families usually go through in the manual tradition process:

1. Photo Collection & Organization (1–3 hours)

  • Gathering photos from family and friends via email, text, and album shares.

  • Downloading photos from disparate emails and texts

  • Sifting through and consolidating photos

2. Chronological Sorting (1–3 hours)

  • Estimating ages or dates when photos aren’t labeled or digital native

  • Trying to assemble a logical life story

3. Slide Creation in PowerPoint or Google Slides (2–6 hours)

  • Importing each photo manually

  • Resizing and aligning images consistently

  • Adding borders, backgrounds, and captions

4. Final Touches (1–2 hours)

  • Adding transitions and animations

  • Selecting music and syncing timing

  • Reviewing and adjusting for flow

👉 Total time: 5–14 hours. And for anyone less familiar with PowerPoint or Google Slides, the technical hurdles can make it even harder.

The Modern Solution: AI-Powered Memorial Slideshow Creation

At MemorialVideo.ai, we’ve streamlined the entire process so you can focus on storytelling instead of repetitive tasks and technical work. Our system uses AI to automatically collect, sort, and build your slideshow in minutes—while still letting you customize it in familiar tools like PowerPoint and Google Slides.

How It Works (4 Simple Steps)

  1. One-Click Photo Collection (5 minutes) Share a simple upload link with family and friends—no logins needed. Photos are gathered automatically in one secure place.

  2. AI-Powered Age Sorting (Automatic) Our algorithms analyze faces and arrange photos chronologically by life stage. No more guessing dates or manually dragging photos around.

  3. Automatic Slide Creation (≈30 minutes) A complete slideshow is built for you:

    • Each photo on its own slide

    • Clean, professional layout applied

    • Up to 250 slides generated instantly

  4. Personal Customization (As much or as little as you like) Open the finished slideshow in PowerPoint or Google Slides to:

    • Add captions or personal notes

    • Rearrange slides

Tweak colors, fonts, or music

Key Benefits of AI-Assisted Memorial Slideshows

  • Save 80% of your time – from 5 –14 hours down to about 30 - 90 minutes

  • Stress-free setup – no manual sorting, manual gathering, or formatting

  • Professional quality – polished slides with consistent styling

  • Familiar tools – keep personalizing in PowerPoint or Google Slides

Focus on storytelling – spend energy on meaningful personalization

When to Choose a Traditional vs. AI Assisted Process

  • Traditional method works best if:

    • You only have a handful of life-highlight photos (under 40)

    • You enjoy the creative, technical process handling each photo

    • You want full manual control over every detail

  • AI method is ideal if:

    • You have 50+ photos to organize

    • Multiple family members are contributing images

    • You’re short on time before a service

    • You’d rather focus on personalization and story-telling, not formatting

Tips for a Meaningful Memorial Slideshow

  • Photo Selection Include all life stages: childhood, milestones, family gatherings, and recent happy moments.

  • Storytelling Flow Arrange chronologically for a natural life journey. Begin & end with a favorite or uplifting photo.

  • Technical SetupChoose beautiful, subtle backgrounds that don’t distract. Test your slideshow on the actual projector or TV. MP4’s in the cloud and on a thumbdrive are often a good approach to ensure a smooth event.

Music & Timing


Select songs that reflect your loved one’s personality or the sentiment for your event. Allow 3–5 seconds per slide. Invite family members to share stories to build upon your video.

Making Memorial Slideshows More About Story-telling

The purpose of AI slideshow creation isn’t to remove the personal touch—it’s to eliminate time consuming technical tasks. By automating the tedious work, families can create beautiful memorials even with limited time, technical skill, or energy.

With tools like MemorialVideo.ai, every family can create and personalize a heartfelt slideshow that truly honors a life well-lived.

 
 
 

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