How to Collect Photos at a Celebration of Life (Respectfully)

Planning a memorial or celebration of life is overwhelmingly difficult. Amidst making arrangements, writing eulogies, and coordinating travel, families often realize they are missing something precious: the photos and stories held on the smartphones of their extended family and friends.

A celebration of life brings together people from different eras of a person’s life—childhood friends, college roommates, and former colleagues. Every one of these people has unique photos and memories you have never seen.

But gathering those photos presents a unique challenge: The solution must be incredibly simple for older relatives to use, and it must be strictly private.

Here is a guide on how to respectfully gather these memories using a simple QR code approach.

Why "App-Free" Sharing is Crucial for Memorials

If you ask attendees at a memorial to go to the App Store, download a photo-sharing app, create an account, and verify their email, the harsh reality is that most won't do it. The friction is too high, especially for older generations who may be less tech-savvy and are already navigating an emotional day.

Social media hashtags (like #RememberingJohn) were once popular, but they force private family moments into the public sphere. And trying to coordinate text messages or emails results in a disorganized, chaotic inbox full of compressed, low-quality photos.

The solution is QR code photo sharing connected directly to Google Drive.

How to Set It Up (Using EventSnap)

EventSnap was designed with this exact need in mind: offering total privacy and zero friction.

Step 1: Create a Secure Drop Zone

Go to EventSnap and sign in with your Google account. EventSnap will automatically create a private, secure folder within your Google Drive. This is where all the photos will go. We never store your family's memories on our public servers.

Step 2: Print the QR Code

EventSnap generates a custom QR code for your event. Print this code and place it strategically at the venue (we'll discuss placement ideas below).

Step 3: Guests Scan and Upload

When an uncle or an old friend sees the code, they simply point their phone camera at it. A website opens instantly in their browser. They tap "Upload," select photos from their camera roll, and within seconds, high-resolution original copies are saved securely into your private Google Drive.

Creative Ways to Display the QR Code

You want to ensure everyone knows how to share their photos without being intrusive. Here are elegant ways to display your QR code:

1. Next to the Physical Guestbook: This is the most natural location. "While you sign our book, please scan here to share a photo from your phone."
2. On Memory Tables: If you have tables displaying physical photo albums, memorabilia, or the urn, place a small, elegant 4x6 frame with the QR code nearby.
3. In the Printed Program: Dedicate a half-page in the memorial program explaining that you are collecting stories and photos. Include the QR code so people can scan it silently while seated.
4. Via Email for Distant Relatives: For those who cannot attend or who live abroad, EventSnap provides a direct web link. Email this link to distant relatives so they can participate and share their memories from afar.

Utilizing the "Digital Guestbook" Feature

A photo tells a story, but only if you know the context. When a college friend uploads a blurry photo from 1980, you might not know the back-story.

If you use EventSnap’s Premium tier (a one-time $9.99), guests are presented with a Digital Guestbook prompt after they upload their photos. They can type out the story behind the photo, or simply leave a heartfelt message or condolence.

This transforms a random photo upload into a deeply meaningful digital memory book.

Running a Tribute Slideshow

Many celebrations of life feature a slideshow. Rather than spending hours the night before trying to find enough photos to fill a 20-minute loop, you can let the guests create it.

EventSnap features a built-in Live Slideshow. You connect a laptop to a TV or projector at the reception venue. As guests dig through their camera rolls and upload photos via the QR code, those photos instantly and elegantly appear on the TV screen.

It creates a beautiful focal point for conversation ("I haven't seen that picture in 30 years!") and encourages more people to participate when they see how easy it is.

Preserving Memories, Forever

The days following a memorial are a blur. You shouldn't have to worry about a "photo gallery expiration date" (which many premium apps enforce).

Because EventSnap routes files directly into your Google Drive, the original files are in your possession from the very first second. They stay there forever, safely backed up by Google, ready for you to look through whenever you are ready.

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