Exploring the pros and cons

Considering the Options…

There are pros and cons for the DIY option. For some, creating the AV tribute is a practical action that can play a role in managing grief or in allowing a family member to make a significant contribution to farewelling a loved one. For others, it is a cost saving measure… especially when ever dollar counts. For others preparing the AV tribute can be something they think they should do under the circumstance but that mind set can result in more stress and anxiety than the guilt that may be associated by not taking on the task. It is this stress (even with the skill required) that can create an additional and unnecessary outcome of this process.

Using a professional costs! …anywhere from $150 to $400 depending on which funeral home or independent supplier you use. Make sure to find out whether the preparation of an AV tribute is part of the service fee you are already paying for through your funeral director. Knowing that can remove this choice from the many other decisions you are expected to make in a short space of time, in some of the most difficult days of your life.

A professionally created AV tribute can be one part of ensuring that the leave-taking service is remembered for all the right reasons. Similarly, using a professional who has provided AV tribute services for the venue you are using and/or provides the AV equipment can minimise the risks of the tribute not working on the day.

If you are ‘doing it yourself’ then it is essential that you either have your software (USB, CD or DVD as required) tested prior to the service to ensure all is in working order. It’s also recommended that if multiple software options are available that you prepare alternate version to minimise the risk of AV failure on the day.

Consider these practicalities…

The practicalities of DIY AV tributes:

• Consider timing of service and song length.
• Choose photos to match the service and song length (or vice versa).
• Decide whether the order of photos matters. Do you want your photos in chronological order or randomly displayed?
• Use the resources you have available to combine music and images, displaying your photos for the most appropriate duration.
• If only one person has been responsible for photo and music selection have someone else check the AV tribute to ensure it is appropriate, relevant and includes all the images selected can be important.
• Prepare multiple copies in different formats.
• Test the various formats to ensure they work on the equipment that will be used on the day at the venue.
• Remember to take the software on the day!

The practicalities of professionally prepared AV tributes:

• Some funeral directors or arrangers will provide their recommendations on the length of the AV tribute or the number of photos to include.
• Consider timing of service and song length.
• Choose photos to match the service and song length (or vice versa).
• Decide whether the order of photos matters. Do you want your photos in chronological order or randomly displayed?
• Provide the photos digitally (USB or use a file sharing program like DropBox) or in hard copy for the professional to scan them.
• If only one person has been responsible for photo and music selection have someone else check the AV tribute to ensure it is appropriate, relevant and includes all the images selected.
• Multiple copies in different formats or known formats will be delivered to the funeral director or venue on the day.
• Enjoy the AV tribute without the stress of putting it all together in a limited time frame.

Making the decision…

In the wash up, your decision will be influenced by your personal circumstances and factors mentioned. Sometimes it’s about easy, sometimes it about the amount of hours in a day and for others it might be about costs. There is no right or wrong way to make this decision… there’s  just the way that will suit you best based on your circumstances.

We have just one life…

Jacqui Chaplin

Independent Funeral Information | Life Story Collector & Writer | End of Life Tributes | Easier End of Life Experiences | Funeral Planning and Celebrancy

Just One Life… doing and designing dying and death differently and with dignity and distinction.

For more information on doing dying and death differently or to start thinking about how to handle a death of a loved one before you are overtaken by grief, organise a conversation with Jacqui today.

Call +61 (0)412 741 531 or email jacqui@jacquichaplin.com

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Jacqui Chaplin is a Lifetime & End-of-Life Commemoration Specialist (a funeral celebrant among other things) based in Melbourne, Australia. She loves capturing stories about the nature of life and being human, as well as, celebrating and commemorating well lived lives and lives that have ended. Jacqui has a passion for bringing the conversations that many of us find difficult to think about, let alone speak about, out in the open so we can see how our stories, values and beliefs influence our attitudes.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.