Tips for Choosing the Right Photo for a Loved One’s Obituary 

Are you putting the finishing touches on a loved one’s obituary right now? Once you’re all done writing it, there will be one more thing that you’ll have to do before it’s all ready to go. You’ll need to pick out the right photo to run alongside the obituary. One of the funeral homes in Manchester, NJ can help you write the actual obituary if you need a hand with it. But it’s going to be up to you to take care of selecting the right photo. Take a look at some tips that you should keep in mind when searching for a photo of your loved one.


Think about whether you want the photo of your loved one to be old or new.

When choosing a photo to run alongside an obituary, most families opt to go with something recent. But you’re allowed to choose a photo that’s as new or as old as you want. If you want to showcase a photo of your grandfather from his Army days or a photo of your mom from back when she was a nurse in her 20s, you’re welcome to do it. You and your family should talk about what era you want your loved one’s photo to be from.


Consider going with a photo that shows off your loved one’s personality.

Was your loved one someone who enjoyed telling jokes and making people laugh? You might want to try and pick a photo that shows off this side of their personality. There is nothing wrong with using a photo that showcases your loved one smiling or laughing. At the same time, if your loved one was someone who was always serious, a photo of them smiling might not be the best option. You should do your best to showcase your loved one’s personality through the photo that you choose for their obituary.


Make sure it’s easy to identify your loved one in the photo.

Many people scan the obituaries every morning to see if they know anyone who died recently. They do it so that they’re able to plan to attend their Manchester, NJ funeral services, if possible. With this in mind, the photo that you use has to give people a chance to positively identify your loved one. So you shouldn’t use a photo that obstructs their face or makes it difficult to ID them at first glance.


Avoid using a group photo that could confuse people who see it.

If your loved one loved spending time with family, you might be tempted to use a group photo as part of their obituary. This is a nice thought, but it’s not the approach you should take to picking out a photo. You want to choose a photo that features them and only them in it. Otherwise, you could end up confusing those who read your loved one’s obituary. They won’t know which person in the photo is your loved one.


Oliverie Funeral Home understands that it’s not easy throwing together an obituary for a loved one when you’re grieving their loss. It’s why we work to help families write obituaries. We also help them when it comes to choosing the right photo, as long as they have some good options to share with us. Call on us the next time you and your family need to make Manchester, NJ funeral arrangements to see what we’re all about.