When I design Funeral Photo Books I suggest to families that they might want to provide me with a photo of the deceased in the prime of his or her life.

Too often, there aren’t any good photos.

I’ve only known of  one person, Dr Viv Whittaker, who consciously arranged for a photo of himself for his order of service. It’s a beautiful photo taken by a professional studio in Sydney that no longer exists.

Another family provided me with a beautiful photo of the deceased from her past and this was used for the front cover of her funeral photo book.

The only lifetime portrait I have taken that was subsequently used for the order of service was of Elspeth McNair- I took this photo when I photographed her husband’s funeral and three years later, I photographed her funeral at the request of her children and suggested this image be used for her funeral photo book.

Here is a photo today I took of my wife for her Order of Service. We decided it was time (after 18 years of marriage)  to make wills and our Advanced Care Directives so it made sense to also create Order of Service photos!

So give thought to what photo you want for your funeral service. Maybe regard your Order of Service photo like your will or Advanced Care Directive, something to be updated every couple of years.