Creating A Wedding Slideshow Without Spending A Dime

Wedding slideshows are a great way to showcase your love story and introduce your guests to your journey as a couple. They can be used before, during, or after your wedding and are a fun way to connect with your guests. Creating a wedding slideshow can be an easy and enjoyable process, and the good news is that there are several free tools available to help you make one. In this article, we'll explore how to make a wedding slideshow for free using a variety of online platforms. We'll cover everything from choosing the right software to adding your personal touches, so you can create a memorable slideshow that captivates your audience.

Pick your photos and videos

Picking the right photos and videos is key to telling your story as a couple. The images you include should be high-quality and high-resolution, so they show up well and can be seen from far away. Try to select images that show you in different phases of your life, such as your childhoods, single life, and life as a couple. It's a good idea to include key milestones, such as your first date, anniversaries, and the proposal, if you have pictures or videos of them.

While the slideshow is primarily about you, it's nice to include some photos and videos of your close friends and family. Your guests may be looking out for images and videos of themselves, so this is a great way to show how important these people are to you and make the slideshow more interesting for them.

Remember that everyone at your wedding will see the pictures and videos you choose, so consider withholding any that guests may view as inappropriate.

If you're struggling to find enough photos and videos, or want to include more variety, consider using stock images and footage. Many slideshow makers, such as Canva and Smilebox, offer millions of stock photos, videos, illustrations, borders, and patterns to enhance your project.

Choose a template

When choosing a template for your wedding slideshow, you'll want to select one that reflects your wedding style and the story you want to tell. There are many free online tools that offer a variety of templates to choose from, such as Smilebox, Canva, FlexClip, Slidesgo, and Animotica. These platforms offer customizable and elegant designs focused on weddings, with options to add photos, videos, music, and text.

Smilebox, for example, offers a wide range of wedding slideshow templates, allowing you to explore different directions for your slideshow. They also provide customization options so you can create the perfect setup. Canva also offers beautifully designed templates with layouts to suit different styles, such as elegant, romantic, minimal, floral, or quirky. You can select a sample slideshow that matches your style and further customize it by uploading photos and videos.

FlexClip has uncountable wedding slideshow video templates to choose from, allowing you to jump-start your video project. Slidesgo, on the other hand, offers free Google Slides themes and PowerPoint templates with elegant and customizable designs focused on weddings. Lastly, Animotica is available for Windows 10 users and offers features like photo backgrounds, text overlays, and stickers to enhance your slideshow.

When selecting a template, consider the overall aesthetic and functionality you desire. Browse through the options provided by these platforms, and choose the one that aligns best with your vision for the slideshow.

Add text, music and voiceover

Adding text, music and voiceover to your wedding slideshow can help you to tell your story as a couple and give your guests a fun way to connect with you and each other.

Most slideshow maker tools allow you to add text wherever you need to on each slide. Simply hover your cursor over the area you want to include text and click to add it in, or add a text box on top of your background.

When choosing music, select songs that are significant to you as a couple. Perhaps you have a favourite song that you always dance to, or a song that played on your first date. You could also choose from some of the most popular wedding slideshow songs or fun wedding songs in general. Keep the tone of your slideshow in mind, too—if it's bright and fun, pair it with happy, upbeat music, and if it's more romantic, go for something slower. You can keep the energy up by using just a portion of each song, such as the chorus.

If you want to include a voiceover, you could ask a friend or family member to narrate as if telling a fairytale, or to read a script live during the wedding slideshow.

Save and share

Once you've created your wedding slideshow, you'll want to save and share it with your guests. Here are some ways to do that:

Saving your slideshow

Depending on the tool you've used to create your slideshow, you can save it in different formats. For example, with Canva, you can download your slideshow as an animated gif or video (MP4), or as a JPEG, PNG, PDF, or PPT file. With FlexClip, you can download your slideshow in various ratios and definitions.

Sharing your slideshow

There are several ways to share your wedding slideshow with your guests:

• Via email
• On social media
• At your wedding reception or rehearsal dinner
• As a video invitation or save-the-date
• On your wedding website

You can also give a sneak peek of your slideshow by posting it on social media or emailing it to your guests before the wedding.

Remember to choose a tool that allows you to share your slideshow in the way that you prefer. For example, Smilebox and Animotica allow you to share your slideshow via social media, while FlexClip enables you to share it online with the world.

Use free tools

There are several free tools available to help you create a wedding slideshow. Here are some options to consider:

Canva

Canva is a design tool that offers a free slideshow maker feature. It provides a simple process to create stunning slideshows in seconds. You can open the editor, choose from various wedding slideshow templates, and add your photos and videos. Canva also offers a wide range of customisation options, including the ability to add text, animations, and background music from their music library. You can also upload your own music, photos, and branding elements to make your slideshow unique. Once you're happy with the result, you can download it in various formats, including MP4, or share it online easily.

Smilebox

Smilebox is another free online platform that allows you to create beautiful wedding slideshows. They offer a variety of wedding slideshow templates, giving you options for music, colours, text, and animation. You can easily upload your photos, add captions, and even include your own songs. Smilebox provides a simple and enjoyable experience, ensuring your final product looks great on the screen. You can save and share your slideshow in multiple ways, such as via social media or email.

Animoto

Animoto is a free online video maker that is perfect for creating wedding slideshows. They offer simple drag-and-drop tools and a range of beautiful wedding templates. You can upload your photos and video clips, personalise your slideshow with colours, text, and music, and then share it via social media, email, or at your event.

FlexClip

FlexClip provides a free wedding slideshow maker with a wide range of templates to choose from. You can upload your wedding images and footage, add custom edits such as text, effects, and music, and create a memorable slideshow.

Adobe Spark

Adobe Spark is Adobe's free tool for creating photo slideshows. While it seems more focused on business-oriented slideshows, it does offer professionally designed templates and graphic elements that can be adapted for a wedding theme.

Frequently asked questions