Best Free Programs To Create Wedding Slideshows

Wedding slideshows are a great way to showcase your special day and can be used before, during, and after the event. They are a modern alternative to traditional photo albums and can be easily shared with guests and loved ones. There are many free programs available to create a wedding slideshow, with options for both web and desktop applications. These programs offer a range of features, including customisable templates, photo and video editing tools, and music libraries, allowing you to create a professional and memorable slideshow.

Free online wedding slideshow makers

A wedding slideshow is a great way to celebrate your love story and share your important moments with family and friends. There are several free online wedding slideshow makers available with impressive features that can help you create stunning slideshows. Here are some of the best ones:

Smilebox

Smilebox is a free online wedding slideshow maker that offers a wide range of customisation options. It provides various beautiful wedding slideshow templates, allowing you to select a design that reflects your wedding style. You can easily upload your photos, add music, and include text and animations to personalise your slideshow. Smilebox is designed for ease of use, and you can save and share your slideshow via social media, email, or even project it at your wedding.

Animaker

Animaker is a cloud-based wedding slideshow maker with a simple drag-and-drop interface. It offers 500+ wedding slideshow templates, a vast collection of animated assets, GIFs, transition effects, and more. You can upload your own photos, songs, and videos or choose from their library of assets. Animaker allows you to export your slideshow and share it on social media with a single click.

Renderforest

Renderforest is a free online video and animation maker with a simple design and a large collection of templates. You can access it through your web browser and easily add your photos, choose a tune, and record voice comments. While it offers customisation options, the slide duration is not customisable, and it takes a significant amount of time to process a video.

Adobe Spark

Adobe Spark is an online service by Adobe, a company with a long track record in video editing. It allows you to create simple yet eye-catching videos using your wedding photos, background music, voice comments, and romantic captions. While it may not offer extensive creative freedom, you can still share your slideshows via links or upload them to a site of your choice.

FlexClip

FlexClip's free wedding slideshow maker offers rich video templates, an extensive media library, and dynamic text animations. You can browse through their wedding slideshow video templates, upload your images and footage, and make custom edits by adding text, effects, and music. FlexClip allows you to download your slideshow or share it online with the world.

Wedding slideshow templates

Wedding slideshows are a great way to showcase the journey of the happy couple and to highlight memories from the wedding. There are many free programs available to create a wedding slideshow, with customizable templates, music, and effects.

Canva, for example, offers beautifully designed templates and user-friendly editing tools. You can upload your own photos and videos, or choose from their media library. You can also animate text and add transitions to make your slideshow more dynamic.

FlexClip is another option, with free romantic wedding slideshow templates, where you can upload images and footage, add text, effects, and music.

Animaker has 500+ wedding slideshow templates and over 100 special royalty-free music tracks to choose from. It also allows for a lot of customization with its library of animated assets, GIFs, and transition effects.

SmartSHOW 3D is a good choice for creating unique slideshows with its collection of pre-designed templates and a built-in photo editor. It also has a rich music library, and you can add voice comments to your slideshow.

For a simple, elegant, and minimalist template, Slidesgo offers free Google Slides themes and PowerPoint templates that are 100% customizable.

Smilebox is another option with sweet and romantic templates, allowing you to add photos, music, and text.

These programs provide an excellent way to create a memorable wedding slideshow to share with your guests and cherish forever.

Adding photos, captions, colours and music

Adding photos, captions, colours, and music to your wedding slideshow is a great way to make it unique and memorable. Here are some tips to help you with the process:

Adding Photos:

When selecting photos for your slideshow, choose images that showcase different phases of your life, such as childhood, single life, and life as a couple. Include key milestones such as your first date, anniversaries, and the proposal. Don't forget to add photos with your close friends and family, as it's a wonderful way to showcase their importance in your life. Ensure that the photos are of good quality and high resolution, so they look clear and can be seen from a distance.

Adding Captions:

Captions can be added to provide context and guide your guests through your story. If you think your guests might not recognise when and where each photo was taken, consider adding captions with the location, date, or year. You can also use captions to share special dates, quotes, or even song lyrics that reflect your journey as a couple.

Adding Colours:

Colours can be used to enhance the overall aesthetic and mood of your slideshow. Consider incorporating your wedding colour scheme into your slideshow to create a cohesive look. You can also use colours to complement the theme of your slideshow, such as soft pastels for a romantic theme or vibrant hues for a fun and upbeat atmosphere.

Adding Music:

Music can elevate your slideshow and create a more engaging and emotional experience for your guests. Choose songs that are significant to you as a couple, such as your favourite dance track or a song that played on your first date. You can also select songs that align with the theme of your slideshow. For example, upbeat and happy music for a fun slideshow filled with humour, or slower and more romantic songs for a slideshow focused on your love story.

Remember to keep your slideshow around 5-10 minutes long to maintain your guests' interest. You can always play it in the background during the event, allowing guests to view it at their leisure.

Saving and sharing your slideshow

If you've used a web-based application, such as Smilebox, you can save your slideshow directly to your computer. Smilebox also allows you to share your creation via social media or email. Similarly, Animaker enables you to download the final output directly to your computer or share it on social media with a single click.

Some software, like Movavi Slideshow Maker, offers multiple saving options. You can save your slideshow as a video file, optimise it for specific devices, or even upload it directly to YouTube.

If you want to display your slideshow during your wedding festivities, you can use a projector or a large-screen television. Alternatively, you can share your slideshow after the wedding via your wedding website, social media platforms, or at a family gathering or brunch the day after your wedding.

Top slideshow programs

There are many programs available to make a wedding slideshow, with some offering free basic packages. Here is a list of the top slideshow programs to capture your special day:

Smilebox

Smilebox is a web-based application with a full-circle wedding service. It offers a plethora of romantic templates, allowing you to create a wedding presentation in minutes. It is incredibly easy to use, with a simple process of picking a template, adding photos and music, and then saving and sharing your creation. Smilebox also allows you to upload pictures from your phone and social media accounts. You can even use it to create wedding invitations. However, it does require an internet connection and the free version has limited templates.

Animoto

Animoto is a cloud-based slideshow creator that allows you to mix your wedding pictures and videos into a lovely slideshow. It is super user-friendly and can even be used on mobile devices. It comes with a range of pre-made romantic templates, or you can start from scratch. It also provides a free music library to elevate your slideshow. However, it does need an internet connection and there is a potential privacy breach hazard as you have to upload your photos to their website.

SmartSHOW 3D

SmartSHOW 3D is photo slideshow software that combines a simple drag-and-drop workflow with a rich toolkit. It offers pre-designed templates to create elegant, vintage, or flamboyant slideshows in just 5 minutes. It also features a built-in photo editor, artistic filters, and a music library. You can also add voice comments to your slideshow. It is compatible with Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7.

Wondershare Filmora

Wondershare Filmora is a streamlined software program aimed at beginners. While it is primarily a video editor, it can be used to create wedding slideshows. You can mix your wedding videos with pictures and add music tracks from its library. It offers 200+ transitions and 450+ effects for your video footage. There is also an "Easy Mode" to create a slideshow in a flash. However, it lacks slide animation effects.

Animaker

Animaker is a cloud-based tool with over 10 million users worldwide and a huge collection of digital assets. It has been around since 2014 and is one of the most commonly used products in this category. You can choose from over 500 templates or start from scratch. It also allows you to upload your own photos, songs, and videos for a personal touch. You can then export your slideshow and share it with friends or save it to your hard drive.

Frequently asked questions